bw_update_process_chain
Replace the steps and edges of an existing SAP BW/4HANA process chain while preserving its trigger and header, then optionally activate it. Handles stale ETags by reporting conflicts.
Instructions
Replace the step model (nodes and edges) of an existing Process Chain (RSPC) via the BW/4HANA Cockpit REST API. Reads the current chain to obtain the ETag and preserve the existing trigger node (with its scheduling configuration) and the current header. Replaces only the steps and edges; the trigger is always preserved as-is. Optionally overrides description and infoarea in the header. Optionally activates after the update. A 412 on the PUT means the ETag was stale (chain modified between read and write); the error reports this explicitly. Use bw_create_process_chain to create a new chain; use this tool to update an existing one. This tool REPLACES the whole step model, so every step that should survive must be listed — a step left out is deleted. For a small change to a big chain prefer the targeted tools (bw_append_process_chain_dtp, bw_add_process_chain_program, bw_add_process_chain_edge, bw_remove_process_chain_edge, bw_remove_process_chain_step), which edit the server's own model in place and cannot drop a step they do not model. Supported step types: DTP_LOAD (DTP load), ADSOACT (DSO data activation), ADSOREM (DSO request cleanup), ABAP (execute an ABAP program, optionally with an SE38 selection variant), CHAIN (start a local sub-chain, verified), DECISION (branch on a decision variant, requires the variant field), and collectors AND / OR / XOR; the start trigger is implicit. A generic referenced-step path (any process type string plus an object name, bIsReference=true) is available and verified for DTP_LOAD and CHAIN; for other types it may work but is untested. Other inline-configuration process types (for example OS command, attribute change run) are not supported in this version — a chain containing one cannot be rewritten with this tool without losing that step. Edges support on-success (positive) and unconditional (neutral) links; on-error (negative) links are accepted in the schema but not emitted by default. DECISION branch edges: set sub_status to the branch EVENTNO ("01"/"02"); such edges are always positive. The trigger is preserved as-is unless trigger_event is passed (which sets an event start-condition); an existing event start-condition is preserved across updates.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | Yes | Process chain technical name (e.g. "CHAIN_NAME"). Case-insensitive. | |
| edges | Yes | Complete replacement edge list. Use the step id or the literal "TRIGGER" for the start node. Status defaults: "neutral" when the source is "TRIGGER" or a collector (AND/OR/XOR); "positive" otherwise. For a branch edge out of a DECISION node, set sub_status to the branch EVENTNO ("01"/"02"); such edges are forced to "positive". | |
| steps | Yes | Complete replacement step list. The TRIGGER (Start) node is implicit at index 0 — do not include it here. Same shape as in bw_create_process_chain. | |
| activate | No | If true, activate the chain immediately after the update. Default false. | |
| infoarea | No | Optional new InfoArea. If omitted, the existing InfoArea is kept. | |
| description | No | Optional new description. If omitted, the existing chain description is kept. | |
| trigger_event | No | Optional event start-condition for the trigger (start type "E"). When omitted, an existing event start-condition is preserved and a non-event trigger stays immediate. | |
| transport_request | No | Optional transport request to record the change into. Only relevant when the chain is in a transportable package (not $TMP). If the chain is transportable and exactly one request is available, it is chosen automatically; pass this to disambiguate when several are available. Ignored for $TMP (local) chains. |