Problem with active processes when migration from 8.7 to 8.8

Camunda 8 Topics
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Hello @Bantexx,

This is a known issue that can occur during migration from Camunda 8.7 to 8.8. The NOT_FOUND errors you’re experiencing when trying to modify active processes have several potential causes:

Root Causes

1. API Deprecation

The Operate API is deprecated in Camunda 8.8 and will be removed entirely in 8.10. This deprecation can cause issues with existing API calls after migration.

2. State Desynchronization

The most likely cause is a desynchronization between Operate’s Elasticsearch index and the actual Zeebe state. While Operate shows the process instances as active, Zeebe (the workflow engine) may no longer recognize them, resulting in NOT_FOUND errors when attempting modifications.

3. Task Type Mismatch

If your user tasks are job worker-based rather than Camunda user tasks, the new APIs won’t be able to interact with them properly.

Recommendations

Immediate Solutions:

  1. Switch to the new Camunda 8 REST API (v2) for all user task and process instance operations instead of the deprecated Operate API

  2. Verify your task implementation type in your BPMN models - ensure you’re using Camunda user tasks, not job worker-based tasks

  3. Check the actual state in Zeebe - the process instances may no longer exist in the engine even though they appear in Operate

If Issues Persist:

Unfortunately, there’s currently no official tool or documented procedure to force resynchronization between Operate and Zeebe. If the desynchronization issue affects critical processes, you may need to:

  • Cancel the affected process instances
  • Start new instances with the updated process definition

Migration Considerations

Also ensure that your migration plan is valid and all active elements have proper mappings, as not all process instances can be successfully migrated.

References

Could you share more details about:

  1. What specific API endpoints you’re using?
  2. The task implementation type in your BPMN models?
  3. Whether you can see these process instances in Zeebe directly?

This will help determine the exact cause and best solution for your situation.