Microservices are gaining popularity. Build a process definition and turn it into a Microservice—it's that simple. It’s a compelling concept and easy to implement with FlowWright. The UI lets you manage Microservices, export and import Microservice XML files from other FlowWright environments, and view usage statistics and call logs.  

Navigate to the Integration - Microservices page. 

The Manage Microservices page is rendered as shown below. A list of microservices is displayed in a table sorted by a column. Use the Search text box feature to filter the list. 

Select the Actions - Create menu option to create a new microservice. You can navigate to the Edit, Remove, and Copy menu options. 

Select a Microservice from the table and click the Export menu to generate and download the XML or SQL files. You may use the XML or SQL files to create a microservice on the target FlowWright environment. 

Select the Import menu and choose the XML file from the local folder to import the Microservice. 

Select the API menu to build the Microservice after configuration. The Build Log provides information during the build process. Use the View API menu option to view the Microservice APIs as a Swagger document. 

Create a Microservice.

The Microservice UI lets you define, update, remove, and copy Microservices. In the FlowWright application, the Microservice requires a process workflow to execute. Let’s create a Microservice that takes two numbers and returns their sum.

Build a process definition called “add2NosDef,” and configure 3 variables as shown below:

Drag an “evaluateExpression” step to the process designer and connect it to the “Start” step:

Configure the “evaluateExpression” step with the following values: 

Once configured, save the process definition and navigate to the Microservices UI to create a new Microservice: 

A pop-up window opens for configuration. Provide a name for the microservice. Select the process definition from the drop-down list. Click the navigation icon to open the process definition in a new tab. Use the buttons to sort workflows by last modified date or name. Check the Open Designer checkbox to open the new microservice on the designer page. Click the Create button to open the new service on the designer page. 

You can also select the Microservice, then click Actions - Edit to open it on the designer page.  

The Microservices Designer page is rendered as shown below. 

The sections are briefly explained below. 

Microservice Configuration: This section contains the basic settings. Provide the Microservice name that reflects its business function. Provide a description that identifies the inputs, outputs, and expected behavior. Click to enable logging to ON to record log events on the Microservice Call Logs page. This logging helps initial testing and troubleshooting. Decide on process-instance saving based on whether you need workflow history, auditing, or troubleshooting. Click to enable the process instance to save as ON.

Definition and Authentication: This section binds the Microservice to a process definition. Select the process definition from the drop-down list. Click the navigation icon to open the process definition in a new tab. Use the buttons to sort workflows by last modified date or by name. Click to enable authentication, then set it to ON to authenticate all users or specific user and application roles. You may limit Microservice access to all users or to specific users/application roles. Only users with access privileges can now execute the Microservice. 

Note: The selected process definition should:

• Exist in the target FlowWright environment.
• Contain the variables required by the microservice inputs.
• Execute successfully when those variables are populated.
• Produce the output variables required by the API response.
• Have a valid start path and no unexpected dependency on interactive user tasks.

Map Headers: This section maps HTTP request headers to FlowWright variables or global variables. 

To configure, select Variables or Globals. Select the FlowWright variable or global that should receive the header value. Enter the external Header Name. Click Add. Repeat for each required header. Note: Header mapping is for passing header values into the workflow. It is not necessarily the same as configuring authentication. For example, mapping an Authorization header to a variable does not, by itself, validate the supplied credentials.

Map Inputs: This section defines how external API requests supply values to the selected workflow. 

You must map variables or globals from the Microservice to the process definition.  To map inputs, select the variable/global from the drop-down list. Provide the input name and description. Click the Add button. You may add multiple inputs with different variable/global list selections. To map outputs, select the variable/global from the drop-down list. Provide the output name and description. Click the Add button. You may add multiple outputs with different variable/global list selections. 

Choosing GET versus POST.

The exact request format, parameter binding rules, and whether the HTTP method is configured per input or applies to the overall endpoint should be confirmed against the FlowWright version being tested. Note: You must use the POSTMAN utility to execute APIs using the HTTP POST method. 

Enable the checkbox to pass Inputs through a POST request body.  “Pass Using Form Body” is intended to configure how POST inputs are supplied through the HTTP request body.  A POST request can send values in the body instead of in the URL. 

Map Outputs: This section defines which workflow values are exposed to the calling application. To map outputs, select the variable/global from the drop-down list. Provide the name and description. Click the Add button.

Click the "Create/Update" button. The Microservice configuration is saved, and a confirmation message appears in the top-right corner.  

Once the Microservice is created, select the “API - Build” menu item. The microservice is built, and the FlowWright application restarts in the background. Log in to the FlowWright application again to continue the setup.  The Microservice is now ready for use. 

Build Error Log. You may encounter build errors for configuration issues. Use the Log file to understand the errors. Click Yes to view the log. 

The log is rendered as shown in the image below. In this example, the variables are seen configured incorrectly in the Microservice definition. 

Navigate to Status > Logs > System Log to view the error as well.   

To test the Microservice API in Swagger (inside FlowWright), you must select the API - View API menu option. The API is rendered in Swagger as below. Click the “Try it out” button to execute.  

The Microservice used in this example requires two input values. Click the Execute button. The API call runs in the background, and the result appears on the same page below. Note: This Swagger UI supports only HTTP GET methods. You may use the POSTMAN utility to execute the HTTP POST method when the Microservice is available.  

Use the navigation icons to open the Definition and view the API on the new page. 

All dates/times are stored in the database as UTC and displayed based on the user's local time zone. 

Note: Engine runtime data are in ISO + UTC format. 

Select the API - View API menu option to view the Microservice APIs page.

The Microservices API is listed on the new page, as shown in the example below. 

Edit a Microservice.

Select a Microservice from the table and click the Actions - Copy menu. 

Enter a new name, then click the COPY button. 

A copy is created, and a notification message is displayed in the top-right corner. Note: You must build this API before you can use it.

Remove a Microservice.

Select a Microservice from the table and click the Actions - Remove menu. 

Click the OK  button to confirm. 

The Microservice is permanently removed, and a confirmation message is displayed in the top-right corner.