The mechanics differ between the classic engine and the federated (PFS / Workplace) path:
- Classic (Process Portal saved searches, the search/query REST resource, Process Inspector): only BPD variables flagged Available in search (with an alias) are copied into the searchable-variables tables of the BPMDB each time the instance's data is saved. Consequences: the flag is snapshot-specific (set it in the snapshot that runs); only simple properties, top-level or dotted (order.number), never lists; existing instances are indexed only after their next step; and comparisons follow the alias type (declare it numeric for > / < on amounts).
- Federated (Process Federation Server, Workplace, BAW 18+ federated REST): PFS indexes the tasks and instances of each federated system into its search index (Elasticsearch / OpenSearch); business data comes from the same searchable variables. If Workplace does not show a variable, check the PFS indexer for that system - a stopped indexer silently returns stale data.
# classic search with business data: alias "orderNumber" of tw.local.order.number, flagged searchable in the running snapshot
PUT /rest/bpm/wle/v1/search/query?organization=byInstance&run=true&size=50
&columns=instanceId,instanceName,bpdName,instanceStatus,orderNumber&condition=orderNumber%7CORD-42
# federated search through PFS (BAW / CP4BA)
GET https://pfs-host/rest/bpm/federated/v1/systems -> the federated systems and their indexing status
POST https://pfs-host/rest/bpm/federated/v1/search
{ "selectedInstanceColumns": ["instanceName","businessData.orderNumber"], "interactionFilter": "ALL", "size": 50,
"searchFilter": "orderNumber:ORD-42" }Checklist when a variable is not found: (1) the flag is set in the running snapshot; (2) the alias has no spaces or special characters; (3) the instance made progress after that snapshot was installed (or migrate instances to it); (4) for federated search the indexer of that system is running; (5) for numeric filters the alias type is numeric; (6) the user is allowed to see the instance at all - search never widens visibility.
References