Runtime environments

Edit online
In IBM® Business Automation Workflow, you can install and run projects like process applications, case solutions, and toolkits on either the traditional WebSphere® runtime environment or the container environment.

The traditional runtime environment is based on WebSphere Application Server. The container runtime environment is based on IBM WebSphere Liberty. For an overview of the traditional and container environments, see Overview.

Target environment options

When you create a new project in Workflow Center, you must select one of the following target environment options for your project:

  • Traditional
  • Traditional or Container

You can change the target environment option for an existing process app or toolkit at any time in the Process App Settings view or the Toolkit Settings view of Process Designer. For an existing case solution, you must first open the solution in Process Designer and then change the target environment option in the Process App Settings view.

If you choose the Traditional option, your project is designated to be installed and run on IBM Workflow Server in the traditional runtime environment. If you choose the Traditional or Container option, your project is designated to be installed and run on either Workflow Server in the traditional runtime environment or Workflow Server in the container runtime environment.

Regardless of which target environment option you choose, your project artifacts are automatically validated to ensure that they are supported in the corresponding runtime environment. If your project contains any dependent toolkits or deprecated artifacts that are not compatible with the runtime environment, critical validation errors will appear in the Validation pane of Process Designer. A Target environment conversion tab will also open in the Process app settings view or the Toolkit settings view to enable you to fix the errors and compatibility problems. For more information, see Converting the target environment of projects.

Architecture of Business Automation Workflow and its runtime environments

The following topology diagram shows the runtime environment architecture of Business Automation Workflow.

The image shows the traditional and container runtime environments of Business Automation Workflow and their relationship to IBM Process Federation Server and the Workplace and Process Portal work portals. The traditional environment might only have one Workflow Server. The diagram illustrates different scenarios, basic (non-federated), on-prem federation, and container-based federation.

The diagram is composed of the following runtime-related components:

IBM Workflow Center
The Workflow Center server is used for iteratively deploying, running, and testing process applications, toolkits, and case solutions in your authoring environment (such as Process Designer). When you have finished developing a process application or case solution and it is ready for the next stage of testing, you typically deploy it to Workflow Server.
IBM Workflow Server
Workflow Server is used in both the traditional runtime environment and the container runtime environment for deploying and running Business Automation Workflow process applications and case solutions. The traditional environment may only have one Workflow Server. The diagram illustrates different scenarios.
Workflow Server provides a single runtime environment that can support a wide range of business processes, cases, service orchestrations, and integration capabilities. You can designate Workflow Server as one of the following server types:
  • Development
  • Test
  • Staging
  • Production
Advanced Workflow Server
IBM Advanced Workflow Server is used in the traditional runtime environment for deploying and running modules developed with IBM Integration Designer.
Process Federation Server
Process Federation Server is an optional component. It provides task workers with a single point of access to all their tasks from a single Workplace (or Process Portal), regardless of the type of process they are working on and the Business Automation Workflow backend system on which the process artifacts are stored. Tasks and instances can be federated across the following entities:
    • Multiple IBM Business Automation Workflow, IBM Workflow Process Service, and IBM Business Process Manager cells.
    • Multiple Business Automation Workflow, Workflow Process Service, and Business Process Manager releases.
    • Business Automation Workflow and Business Process Manager instances running on on-premises, and Business Automation Workflow and Workflow Process Service instances running on containers.
    • Business process, case, and BPEL process instances and tasks.
BPEL federation applies only when the on-premises advanced Business Automation Workflow system is federated.
To federate systems that run on containers and systems that run on on-premises, Process Federation Server must run on containers.

For a system to be federated by Process Federation Server, the process, case or BPEL data must be indexed into the Federated Data Repository, which can be either Elasticsearch or OpenSearch. For an on-premises system, it is your responsibility to set up and maintain your own instance of Elasticsearch or OpenSearch. In container-based environments, an OpenSearch cluster is provided out-of-the-box, but you can also bring your own instance of Elasticsearch or OpenSearch.

  • Business Automation Workflow can be configured to index process data into the Federated Data Repository.
  • Business Automation Workflow on premises 23.0.2 and later, as well as Business Automation Workflow on containers 20.0.0.2 and later can be configured to index case data into the Federated Data Repository.
  • For other federated run times or Business Automation Workflow versions, Process Federation Server must be configured to index the corresponding data in the Federated Data Repository.
Note: As of 24.0.0.0, configuring Business Automation Workflow to index process and case data into the Federated Data Repository also enables the advanced search REST APIs, which are exposed directly by Business Automation Workflow even when there is no Process Federation Server installed. See REST APIs for advanced searches support.
Case Client

Case Client is a web-based application for case workers to complete their work for each case. Before Case Client is deployed into production so that case workers can access it, business analysts can modify the application to customize it.

Workplace
Workplace is a modern and easily customizable work portal that brings together process and case functions to enable you to manage all your work in one place. It offers you a seamless and consolidated user experience to manage and complete different types of work in the same application. Workplace is available in both traditional and container Business Automation Workflow environments, which makes it the common work portal for different platforms. Workplace on-premises is supported in either single Business Automation Workflow systems or federated environments.
Process Portal
IBM Process Portal is the earlier, coach-based work portal that is provided with the IBM Business Automation Workflow for participating in processes. From Process Portal, you can launch processes, dashboards, and services and work on tasks. Process Portal can be configured for a single IBM Business Automation Workflow system or for federated environments that include Process Federation Server. If Process Portal is configured for a federated environment, you can access processes and tasks on any IBM Business Automation Workflow system or IBM Business Process Manager system (V8.0.1.3 or later) from a single Process Portal sign-on. Process Portal features process instance indexing and comprehensive search support that is provided through federated search REST APIs and the Elasticsearch search engine.