Chapter 1. Getting started
1.1. Creating and running workflows with Knative Workflow plugin
You can create and run the OpenShift Serverless Logic workflows locally.
1.1.1. Creating a workflow
You can use the create
command with kn workflow
to set up a new OpenShift Serverless Logic project in your current directory.
Prerequisites
-
You have installed the OpenShift Serverless Logic
kn-workflow
CLI plugin.
Procedure
Create a new OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow project by running the following command:
$ kn workflow create
By default, the generated project name is
new-project
. You can change the project name by using the[-n|--name]
flag as follows:Example command
$ kn workflow create --name my-project
1.1.2. Running a workflow locally
You can use the run
command with kn workflow
to build and run your OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow project in your current directory.
Prerequisites
- You have installed Podman on your local machine.
-
You have installed the OpenShift Serverless Logic
kn-workflow
CLI plugin. - You have created an OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow project.
Procedure
Run the following command to build and run your OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow project:
$ kn workflow run
When the project is ready, the Development UI automatically opens in your browser on
localhost:8080/q/dev-ui
and you will find the Serverless Workflow Tools tile available. Alternatively, you can access the tool directly usinghttp://localhost:8080/q/dev-ui/org.apache.kie.sonataflow.sonataflow-quarkus-devui/workflows
.
You can execute a workflow locally using a container that runs on your machine. Stop the container with Ctrl+C.
1.2. Deploying workflows
You can deploy the Serverless Logic workflows on the cluster in two modes: Dev mode and Preview mode.
1.2.1. Deploying workflows in Dev mode
You can deploy your local workflow on OpenShift Container Platform in Dev mode. You can use this deployment to experiment and modify your workflow directly on the cluster, seeing changes almost immediately. Dev mode is designed for development and testing purposes. It is ideal for initial development stages and for testing new changes.
Prerequisites
- You have OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to a OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Create the workflow configuration YAML file.
Example
workflow-dev.yaml
fileapiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlow metadata: name: greeting 1 annotations: sonataflow.org/description: Greeting example on k8s! sonataflow.org/version: 0.0.1 sonataflow.org/profile: dev 2 spec: flow: start: ChooseOnLanguage functions: - name: greetFunction type: custom operation: sysout states: - name: ChooseOnLanguage type: switch dataConditions: - condition: "${ .language == \"English\" }" transition: GreetInEnglish - condition: "${ .language == \"Spanish\" }" transition: GreetInSpanish defaultCondition: GreetInEnglish - name: GreetInEnglish type: inject data: greeting: "Hello from JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetInSpanish type: inject data: greeting: "Saludos desde JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetPerson type: operation actions: - name: greetAction functionRef: refName: greetFunction arguments: message: ".greeting + .name" end: true
To deploy the application, apply the YAML file by entering the following command:
$ oc apply -f <filename> -n <your_namespace>
Verify the deployment and check the status of the deployed workflow by entering the following command:
$ oc get workflow -n <your_namespace> -w
Ensure that your workflow is listed and the status is
Running
orCompleted
.Edit the workflow directly in the cluster by entering the following command:
$ oc edit sonataflow <workflow_name> -n <your_namespace>
- After editing, save the changes. The OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator detects the changes and updates the workflow accordingly.
Verification
To ensure the changes are applied correctly, verify the status and logs of the workflow by entering the following commands:
View the status of the workflow by running the following command:
$ oc get sonataflows -n <your_namespace>
View the workflow logs by running the following command:
$ oc logs <workflow_pod_name> -n <your_namespace>
Next steps
After completing the testing, delete the resources to avoid unnecessary usage by running the following command:
$ oc delete sonataflow <workflow_name> -n <your_namespace>
1.2.2. Deploying workflows in Preview mode
You can deploy your local workflow on OpenShift Container Platform in Preview mode. This allows you to experiment and modify your workflow directly on the cluster, seeing changes almost immediately. Preview mode is used for final testing and validation before deploying to production. It also ensures that workflows will run smoothly in a production-like setting.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
To deploy a workflow in Preview mode, OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator uses the build system on OpenShift Container Platform, which automatically creates the image for deploying your workflow.
The following sections explain how to build and deploy your workflow on a cluster using the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator with a SonataFlow
custom resource.
1.2.2.1. Configuring workflows in Preview mode
1.2.2.1.1. Configuring the workflow base builder image
If your scenario requires strict policies for image usage, such as security or hardening constraints, replace the default image used by the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator to build the final workflow container image.
By default, the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator uses the image distributed in the official Red Hat Registry to build workflows. If your scenario requires strict policies for image use, such as security or hardening constraints, you can replace the default image.
To change this image, you edit the SonataFlowPlatform
custom resource (CR) in the namespace where you deployed your workflows.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
List the
SonataFlowPlatform
resources in your namespace by running the following command:$ oc get sonataflowplatform -n <your_namespace> 1
- 1
- Replace
<your_namespace>
with the name of your namespace.
Patch the
SonataFlowPlatform
resource with the new builder image by running the following command:$ oc patch sonataflowplatform <name> --patch 'spec:\n build:\n config:\n baseImage: <your_new_image_full_name_with_tag>' -n <your_namespace>
Verification
Verify that the
SonataFlowPlatform
CR has been patched correctly by running the following command:$ oc describe sonataflowplatform <name> -n <your_namespace> 1
- 1
- Replace
<name>
with the name of yourSonataFlowPlatform
resource and<your_namespace>
with the name of your namespace.
Ensure that the
baseImage
field underspec.build.config
reflects the new image.
1.2.2.1.2. Customization for the base builder Dockerfile
The OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator uses the logic-operator-rhel8-builder-config
config map custom resource (CR) in its openshift-serverless-logic
OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installation namespace to configure and run the workflow build process. You can change the Dockerfile entry in this config map to adjust the Dockerfile to your needs.
Modifying the Dockerfile can break the build process.
This example is for reference only. The actual version might be slightly different. Do not use this example for your installation.
Example logic-operator-rhel8-builder-config
config map CR
apiVersion: v1 data: DEFAULT_WORKFLOW_EXTENSION: .sw.json Dockerfile: | FROM registry.redhat.io/openshift-serverless-1/logic-swf-builder-rhel8:1.33.0 AS builder # Variables that can be overridden by the builder # To add a Quarkus extension to your application ARG QUARKUS_EXTENSIONS # Args to pass to the Quarkus CLI add extension command ARG QUARKUS_ADD_EXTENSION_ARGS # Additional java/mvn arguments to pass to the builder ARG MAVEN_ARGS_APPEND # Copy from build context to skeleton resources project COPY --chown=1001 . ./resources RUN /home/kogito/launch/build-app.sh ./resources #============================= # Runtime Run #============================= FROM registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/openjdk-17:latest ENV LANG='en_US.UTF-8' LANGUAGE='en_US:en' # We make four distinct layers so if there are application changes, the library layers can be re-used COPY --from=builder --chown=185 /home/kogito/serverless-workflow-project/target/quarkus-app/lib/ /deployments/lib/ COPY --from=builder --chown=185 /home/kogito/serverless-workflow-project/target/quarkus-app/*.jar /deployments/ COPY --from=builder --chown=185 /home/kogito/serverless-workflow-project/target/quarkus-app/app/ /deployments/app/ COPY --from=builder --chown=185 /home/kogito/serverless-workflow-project/target/quarkus-app/quarkus/ /deployments/quarkus/ EXPOSE 8080 USER 185 ENV AB_JOLOKIA_OFF="" ENV JAVA_OPTS="-Dquarkus.http.host=0.0.0.0 -Djava.util.logging.manager=org.jboss.logmanager.LogManager" ENV JAVA_APP_JAR="/deployments/quarkus-run.jar" kind: ConfigMap metadata: name: sonataflow-operator-builder-config namespace: sonataflow-operator-system
1.2.2.1.3. Changing resource requirements
You can specify resource requirements for the internal builder pods, by creating or editing a SonataFlowPlatform
resource in the workflow namespace.
Example SonataFlowPlatform
resource
apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowPlatform metadata: name: sonataflow-platform spec: build: template: resources: requests: memory: "64Mi" cpu: "250m" limits: memory: "128Mi" cpu: "500m"
Only one SonataFlowPlatform
resource is allowed per namespace. Fetch and edit the resource that the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator created for you instead of trying to create another resource.
You can fine-tune the resource requirements for a particular workflow. Each workflow instance has a SonataFlowBuild
instance created with the same name as the workflow. You can edit the SonataFlowBuild
custom resource (CR) and specify the parameters as follows:
Example of SonataFlowBuild
CR
apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowBuild metadata: name: my-workflow spec: resources: requests: memory: "64Mi" cpu: "250m" limits: memory: "128Mi" cpu: "500m"
These parameters apply only to new build instances.
1.2.2.1.4. Passing arguments to the internal builder
You can customize the build process by passing build arguments to the SonataFlowBuild
instance or setting default build arguments in the SonataFlowPlatform
resource.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Check for the existing
SonataFlowBuild
instance by running the following command:$ oc get sonataflowbuild <name> -n <namespace> 1
- 1
- Replace
<name>
with the name of yourSonataFlowBuild
instance and<namespace>
with your namespace.
Add build arguments to the
SonataFlowBuild
instance by running the following command:$ oc edit sonataflowbuild <name> -n <namespace>
Add the desired build arguments under the
.spec.buildArgs
field of theSonataFlowBuild
instance:apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowBuild metadata: name: <name> 1 spec: buildArgs: - name: <argument_1> value: <value_1> - name: <argument_2> value: <value_2>
- 1
- The name of the existing
SonataFlowBuild
instance.
Save the file and exit.
A new build with the updated configuration starts.
Set the default build arguments in the
SonataFlowPlatform
resource by running the following command:$ oc edit sonataflowplatform <name> -n <namespace>
Add the desired build arguments under the
.spec.buildArgs
field of theSonataFlowPlatform
resource:apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowPlatform metadata: name: <name> 1 spec: build: template: buildArgs: - name: <argument_1> value: <value_1> - name: <argument_2> value: <value_2>
- 1
- The name of the existing
SonataFlowPlatform
resource.
- Save the file and exit.
1.2.2.1.5. Setting environment variables in the internal builder
You can set environment variables to the SonataFlowBuild
internal builder pod. These variables are valid for the build context only and are not set on the final built workflow image.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Check for existing
SonataFlowBuild
instance by running the following command:$ oc get sonataflowbuild <name> -n <namespace>
Replace
<name>
with the name of yourSonataFlowBuild
instance and<namespace>
with your namespace.Edit the
SonataFlowBuild
instance by running the following command:$ oc edit sonataflowbuild <name> -n <namespace>
Example
SonataFlowBuild
instanceapiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowBuild metadata: name: <name> spec: envs: - name: <env_variable_1> value: <value_1> - name: <env_variable_2> value: <value_2>
Save the file and exit.
A new with the updated configuration starts.
Alternatively, you can set the enviroments in the
SonataFlowPlatform
, so that every new build instances will use it as a template.Example
SonataFlowPlatform
instanceapiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowPlatform metadata: name: <name> spec: build: template: envs: - name: <env_variable_1> value: <value_1> - name: <env_variable_2> value: <value_2>
1.2.2.1.6. Changing the base builder image
You can modify the default builder image used by the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator by editing the logic-operator-rhel8-builder-config
config map.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Edit the
logic-operator-rhel8-builder-config
config map by running the following command:$ oc edit cm/logic-operator-rhel8-builder-config -n openshift-serverless-logic
Modify the dockerfile entry.
In your editor, locate the Dockerfile entry and change the first line to the desired image.
Example
data: Dockerfile: | FROM registry.redhat.io/openshift-serverless-1/logic-swf-builder-rhel8:1.33.0 # Change the image to the desired one
- Save the changes.
1.2.2.2. Building and deploying your workflow
You can create a SonataFlow
custom resource (CR) on OpenShift Container Platform and OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator builds and deploys the workflow.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Create a workflow YAML file similar to the following:
apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlow metadata: name: greeting annotations: sonataflow.org/description: Greeting example on k8s! sonataflow.org/version: 0.0.1 spec: flow: start: ChooseOnLanguage functions: - name: greetFunction type: custom operation: sysout states: - name: ChooseOnLanguage type: switch dataConditions: - condition: "${ .language == \"English\" }" transition: GreetInEnglish - condition: "${ .language == \"Spanish\" }" transition: GreetInSpanish defaultCondition: GreetInEnglish - name: GreetInEnglish type: inject data: greeting: "Hello from JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetInSpanish type: inject data: greeting: "Saludos desde JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetPerson type: operation actions: - name: greetAction functionRef: refName: greetFunction arguments: message: ".greeting+.name" end: true
Apply the
SonataFlow
workflow definition to your OpenShift Container Platform namespace by running the following command:$ oc apply -f <workflow-name>.yaml -n <your_namespace>
Example command for the
greetings-workflow.yaml
file:$ oc apply -f greetings-workflow.yaml -n workflows
List all the build configurations by running the following command:
$ oc get buildconfigs -n workflows
Get the logs of the build process by running the following command:
$ oc logs buildconfig/<workflow-name> -n <your_namespace>
Example command for the
greetings-workflow.yaml
file:$ oc logs buildconfig/greeting -n workflows
Verification
To verify the deployment, list all the pods by running the following command:
$ oc get pods -n <your_namespace>
Ensure that the pod corresponding to your workflow is running.
Check the running pods and their logs by running the following command:
$ oc logs pod/<pod-name> -n workflows
1.2.2.3. Verifying workflow deployment
You can verify that your OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow is running by performing a test HTTP call from the workflow pod.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Create a workflow
YAML
file similar to the following:apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlow metadata: name: greeting annotations: sonataflow.org/description: Greeting example on k8s! sonataflow.org/version: 0.0.1 spec: flow: start: ChooseOnLanguage functions: - name: greetFunction type: custom operation: sysout states: - name: ChooseOnLanguage type: switch dataConditions: - condition: "${ .language == \"English\" }" transition: GreetInEnglish - condition: "${ .language == \"Spanish\" }" transition: GreetInSpanish defaultCondition: GreetInEnglish - name: GreetInEnglish type: inject data: greeting: "Hello from JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetInSpanish type: inject data: greeting: "Saludos desde JSON Workflow, " transition: GreetPerson - name: GreetPerson type: operation actions: - name: greetAction functionRef: refName: greetFunction arguments: message: ".greeting+.name" end: true
Create a route for the workflow service by running the following command:
$ oc expose svc/<workflow-service-name> -n workflows
This command creates a public URL to access the workflow service.
Set an environment variable for the public URL by running the following command:
$ WORKFLOW_SVC=$(oc get route/<workflow-service-name> -n <namespace> --template='{{.spec.host}}')
Make an HTTP call to the workflow to send a POST request to the service by running the following command:
$ curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json' -d '{<"your": "json_payload">}' http://$WORKFLOW_SVC/<endpoint>
Example output
{ "id": "b5fbfaa3-b125-4e6c-9311-fe5a3577efdd", "workflowdata": { "name": "John", "language": "English", "greeting": "Hello from JSON Workflow, " } }
This output shows an example of the expected response if the workflow is running.
1.2.2.4. Restarting a build
To restart a build, you can add or edit the sonataflow.org/restartBuild: true
annotation in the SonataFlowBuild
instance. Restarting a build is necessary if there is a problem with your workflow or the initial build revision.
Prerequisites
- You have an OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to an OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Check if the
SonataFlowBuild
instance exists by running the following command:$ oc get sonataflowbuild <name> -n <namespace>
Edit the
SonataFlowBuild
instance by running the following command:$ oc edit sonataflowbuild/<name> -n <namespace>
Replace
<name>
with the name of yourSonataFlowBuild
instance and<namespace>
with the namespace where your workflow is deployed.Add the
sonataflow.org/restartBuild: true
annotation to restart the build.apiVersion: sonataflow.org/v1alpha08 kind: SonataFlowBuild metadata: name: <name> annotations: sonataflow.org/restartBuild: true
This action triggers the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator to start a new build of the workflow.
To monitor the build process, check the build logs by running the following command:
$ oc logs buildconfig/<name> -n <namespace>
Replace
<name>
with the name of yourSonataFlowBuild
instance and<namespace>
with the namespace where your workflow is deployed.
1.2.3. Editing a workflow
When the OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator deploys a workflow service, it creates two config maps to store runtime properties:
-
User properties: Defined in a
ConfigMap
named after theSonataFlow
object with the suffix-props
. For example, if your workflow name isgreeting
, then theConfigMap
name isgreeting-props
. -
Managed properties: Defined in a
ConfigMap
named after theSonataFlow
object with the suffix-managed-props
. For example, if your workflow name isgreeting
, then theConfigMap
name isgreeting-managed-props
.
Managed properties always override any user property with the same key name and cannot be edited by the user. Any change would be overwritten by the Operator at the next reconciliation cycle.
Prerequisites
- You have OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to a OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Open and edit the
ConfigMap
by running the following command:$ oc edit cm <workflow_name>-props -n <namespace>
Replace
<workflow_name>
with the name of your workflow and<namespace>
with the namespace where your workflow is deployed.Add the properties in the
application.properties
section.Example of a workflow properties stored within a
ConfigMap
:apiVersion: v1 kind: ConfigMap metadata: labels: app: greeting name: greeting-props namespace: default data: application.properties: | my.properties.key = any-value
Ensure the properties are correctly formatted to prevent the Operator from replacing your configuration with the default one.
- After making the necessary changes, save the file and exit the editor.
1.2.4. Testing a workflow
To verify that your OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow is running correctly, you can perform a test HTTP call from the relevant pod.
Prerequisites
- You have OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to a OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
To create a route for the specified service in your namespace by running the following command:
$ oc expose svc <service_name> -n <namespace>
To fetch the URL for the newly exposed service by running the following command:
$ WORKFLOW_SVC=$(oc get route/<service_name> --template='{{.spec.host}}')
Perform a test HTTP call and send a
POST
request by running the following command:$ curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type:application/json' -H 'Accept:application/json' -d '<request_body>' http://$WORKFLOW_SVC/<endpoint>
- Verify the response to ensure the workflow is functioning as expected.
1.2.5. Troubleshooting a workflow
The OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator deploys its pod with health check probes to ensure the Workflow runs in a healthy state. If changes cause these health checks to fail, the pod will stop responding.
Prerequisites
- You have OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to a OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
Check the workflow status by running the following command:
$ oc get workflow <name> -o jsonpath={.status.conditions} | jq .
To fetch and analyze the the logs from the workflow’s deployment, run the following command:
$ oc logs deployment/<workflow_name> -f
1.2.6. Deleting a workflow
You can use the oc delete
command to delete your OpenShift Serverless Logic workflow in your current directory.
Prerequisites
- You have OpenShift Serverless Logic Operator installed on your cluster.
- You have access to a OpenShift Serverless Logic project with the appropriate roles and permissions to create applications and other workloads in OpenShift Container Platform.
-
You have installed the OpenShift CLI
(oc)
.
Procedure
-
Verify that you have the correct file that defines the Workflow you want to delete. For example,
workflow.yaml
. Run the
oc delete
command to remove the Workflow from your specified namespace:$ oc delete -f <your_file> -n <your_namespace>
Replace
<your_file>
with the name of your Workflow file and<your_namespace>
with your namespace.