When using IBM Business Process Manager, some of the core functionality for authoring process applications is done through the Process Designer and to use this tool, after downloading and installing the Process Designer, we need to be able to connect to the Process Center itself.   In some cases, it has been seen that even though a user is able to use a browser to log in to the Process Center, when starting up Process Designer and using the same credentials, the... [More]

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  This post represents the first, in what we hope, will be a series of question and answer blogs with developmental, architectural, and project management experts for the IBM Business Process Management family of products. As a 10-year IBMer writing technical documentation and providing technical support, I am frequently reminded of the need to look at our products with a customer-centric lens. With that focus, I strive to understand how you use our products and what kind of information truly helps you solve business issues. So, with... [More]

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When a business process has a user interface, it is possible for the process to accept end-user input to enable human-machine interaction. Using IBM Business Process Manager, the interface is implemented as a process application that contains one or more human services. In turn, each human service contains Coaches, which are the implemented interfaces. With Version 8.0, Coaches can be implemented as either Heritage Coaches or Next Generation Coaches, which are referred as Coaches hereafter. The benefits of a Coach versus a Heritage Coach... [More]

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When installing an enterprise application with Microsoft SQL Server (Microsoft SQL), it is important to be careful with the database user, SQL Authentication, and the default schema. The SQL scripts provided in this document would apply to any scenario where you need to change the owner of tables, views, or stored procedures in any Microsoft SQL database. Note: For this article's reference, I reference Lombardi Teamworks (v7.0, v6.x and earlier), WebSphere Lombardi Edition (v7.1, 7.2), and IBM Business Process Manager (v7.5 and later). When you... [More]

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Planes, trains, and automobiles need to be tuned up regularly to maintain optimum performance. Scales and clocks and other devices of measurement need to be regularly calibrated for precision. Musical instruments need to be kept in tune to, well - sound good. Your business processes are not very different. Performance, precision, and a comfortable aesthetic are all important measurements of a well-defined business topology. In the same way you know when a car needs a tune up (slow or unresponsive acceleration, decreased performance,... [More]

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My name is Martin Keen, and I wrote this blog post. Or did I? How do you know I'm Martin Keen? Does it matter which Martin Keen (the one who works for IBM, or the one who owns a shoe company)? That's where authentication comes in – the process of proving the identity of a user. Authentication is particularly important in IBM Business Process Manager because it determines who has access to your Business Process Manager applications. Using excerpts from J Keith Wood and Jens Engelke's new IBM Redbooks publication IBM Business Process Manager... [More]

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Let's play a game of word association. What subject comes to mind with the words “engaging” and “terrifying”? Whatever you are thinking, I suspect it wasn't IT security . Yet those very words describe J Keith Wood and Jens Engelke's new IBM Redbooks publication. In it, they share their experiences of working with IBM customers around the world on securing IBM Business Process Manager solutions. Security pitfalls are everywhere and the stakes could not be higher. This blog post is part of a series about common Business Process Manager... [More]

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Always! No, really. Proper backups are like brushing teeth and flossing. Doing it regularly keeps you healthy!  The IBM Business Process Manager system has three components that you should backup regularly: profile (file system), database, and applications. Backing up each of these components is critical for the emergency we hope to never face. Application roll outs, interim fix installs and version upgrades should all work the first time and deliver the desired results. As we all know, there are times when the install fails and we need to roll... [More]

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By David J Payne (IBM Business Process Manager Level 2 Support) The term “Stuck Token” is used to describe when tokens are on a task that has been completed but is still marked as active. When a token is active and the task where the token is located becomes marked complete, the token should move onto the next task. The status of tokens are found by searching on the LSW_TASK and LSW_BPD_INSTANCE tables for the business process definition (BPD) instance IDs of the tokens in question. Active instances have their EXECUTION_STATUS... [More]

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  The starting point for any architectural decision is the requirements whether functional or non-functional. We focus primarily on solving the client's problem. However, we have a duty to show the client what the implications are of each decision regarding the environment, administration, maintenance, migration, and resources management that are required for each solution so that the client is provided with tools to assist in decision-making. Sometimes, the client has restrictions or preconceived ideas about the product that... [More]

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Eggs. Flour. Milk. Butter. Starting with these ingredients, a ten-year-old child can make pancakes for one. An experienced pastry chef can make souffles for a room full of people. The key difference between these two scenarios is the intended purpose of the cooking -- letting mom and dad sleep in on Saturday, or keeping a high-end restaurant running by impressing customers, critics, and the restaurant owner. Installing and configuring IBM Business Process Manager is a little like that. Maybe you're creating a sand-box,... [More]

Tags:  installation configuration bpm migration 8.5

  During my time with IBM Business Process Manager Level 2 support, I have worked with a number of common issues resolved by APARs that have been available for some time. Occasionally, the visible symptoms will vary for an issue with the same root cause and, as a result, might not initially conform to the symptoms described in the APAR text. In this blog series, I will clearly describe some common APARs and the issues that they resolve.   This blog entry describes two available fixes for improving the performance of... [More]

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                        One of the keys to a successful installation and migration of a Business Process Management product is to ensure that your deployment system meets, or exceeds, the minimum hardware and software requirements. Collectively, the following documents are called the detailed system requirements:     IBM Business Monitor and WebSphere... [More]

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IBM would like you to participate in a beta program to test our new Knowledge Center site. The beta program will run from 18 March to 12 April 2013. This is an opportunity to help IBM shape the way that we deliver our technical information to you! You will only need to spend an hour or two with our software, and all IBM asks is that you fill out a single survey whenever you would like during the beta period. IBM plans to replace all documentation that is currently in our many Information Centers with one Knowledge Center. In its first release,... [More]

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