Importing and exporting BPMN models
IBM® BPM supports importing and exporting of models in the BPMN 2.0 format. You can import BPMN models into the IBM Process Center, for example BPMN models that have been exported from IBM WebSphere® Business Modeler, WebSphere Business Compass, Blueworks Live™, or IBM Rational® Software Architect. You can also export your process applications from the IBM Process Center to a BPMN 2.0 file archive (.zip).
Procedure
- To import BPMN models into the IBM Process
Center complete
the following steps:
- Start the IBM Process
Designer from
your Windows desktop or using the URL for the Process Center in
a browser. The first time you start the IBM Process
Designer it
opens to the Process Center console.
You can trigger the import of the models in two ways. You can either click Import Process App (on the Process App tab), or Import Toolkit (on the Toolkit tab). Either of these actions will result in an import window .
- Click Import Process App. The Import Process App window displays.
- Click Browse to select the BPMN 2.0 archive (.zip) file that you exported from the WebSphere Business Compass or IBM WebSphere Business Modeler and click Next.
- In the Import Process App window, a name and
acronym have been specified based on information in the file you selected.
You can edit the name and acronym and add a description. If you are
using IBM BPM
Advanced,
you will see radio buttons that you can use to choose what will be
generated for unimplemented services. Select either Advanced
Integration Services or Integration Services and
then click Next. Note: Advanced integration services are only available for unimplemented services. Integration services are always generated for implemented services. Both radio buttons display only in IBM BPM Advanced. For more information, see Building an Integration service and Building an Advanced Integration service.A Summary of the import results pane opens containing any generated error, warning and information messages. A new process application or a toolkit is created, containing the content from the BPMN 2.0 archive.
It will include integration services if the model contained web service bindings and advanced integration services if the model contained unimplemented advanced integration services. All Blueworks Live artifacts will also be integrated with a BPMN import if Blueworks Live phases and other BPMN 2 extensions were in the model.
A snapshot of the process application is automatically created in the Process Center, for your use as a baseline, in the future, if necessary.
- You can filter the messages by clicking Errors or Warnings. Click Save and specify a location if you want to save the messages. All the messages will be saved as a text file even if a filter has been applied. Click Close.
- Start the IBM Process
Designer from
your Windows desktop or using the URL for the Process Center in
a browser. The first time you start the IBM Process
Designer it
opens to the Process Center console.
- To export your process applications from the IBM Process
Center to
a BPMN 2.0 file archive (.zip), complete the following steps:
- Select the Process Apps tab.
- In the list of process applications, click the application that you want to export.
- Find the snapshot that you want to export. If a snapshot does not exist, create one by clicking Create New Snapshot.
- Click the Export option for the snapshot.
- Select BPMN 2.0 export (.zip).
- Locate the directory to which you want to save the export
file, name the file, and then save it.
The BPMN 2.0 export will include any business process that is referenced in a toolkit. No data artifacts such as business objects or services such as Advanced Integration Services will be included in BPMN 2.0 exports.
The exported file can be imported into any Process Center repository.
- Importing BPMN 2.0 artifacts into an existing process application
If you do not want to create a process application that is based on a BPMN model, import the BPMN files into an existing process application. - Mapping BPMN 2.0 constructs to IBM Business Process Manager
You can import elements from the IBM WebSphere Business Modeler into IBM Business Process Manager, using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Version 2.0 file format. - Mapping IBM WebSphere Business Modeler elements to IBM Business Process Manager constructs
You can import elements from the IBM WebSphere Business Modeler into IBM Business Process Manager, using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Version 2.0 file format. - Next steps after importing BPMN Models
You have now imported your BPMN models successfully into the Process Center. The following procedure helps you identify the step-by-step actions you will take after a successful import. However these steps will vary depending on the contents of your model and how you intend to make use of these models in the future. If you had seen warning messages at the end of your import it is likely that you may need to take some remedial action. Warnings usually indicate an unsupported construct or invalid input model. For each warning, examine the contents of what was generated and take additional action as required. - Exporting process applications to BPMN 2.0
You can export your process applications from the IBM Process Center to a Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) version 2.0 file format, which can be used with products that support the BPMN 2.0 import.