Understanding workstep performer hierarchy

For all Activity worksteps, Business Process Server checks the validity of the workstep performer. After this check is performed, the task is assigned (or made available) to the user. For non-existent or unavailable performers, Business Process Server manages tasks, by following the performer hierarchy described in Table 7.

Table 7. Workstep performer hierarchy
Workstep performer	If invalid, then ...
Original task performer	Business Process Server checks the validity of a default performer, defined in Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge. For more information, refer to the OpenEdge Getting Started: Developing BPM Applications with Developer Studio. If the default performer is a valid user, then the task is assigned (or made available) to that user.
Default Performer (Manager)	Business Process Server checks the validity of a back-up performer, which could be a single user or a user group, specified in the Process Properties dialog box in Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge. For information on specifying the back-up performer, refer to the "Defining Process Properties" section of the OpenEdge Getting Started: Developing BPM Applications with Developer Studio. If the back-up performer is a valid user, then the task is assigned (or made available) to that user.
Back-up Performer	The workstep is suspended. Any user with managerial privileges can then resume the workstep.