# Infor Lawson IPA Process Designer Activity Node Reference

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/infor-lawson-ipa-process-designer-node-reference
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Every main Infor Process Designer activity node grouped as in the Infor guide, with what it does, typical S3 use and which nodes are deprecated.

## Category

developer

## Erp

Infor Lawson S3

## Audience

- IPA developer
- Lawson process flow developer
- Lawson system administrator

## Tool

**Kind:** worksheet

**Mode:** reference

**Columns:**

#### Activity node

**Key:** node

**Type:** text

#### Group (Infor guide)

**Key:** group

**Type:** text

#### What it does

**Key:** what

**Type:** text

#### Typical use with S3

**Key:** s3

**Type:** text

#### Key settings

**Key:** props

**Type:** text

#### Status

**Key:** status

**Type:** text

**Rows:**

**Node:** Start

**Group:** Process

**What:** Entry point; declares process variables

**S3:** Define variables used by later nodes

**Props:** Variables with initial expressions

**Status:** Current

**Node:** End

**Group:** Process

**What:** Ends the flow; can set a status for the process

**S3:** Mark the work unit outcome

**Props:** Status

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Assign

**Group:** Control

**What:** Sets variables with JavaScript expressions; can create a checkpoint

**S3:** Build keys, dates and messages

**Props:** Variable expressions, checkpoint

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Branch

**Group:** Control

**What:** Routes to one path based on conditions; can simulate a loop

**S3:** Route by query result or return code

**Props:** Conditional expressions per path

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Wait

**Group:** Control

**What:** Pauses the flow

**S3:** Wait before polling for a batch result

**Props:** Wait duration

**Status:** Current

**Node:** SubProcess

**Group:** Control

**What:** Calls another process as part of this one

**S3:** Reuse a common posting or notification flow

**Props:** Process name, input variables

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Trigger

**Group:** Control

**What:** Starts another process

**S3:** Fan out one work unit per record

**Props:** Process name, variables

**Status:** Current

**Node:** System Command

**Group:** Control

**What:** Runs an operating system command on the IPA server

**S3:** Call a script that moves files or runs a utility

**Props:** Command line

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Custom Activity

**Group:** Control

**What:** Runs custom code

**S3:** Legacy custom logic

**Props:** Implementation class

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** Data Iterator

**Group:** Data

**What:** Loops over records in data such as a file's lines

**S3:** Process an inbound interface file line by line

**Props:** Input data, record separator

**Status:** Current

**Node:** For Each

**Group:** Data

**What:** Loops over a set of values

**S3:** Repeat steps for each item in a list

**Props:** Collection to iterate

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Data Transformation

**Group:** Data

**What:** Transforms data between formats

**S3:** Legacy mapping

**Props:** Mapping

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** File Access

**Group:** Data

**What:** Reads, writes, appends, deletes, lists files or checks a file exists

**S3:** Write an export file or read an inbound file

**Props:** Action, file name, file channel

**Status:** Current

**Node:** FTP

**Group:** Data

**What:** Gets or puts files on an FTP server

**S3:** Send positive pay or bank files

**Props:** Action (get/put), server config, paths

**Status:** Current

**Node:** IDM

**Group:** Data

**What:** Adds, retrieves, updates or deletes documents in Infor Document Management

**S3:** Attach a generated PDF to a record

**Props:** Action, document type, attributes

**Status:** Current

**Node:** LDAP Query

**Group:** Data

**What:** Queries an LDAP directory

**S3:** Look up a manager or email address

**Props:** Search base, filter, attributes

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Msg Builder

**Group:** Data

**What:** Accumulates text into a message variable

**S3:** Build a CSV or email body inside a loop

**Props:** Target variable, text to append

**Status:** Current

**Node:** SQL Query

**Group:** Data

**What:** Runs a SQL select through a JDBC configuration

**S3:** Read tables directly

**Props:** Configuration, SQL statement

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** SQL Transaction

**Group:** Data

**What:** Runs SQL insert, update or delete

**S3:** Write to staging tables

**Props:** Configuration, SQL statement

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** User Action

**Group:** User Interaction

**What:** Sends a work item to users or tasks for an action such as approve or reject

**S3:** Requisition or invoice approvals

**Props:** Task or user, actions, timeout and escalation

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Email

**Group:** Notification

**What:** Sends an email

**S3:** Notify approvers or send error reports

**Props:** To, subject, body, attachments

**Status:** Current

**Node:** JMS

**Group:** Queue

**What:** Sends or receives JMS messages

**S3:** Legacy queue integration

**Props:** Queue configuration

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** WebSphere MQ

**Group:** Queue

**What:** Sends or receives WebSphere MQ messages

**S3:** Legacy queue integration

**Props:** Queue manager configuration

**Status:** Deprecated (2024.10 notice)

**Node:** JSON Builder

**Group:** Web/XML/JSON

**What:** Builds a JSON document

**S3:** Prepare a REST request body

**Props:** Structure and variables

**Status:** Current

**Node:** JSON Parser

**Group:** Web/XML/JSON

**What:** Parses JSON into variables

**S3:** Read a REST response

**Props:** Input JSON, schema or sample

**Status:** Current

**Node:** XML

**Group:** Web/XML/JSON

**What:** Parses or builds XML

**S3:** Read an XML file or SOAP payload

**Props:** Schema, input

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Web Run

**Group:** Web/XML/JSON

**What:** Calls a URL (query/get or send/post)

**S3:** Call a Lawson servlet or a REST API

**Props:** Web root configuration, URL, method, post data

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Web Service

**Group:** Web/XML/JSON

**What:** Calls a SOAP web service

**S3:** Call an external SOAP service

**Props:** WSDL, operation, payload

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Infor Lawson Query

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Queries S3 data

**S3:** Read vendors, employees or GL data from a product line

**Props:** Data area, table, fields, criteria

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Infor Lawson Transaction

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Performs an S3 transaction

**S3:** Add or change records through S3 forms

**Props:** Data area, form, function code, field values

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Infor Lawson Form Transaction

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Performs an S3 form transaction

**S3:** Form-level updates

**Props:** Data area, form, field values

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Landmark Transaction

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Queries and performs transactions on Landmark data; iterative node with start and end

**S3:** Read or update IPA and Landmark business classes such as PfiWorkunit variables

**Props:** Data area, business class, action, criteria

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Landmark Admin

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Runs Landmark admin commands

**S3:** Administrative tasks on Landmark

**Props:** Command

**Status:** Current

**Node:** Resource Query / Resource Update

**Group:** Infor Lawson

**What:** Queries or updates resource (user and identity) data

**S3:** Find approvers, maintain resources

**Props:** Resource, criteria, fields

**Status:** Current

**Node:** ION Outbox

**Group:** ION

**What:** Publishes a BOD to ION

**S3:** Send S3 events to other Infor apps

**Props:** BOD noun, verb, payload

**Status:** Current

**Node:** ION Notification / ION Alert

**Group:** ION

**What:** Sends an ION notification or alert to Infor OS users

**S3:** Tell users about failed interfaces

**Props:** Recipients, message

**Status:** Current

**Notes:** Node names follow the Infor Process Designer User Guide table of contents (Landmark 2026.x). The 2024.10 notice in 'Recommendation by category' lists Custom, Data Transformation, JMS, Social, SQL Query, SQL Transaction and WebSphere MQ as deprecated and to be removed; check Infor Support for the removal timing on your deployment.

## Content

**Intro:** A searchable reference of Infor Process Automation (IPA) activity nodes as named in the Infor Process Designer user guide, with typical uses for Lawson S3 sites. Use it when you design a new flow, review an old ProcessFlow conversion or plan around nodes deprecated from 2024.10.

**Sections:**

#### ProcessFlow vs IPA

**Body:** Lawson ProcessFlow was the original workflow engine for S3. IPA is its Landmark-based successor: processes are designed in Infor Process Designer (IPD) or IPD Web, stored and run on the Landmark runtime, and each run is a work unit. Most ProcessFlow concepts carry over (start, branch, user action, email, Lawson query and transaction), but IPA adds Landmark Transaction for Landmark data, ION nodes for Infor OS, JSON nodes and restart features such as checkpoints and auto restart on work units. When converting, retest every Lawson Transaction node, since field names and function codes must match the current S3 forms.

#### Replacing deprecated SQL and queue nodes

**Body:** Infor's best-practices page states that, starting with 2024.10, Custom, Data Transformation, JMS, Social, SQL Query, SQL Transaction and WebSphere MQ nodes are deprecated and will be removed from IPD, IPD Web and the runtime server, and that they are not supported in multi-tenant environments. For SQL Query, the usual path is to read S3 data with Infor Lawson Query, or call a REST or web endpoint with Web Run. For SQL Transaction, write through Infor Lawson Transaction so S3 edits and audit apply. Queue nodes can move to ION (ION Outbox) or to Infor Cloverleaf where that is licensed.

**Bullets:**

- Inventory flows: search process files for the deprecated node names
- Rewrite reads first, then writes
- Test restart behaviour after each change

#### Variables and restartability

**Body:** Variables are declared in Start and set in Assign with JavaScript expressions; configuration variables hold environment-specific values such as paths and URLs so the same flow moves between test and production unchanged. Infor's restart guidance by category is practical: nodes that create data (Infor Lawson Transaction, Landmark Transaction, Email, File Access write, FTP put, ION Outbox) should usually be bypassed on restart or wrapped in a query-then-create pattern; read nodes (Infor Lawson Query, Data Iterator, File Access read) can usually be re-run. A PfiWorkunit variable updated with Landmark Transaction works as a checkpoint so a restarted flow skips completed steps.

#### How to check a flow in the system

**Body:** Use the IPD debugger with breakpoints to step through a process and inspect runtime variables before uploading. After upload, use My Workunits to see each run, its variables and the error connector path. Setting a status through the End node makes work unit lists readable for support staff. For performance, Infor recommends fewer nodes, more logic in JavaScript inside Assign, fewer repetitive file writes and a sensible query page size.

**Cta:** If you want users to ask about IPA work units and approvals in plain English on your own servers, we can add a private assistant over your Landmark and S3 data.

**Faq:**

#### What is Lawson process flow?

**Answer:** ProcessFlow was Lawson's workflow engine for S3: approvals, notifications and interface automation built from nodes. Infor Process Automation (IPA) replaced it on Landmark, keeping the node model and adding Landmark, ION and JSON capabilities, plus restart and debugging features.

#### Is IPA the same as Infor ION Workflow?

**Answer:** No. ION Workflow is modelled in ION Desk and runs in Infor OS, mostly triggered by BODs and ION monitors. IPA flows are modelled in Infor Process Designer and run on Landmark. They can work together through the ION Outbox and ION Notification nodes.

#### Which IPA nodes are deprecated?

**Answer:** Infor's best-practices page lists Custom, Data Transformation, JMS, Social, SQL Query, SQL Transaction and WebSphere MQ as deprecated starting with 2024.10, with removal from IPD, IPD Web and the runtime server. Check Infor Support for the removal timing on your deployment.

#### How do I read S3 data in an IPA flow?

**Answer:** Use the Infor Lawson Query node, selecting the data area, table, fields and criteria. Its output variables feed later nodes. For updates use Infor Lawson Transaction so S3 business rules run, rather than writing SQL to the tables.

## Search terms

lawson process flow, infor process automation nodes, infor process designer, ipa landmark transaction node, ipa infor lawson query, ipa sql query deprecated, infor lawson s3, infor ion workflow

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