Understanding the Return Document Shape in Dell Boomi

Dell Boomi is a powerful integration platform and service (iPaaS) that simplifies connecting applications and data across enterprises. One of the critical components of a Dell Boomi integration process is the Return Document shape, which plays a crucial role in managing data flow and communication between processes.

What is the Return Document Shape?

The Return Document shape in Dell Boomi is a specialized shape used to send data back from a sub-process to its parent process. Think of it as the exit point of a sub-process, where you can package processed data and send it upstream for further handling.

Key Use Cases

There are several ways the Return Document shape proves invaluable in Boomi processes:

• Consolidating Data: When a sub-process involves multiple branches or paths that transform data, the Return Document shape allows you to gather the results from each path and consolidate them into a single output document for the parent process.
• Hierarchical Processes: In complex integrations, breaking down processes into smaller sub-processes improves modularity and maintainability. The Return Document shape is the bridge that returns processed data from a sub-process to the primary process.
• Immediate Responses: If you use Boomi processes to serve web services or APIs, the Return Document shape can immediately respond to the client without waiting for the entire parent process to finish.
• Process Reporting: Strategically placed Return Document shapes throughout a process (with meaningful labels) create “tiles” in Boomi’s process reporting. This gives you visibility into the data at intermediate stages, aiding debugging and analysis.

How to Configure the Return Document Shape

Configuring the Return Document shape in Boomi is straightforward:

1. Placement: Place the shape at the end of the branch or path where you must send data back to the calling process.
2. Document Profile: Select the profile of the document you want to return. This profile defines the structure of the data.
3. Document Data: If necessary, use a Map shape before the Return Document shape to transform or manipulate data into the required structure for the parent process.

Example: Processing Orders

Imagine you have a primary Boomi process that receives orders. It calls a sub-process to:

1. Validate the order
2. Calculate shipping costs
3. Enrich the order with customer information

The sub-process might contain several branches for different validation steps, shipping methods, and customer lookup mechanisms. At the end of each branch, the Return Document shape consolidates the information into the expected format for the primary process to continue the order processing.

Best Practices

• Descriptive Labels: Label your Return Document shapes with descriptive words. This helps you identify them readily in process reporting.
• Document Structure: Ensure consistent document profiles for the data being passed between processes.
• Error Handling: Add error handling paths in your sub-process with Return Document shapes to communicate errors to the parent process.

Conclusion

The Return Document shape is an essential tool for controlling data flow and securing communication between parent and sub-processes in Dell Boomi. Understanding its use cases and effective configuration enables you to build robust, modular, and well-structured integration processes.