Copying a message flow using copy

You might find it useful to copy a message flow as a starting point for a new message flow that has similar function. For example, you might want to replace or remove one or two nodes to process messages in a different way.

Before you start

To complete this task, you must have completed the following task:

To copy a message flow:

  1. Switch to the Broker Application Development perspective.
  2. Select the message flow (<message_flow_name>.msgflow) that you want to copy in the Navigator view.
    1. Right-click the file and click Copy from the menu.
  3. Right-click the broker schema within the message flow project to which you want to copy the message flow and click Paste. You can copy the message flow within the same broker schema within the same message flow, or to a different broker schema within the same message flow project, or to a broker schema in a different message flow project.

    When you copy a message flow, the associated files (ESQL and mapping, if present) are not automatically copied to the same target message flow project. If you want these files copied as well, you must do this explicitly following this procedure.

    You might also need to update nodes that have associated ESQL or mappings, to ensure that modules are unique.

    For example, if you have created a message flow (Test1 for example) that contains a single Compute node, and you copy message flow Test1 and its associated .esql file to the same broker schema within the same message flow project (and give the new copy a different name, for example Test2), there are now two modules named Test1_Compute within the single schema. One is within Test1.esql, the second within Test2.esql.

    This is not supported, and an error message is written to the Tasks view when you have completed the copy action. You must rename the associated ESQL modules within the .esql file and update the matching node properties to ensure that every module within a broker schema is unique.

The message flow is copied with all property settings intact. If you intend to use this copy of the message flow for another purpose, for example to retrieve messages from a different input queue, you might have to modify its properties.

You can also use File > Save As to copy a message flow. This is described in Saving a message flow.

Related concepts
Message flows overview
Related tasks
Developing message flows
Opening an existing message flow
Defining message flow content
Related reference
Broker Application Development perspective
Built-in nodes