The Business Process Management (BPM) using Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) lifecycle is one of continuous feedback: Model -> Assemble -> Deploy -> Manage > Model (see Figure 1). In this cycle, correcting situations in real time and improving processes are very desirable goals. Monitor provides the technology to facilitate meeting these goals. It is a web-based client/server application that measures business performance, monitors processes and workflow, and reports on business operations.
Figure 1. BPM SOA lifecycle
Whereas system management products provide the IT organization with visibility to availability and performance of systems and IT resources, Monitor provides business analysts and line of business (LOB) users with information to identify business problems, correct exceptions, and change processes to achieve a more efficient and competitive business. This distinction is fundamental when selecting the appropriate fit for monitoring capability in the organization.
Monitor is primarily involved in the Manage phase, allowing for Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) with feedback of actual results into the Model phase to expedite continuous process improvement. Monitor provides business analysts and users with real time visibility into business performance.
With Monitor, you can monitor the performance of business activity. You can track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and monitor in-progress processes and eliminate bottlenecks. It provides insight into process performance, enabling you to analyze KPIs over time and other dimensions and to drill up and down and slice and dice business measures to identify trends. You can respond to business situations, detecting anomalous situations real-time, including out of threshold KPIs or individual process instances that require attention, and take corrective action before problems arise.
Monitor supports continuous process improvement, enabling you to monitor in-flight business processes and to make process modifications based on real-time data sent back to the Modeler for simulations and analysis.
This article describes how the enhancements in Monitor V6.0.2 can improve your capability to develop and implement business measures in order to perform Business Activity Monitoring and continuous process improvement. The enhancements in Monitor V6.0.2 have the following themes:
- Improvements in installation and out-of-the-box experience
- The new Business Monitor Development toolkit
- Improved Monitor model lifecycle
- Enhanced Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) support
- Improvements to the Monitor programming model
- Enhancements to business dashboards
- Monitor server improvements
- Enhancements to administration and deployment
Improvements in installation and out-of-the-box experience
The installation process has improved significantly in this release. The process and database architecture have been simplified and the overall install process time has been cut by more than 50%. The new features and capabilities of the installation and configuration experience include:
- As with Monitor version 6.0.1, version 6.0.2 packages the media for the IBM software prerequisite products (along with limited use licenses), excluding the operating system and the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. See IBM WebSphere Business Monitor, Version 6.0.2, hardware and software requirements for versions of prerequisite products.
- The Launchpad now supports incremental installation. The prerequisite products can be installed manually outside of the Launchpad environment, and then Monitor can be incrementally installed on top of them.
- You can select from Basic and Advanced modes, depending on the stage of use (prototyping versus production). Basic mode uses many default options, reducing complexity, while Advanced includes the flexibility required in production installs.
- The number of databases has been reduced from five to two. The number of database replications is reduced from two to one. Database tables and columns now have simpler, more meaningful names.
- Monitor supports installation into an IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment (hereafter called Application Server) environment.
- The product includes silent install capability for Monitor features such as the database, Monitor server, and the dashboard server.
- There is better error handling for improved problem determination and resolution.
- The footprint of the version of WebSphere Portal (hereafter called Portal) installed by Business Monitor has been reduced. Portal is used by Monitor dashboards.
Figure 2 illustrates the Monitor V6.0.2 high level architecture, depicting the roles and highlighting the two types of environments that can be installed and configured-- one for development and another for full Monitor use with dashboards.
Figure 2. Monitor V6.0.2 high-level architecture
Business Monitor Development Toolkit with integrated test environment
Monitor Version 6.0.2 introduces a new environment targeted for the developer role. The Monitor Business Development Toolkit (hereafter called Monitor toolkit) enhances the development experience by providing editing, code generation, and unit test capability. The integrated test environment extends the unit test function familiar to users of tools such as Rational Application Developer or WebSphere Integration Developer.
With the integrated test environment, you can create, modify, and validate monitor models without installing a full dashboard configuration, avoiding the dashboard prerequisites such as Portal and AlphaBlox as part of the development phase. This includes a new servlet based view of data collected during event processing, to verify event processing and metrics.
The Monitor toolkit installs on top of WebSphere Integration Developer V6.0.2. The toolkit installation is packaged with the Monitor media, not WebSphere Integration Developer (hereafter called Integration Developer).
Improvements to the Monitor model lifecycle
The overall lifecycle of tools used to specify what and how to monitor business activities and processes has improved significantly in version 6.0.2. In version 6.0.1, specification of what metrics and KPIs should be monitored was fused with the technical specification of how to perform the calculations, as part of the Business Measures Editor feature of Modeler. Figure 3 compares the lifecycle of the a monitor model in Monitor version 6.0.1 with that of Monitor version 6.0.2
Figure 3. Monitor model lifecycle
In version 6.0.1, the Business Measure Model is created in Modeler, tightly coupled with the modeled process. In version 6.0.2, the technical specification has been separated into a perspective designed for the technical role player such as a programmer. This Business Monitoring Perspective is part of the new Monitor toolkit described earlier. Modeler version 6.0.2 has also been updated with a redesigned interface called the Business Measures View (BMV), to be used by business analysts to capture what should be monitored for specific business processes.
The enhanced tool lifecycle provides a number of enhancements. First, tools are better optimized for targeted role players. Modeler, designed for business analysts and process specialists now captures the level of information known by those role players, and not technical information typically known by programmers. The Monitor toolkit provides capability expected by the programmer and technical roles, including an integrated test environment.
Secondly, Monitor no longer has a mandatory dependency on the use of Modeler as a starting point. Modeler provides significant value for the business analyst role in the monitor lifecycle, but is not required.
Finally, Monitor models can evolve independently of process models created in Modeler. For example, the developer of a BPEL can change the BPEL process in Integration Developer and directly modify and validate the associated monitor model using the Monitor toolkit integrated into Integration Developer.
Note that starting point or seed monitor models can optionally be created using the Modeler BMV or Integration Developer and then be completed through the Monitor toolkit.
Improvements to Business Activity Monitoring support
In version 6.0.2, support for Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) is provided through an enhanced authoring environment and a BAM development SDK.
The Monitor toolkit, as described earlier, provides the interface to create monitor models that can process events from arbitrary event sources. Events delivered in the form of Common Base Event (CBE) version 1.0.1 and described using the event catalog file format can be used as part of monitor models and consumed by the Monitor server.
The Monitor toolkit shares a new event definition editor, packaged in Integration Developer. You can define or modify event definitions using a graphical interface, or via direct XML editing. You can use these event definitions as part of monitor models to describe how the monitor should consume inbound events or how to emit outbound events from the monitor.
In addition, Monitor provides collateral to guide customers or service providers in developing event emitters, which produce events in the CBE form and transmit the events through the common event infrastructure (CEI). This collateral includes best practices documentation and sample emitters for DB2 and flat files.
Improvements to the Monitor programming model
Monitor version 6.0.2 introduces a new element of the overall IBM SOA BPM programming model, providing the primitives needed represent how to monitor business processes and activities. The Monitor model is the artifact created and modified by the tools to specify how to monitor events, calculate metrics and KPIs, evaluate business conditions, and send outbound events in response to situations. The Monitor model is represented with a new XML file format and is described through an XML schema. This XML file format is the unit of interchange between tools and between the Monitor toolkit and the Monitor server. The Monitor model includes ten simple concepts that are common in monitoring:
- Monitoring Context -- instances of what is being observed (e.g., a process instance)
- Inbound Event -- event received by monitor
- Outbound Event -- event emitted by monitor
- Trigger -- a condition to evaluate, and respond to
- Metric -- a value to store data captured or calculated by monitor
- KPI -- aggregated metric qualified by time period and other dimensions, with optional attributes to represent expected targets and thresholds
- Map -- takes inputs (e.g. events) and updates an metric
- Key -- Identifies an event uniquely
- Stopwatch -- specifies a timer that can be started and stopped. Elapsed duration and working duration are 2 common examples.
- Counter -- special metric that can be incremented, decremented or reset to 0
Enhancements to business dashboards
Monitor V6.0.2 includes enhancements of the business dashboards and the features that allow you to customize your dashboard environment.
The look and feel has been improved in a number of ways:
- Combined the best of the Scorecard and KPI views into a single portlet.
- Streamlined configuration and edit modes for easier customization.
- Revamped layout to reduce whitespace and improve information density.
- Introduced a new diagram portlet to display custom SVG diagrams annotated with metrics and KPIs. This can be used to display the business process in the form that business analysts and users understand. For example, the customer may choose to display the diagram exported from Modeler as a consistent representation across modeling, simulation and monitoring.
- New visual portal theme with more attractive color palette.
There are a number of new KPI features:
- KPIs can be qualified based on time periods and other dimensions.
- KPI values match values in dimension and report views, possible to drill-down and analyze KPIs dimensionally.
- KPI targets and ranges can be updated at runtime based on changing business conditions.
- KPI ranges can be personalized in dashboards based on user preferences.
The SDK provides examples and best practices documentation for developing custom portlets to report on metrics and KPIs stored in the Monitor Data Mart database. The SDK may be used to enable integrate with other reporting products. You can combine standard and custom views to create role-based dashboards to meet any business need.
Version 6.0.2 includes many performance enhancements and more efficient artifacts. It enables separate Monitor models to run independently.
- Each Monitor model is a separate J2EE application
- Each Monitor model receives events from separate JMS queues
- This isolates Monitor models from problems occurring in other Monitor models
Monitor includes support for IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment (ND) edition.
- Each Monitor model can run on a separate server
- Monitor servers can be federated into an ND cell
The generated code for each Monitor model has also been reduced in size and optimized.
Administration and deployment enhancements
The enhanced administration and deployment capabilities ensure that it is easy to work with the artifacts and provide a practical means to differentiate between the previous and improved versions of the processes. The enhancements include:
- Improved administration that guides you through process of installing and configuring the monitor model application (EAR) generated by the monitor toolkit.
- Support for change management - for example, the customer wants to add a new metric.
- Ability to run the old version and new version in parallel. In-flight instances continue using old version; new instances use the new version
- Integrated schema generation into a one-screen wizard for initial deployments. Now also generates scripts to remove the schema definitions initially created.
- Automated import of cube definition into DB2 Alphablox for use by dashboards.
- A non-GUI interface to administration is provided via JMX MBean operations (enables scripting).
The enhancements to Monitor version 6.0.2 include capability to allow monitoring of business activity and processes that may or may not originate in Modeler and may or may not be targeted for BPEL.
The following are example scenarios that may be addressed using version 6.0.2. Details of these scenarios are outside the scope of this document.
- BAM for Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) using Modeler. As described in Figure 3, the business analyst can define a process and the associated business measures in Modeler 6.0.2, export the process definition to Integration Developer for development and test, and export the high level starting point monitor model to the Monitor Toolkit for development and test.
- BAM for BPEL without Modeler. For a given project, the customer may choose to start creating processes in Integration Developer, and not make use of Modeler. In this case, a starting point Monitor model can be created through a wizard that inspects the BPEL resources in Integration Developer. This monitor model is then refined and tested as part of the integrated Monitor toolkit and Integration Developer.
- Monitoring other events (not from BPEL) emitted from WebSphere Process Server (hereafter called Process Server) or WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus. The Monitor toolkit and Integration Developer together provide wizards to generate event definitions and an initial starting point monitor model for human task manager, Service Component Architecture (SCA), and Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) mediation components.
- Monitoring events from arbitrary sources including applications. In this case, events can be defined using the event definition editor component of the Monitor toolkit and Integration Developer. The BAM SDK can be used to create an event emitter that sends common base events to Monitor for processing.
- General BPM (using Modeler but without BPEL). This scenario highlights the case where Modeler is used to define, analyze and document processes that are not implemented in BPEL. The customer can implement the process using other technologies and monitor the process using the BAM capability of Business Monitor.
Monitor V6.0.2 has full globalization support. This includes:
- Bi-directional (BIDI) support
- Double-byte Character Set (DBCS) support
- GB18030 certification
- National Language Version (NLV) support as a follow-on to V6.0.2. Translation to Group 1 languages plus Hebrew, Arabic, Hungarian, Turkish, Polish, Greek, Czech, and Russian
Migrating from V6.0.1 to V6.0.2
If you currently are running Monitor V6.0.1, a migration process must take place. This will be a manual migration and will require steps to create a monitor model with the new Monitor Toolkit. Note that the product stack must also be upgraded to the Monitor V6.0.2 Prerequisite Products.
You now know of the additional features and functions that exist in the Monitor V6.0.2 release of the product and the benefits and usage of these enhancements. The simplification of installation and the deployment, design, and performance improvements makes administrative duties simpler. The integrated test environment saves time and reduces significantly the cost of testing. You now have the option of creating business measures and monitor models inside or outside of Modeler. And, enhancements to the Business Dashboard allow you to customize the environment based on your specific needs. It is an exciting time to be involved in the world of BPM and WebSpere Business Monitor is the perfect tool to facilitate continuous process improvement.
Thanks to:
- David Enyeart, WebSphere Business Monitor Development
- Wilfred Jamison, WebSphere Business Monitor Development
- Pablo Irassar, WebSphere Business Modeler Development Lead
- Joe Pappas, WebSphere Business Monitor Technical Sales Lead
- Bill Hassell, Director, WW WebSphere Technical Sales
- Robert Garnero & Dr. Angel Luis Diaz, The Evolution of Modeler and Monitor
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Business Integration zone
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WebSphere Business Monitor education
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What's new in WebSphere Business Modeler V 6.0.2?
Comments (Undergoing maintenance)
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Improvements in installation and out-of-the-box experience
- Business Monitor Development Toolkit with integrated test environment
- Improvements to the Monitor model lifecycle
- Improvements to Business Activity Monitoring support
- Improvements to the Monitor programming model
- Enhancements to business dashboards
- Monitor Server improvements
- Administration and deployment enhancements
- Usage scenarios
- Globalization
- Migrating from V6.0.1 to V6.0.2
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Resources
- About the authors
- Comments
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