Unable to Edit vCO Workflow after Package Export / Import

While moving some vCO content over from one server to another via the process of creating a package on Server1, exporting the package and then importing the package into Server2, something went awry and I was no longer able to edit some of the workflows.

Specifically, the workflows in question looked like this with the pencil edit button greyed out:

A clue was given in the User permissions section with both Add to package and Edit contents unchecked:

This was not the case back in the original workflow on Server1.

It is possible when exporting a package to set various permissions, if for some reason you did not want them to be available where they would be imported.

However, in this instance all of the above checkboxes had been ticked during package export, so it remains a mystery what had occurred since not all workflows in the package suffered from the same fate.

The resolution was to track down the affected workflows, as well as actions and resources that also contained the same symptoms and create a new package on Server1 with just those items. Import the new package into Server2 and ensure you just overwrite the affected items, not anything else. Then check all items are successfully editable.

Tip: To track down affected workflows, add the top level folder of workflows to a package. Then on the workflows tab of the package, sort by the Rights column and you will have a view of which workflows are missing which rights. Note that workflows in the default Library folder typically do not have the edit right.

 

I got a hint of what might be wrong from this VMware Communities Post

Update 27/01/2015

After some more investigation there is another way round this. Providing you use version history on your workflows then if you revert a workflow, say from version 0.0.2 -> 0.0.1 the ‘Add to package’ and ‘Edit contents’ permissions are restored. You can then revert the workflow back to the original 0.0.2 version and carry on editing.

Of course if your workflow is at version 0.0.0 then you are a bit stuck ;-)