To understand how Workflow Automation uses the processes you define, you need to understand the following terms:
A single instance of a process, triggered by either an incoming event or a manual trigger. A process stands idle until a trigger initiates a work item. A single process may have multiple work items running simultaneously. For more information, see Section 4.0, Managing Work Items.
A step in a process that performs a specific function, such as starting the workflow, joining multiple flows, waiting for an incoming event, or stopping the workflow.
A set of rules associated with a process that determine how to respond to incoming events, such as initiating a new work item or appending an event to an existing work item. A manual trigger requires human intervention to initiate a work item. For more information about triggers, see Understanding Triggers.
An event initiates an action in a process by matching one of the following:
Trigger - Triggers evaluate events to determine whether to start a process or append the event to an existing work item. A single event might trigger multiple processes. A combination of events can trigger a single process.
Wait for Event activity - The Wait for Event activity responds to an event that occurs while a process is running. Typically, each adapter has a customized version of the activity to match events from that adapter. For example, if your Workflow Automation environment has multiple adapters, you might see a Wait for Email Event activity or a Wait for AppManager Event activity.
An event that initiates a work item according to a defined schedule, such as nightly backups or monthly maintenance. Scheduled events are not associated with monitored products.