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Work Instances

A work instance is a running or completed execution of a definition — a process instance (BPMN) or a case instance (CMMN). The Work Instances view is the operational heart of Hub: it lets you find any instance, inspect every detail of its execution, and intervene when something needs attention.

The instance detail view is also the busiest crossroads in Hub — from it you can reach the instance's definition, tasks, sub-processes, decisions, forms, content and jobs. If you have not yet read Navigating Hub, it explains how this drill-down model ties the whole application together.

Instance list​

The list shows all process and case instances in the environment, each with its Id (with a process or case icon; PRC/CAS prefixes), Name, Business Key, Definition, Start Time and End Time. Use the Definition selector to focus on one definition, the Status filter (Any / Active / Completed) to separate running from finished work, and further filters for instance ID, business key, name, Type (process or case), root or parent scope, and started/ended date ranges. A running instance opens in its runtime view; a finished one opens in its historic view.

The list of work instances

Instance details​

Click an instance to open its detail view. For processes and cases the top shows a collapsible Diagram panel with the executed path highlighted; the header actions let you operate on the instance. Below, a set of tabs gives a complete picture of the execution.

A work instance detail view

Diagram​

Expand the Diagram panel to see the BPMN or CMMN model for the instance. You can zoom and pan, follow the link to the underlying definition, and — for a running instance — select nodes to change its state (see below).

The instance diagram

Tabs​

Which tabs appear depends on whether the instance is a process or a case and whether it is still running. The full set is:

  • Details — key identifiers, status, timestamps, the assignee/owner, and a link to the originating definition.
  • Variables — the instance's variables. The table is editable: with the variable permission (hub:instance:work:variable:write) you can add, change and remove variables, which is invaluable when nudging a stuck instance. A Local Variables toggle limits the view to variables scoped to a specific task, execution or plan item.
  • Tasks — the tasks belonging to the instance; click one to open its Task detail.
  • Sub Processes and, for cases, Sub Cases — child instances started by this one.
  • Jobs — the instance's background jobs (running instances only).
  • Events — event subscriptions the instance is waiting on (running instances only).
  • Decisions — DMN decisions executed during the instance.
  • Executions — for a running process, its execution tree, useful for tracing concurrent paths.
  • Activities (process) / Plan Items (case) — the steps that have executed or are active.
  • Form Instances — forms submitted for the instance, including the captured data.
  • Actions — action instances that have run.
  • Content Items — documents and content attached to the instance.
  • Model Hierarchy — how this instance fits into the broader instance hierarchy.
  • Identity Links — users and groups associated with the instance.
  • Agent Timeline — when AI agents participate, a timeline of their activity.

The variables tab of a work instance

The activities tab of a work instance

Operating on an instance​

The header actions let you intervene, each gated by its own permission and, where relevant, by whether the instance is still running:

  • Suspend instance / Activate instance — pause or resume a running process instance (hub:instance:work:change-state).
  • Terminate instance — stop a running instance for good (hub:instance:work:terminate).
  • Migrate instance / Migrate historic instance — move the instance onto a different definition version (hub:instance:work:migrate); see Migration. Disabled when there is no other version.
  • Reindex — refresh the instance in the search index (hub:cluster:reindex).
  • Delete instance — permanently remove the instance (hub:instance:work:delete); you can record a delete reason for the audit trail.

Changing process state (token move)​

For a running process, the Diagram panel lets you move the execution directly. Select the activity a token should leave and the activity it should resume at; once your selection describes a valid move, the Change process state button becomes available and, after a confirmation, repositions the tokens (hub:instance:work:change-state).

The order in which you select nodes does not matter, and if the source has no token nothing happens.

Changing case state (plan items)​

For a running case, selecting a plan item in the diagram offers the actions that make sense for its current state — Activate plan item, Move to available state, Terminate plan item, and Add / Remove wait for repetition — so you can steer a case just as precisely as a process (also hub:instance:work:change-state).

Migrating instances​

To move many instances at once, migration is driven from the Definitions view via Migrate definition instances, which migrates all running instances of a version with a guided activity mapping. See the dedicated Migration guide for the full walkthrough. For a one-off, surgical change to a single instance, the Change process state token move described above is often the more direct tool.