Interview Question #2 - What is a Siebel Operation Step?

This interview question uses a technical term to test a Siebel Developer's understanding of a topic. "Siebel Operation" can be almost anything to someone who does not have a basic familiarity with Siebel Workflow, but it is an everyday term for any Workflow Developer.

Q: Please explain what a Siebel Operation is, and how it is used.

A: At minimum, the candidate should know that a Siebel Operation is a type of Workflow Process Step. If the candidate does not volunteer this information without additional prompting, he or she is not a Workflow Developer.

Candidates should know that a Siebel Operation can be used to Insert or Update records as part of a Workflow Process. A candidate should know the difference between a Workflow Process and a Workflow Policy or Workflow Policy Program. Siebel Operation is a term that is only used in connection with Workflow Processes.

In addition to Insert and Update, recent versions of Siebel have other types of operations. Most Siebel Workflow Developers know that a Query operation is now available. Since Siebel 8.0, there are Upsert and looping operations: PrevRecord, NextRecord, and QueryBiDirectional. In my experience, knowledge of these operations is less common; it can be difficult to find a developer who can explain how to build a loop in a Workflow Process.

Workflow Process Steps operate on the business layer of Siebel, as opposed to the database layer. A Business Component that is associated with the Workflow Process's Business Object is required for any Siebel Operation. Workflow Developers should know these things, although a little prompting may be required.

A good Workflow Developer should also know about the Siebel Operation Object Id process property, which is updated after an Insert, Update, or Upsert operation. If one record is inserted or updated, this process property will contain the row id of the affected record. If more than one record, the property will contain an asterisk: '*'. If no records are affected, the property will not contain a value.

Interview Question #1 - What is a Link?

I've decided to add a new feature to this blog. With this post, I am introducing a series of interview questions that Siebel developers and development leads should consider when preparing for technical interviews. I've interviewed many developers, and I've been interviewed quite a few times as well, and I have a pretty good idea of what makes a good technical interview question.

When I interview someone, my questions are designed to discover what a candidate knows, not bolster my ego by proving that I know something the candidate doesn't. I focus on the fundamentals of Siebel configuration, allowing the candidate to demonstrate the depth of his or her knowledge.

Q: Please describe the Siebel configuration object called a "Link".

A: The candidate should be able to provide at least two of the following, but should not contradict any of them:

• A Link defines the relationship between Business Components.
• Links are used to define a Business Object; the relationships between the primary Business Component and other (child) Business Components in the Business Object are Links.
• A Link is not the same thing as a Multi-Value Link or a Multi-Value Group, but the definition of a Multi-Value Link does include a Link.
• A one-to-many Link makes a master-detail View possible.
• Links are defined on the Business Object layer, using Business Component Fields rather than Table Columns, although many-to-many links use Table and Column names to define the intersection table.
• The "Source" Field is on the Parent Business Component, while the "Destination" Field is on the Child Business Component.
• A Link can have a Search Specification.

It's ok to prompt the candidate with leading questions to develop a better understanding of the depth of his or her knowledge, asking open-ended questions wherever possible.