Runtime environments

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In IBM® Business Automation Workflow, you can install and run projects like case solutions, process apps, 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.

The traditional runtime environment continues to offer the following features:

  • Full compatibility with existing on-premise workflow installations.
  • Support for familiar development and deployment tools, such as Process Designer, Case Builder, Workflow Center, and IBM Integration Designer.
  • Integrated process and case development and deployment in a single runtime environment.
  • On-premise bare-metal deployment and VM-based deployment, which is the best option to leverage private cloud if 100% compatibility is required.

The container runtime environment provides an enterprise workflow platform to run cloud-native solutions. The environment offers the following features:

  • Support for existing process applications and case solutions for running workflows in a cloud-native way.
  • Support for most non-deprecated artifacts in process application and case solution workloads (but continued support for the deprecated Heritage Human Services). For a list of supported and unsupported features and artifacts in container environments, see Feature support for Business Automation Workflow on containers and Artifact support in traditional and container runtime environments.
  • Support for familiar on-premise development tools, such as Process Designer,Case Builder, and Workflow Center.
  • A microservices architecture that utilizes Docker containers and the Kubernetes platform to support autoscaling, continuous availability, and continuous upgrade.

In a traditional runtime environment, IBM Business Automation Workflow configuration tasks and WebSphere Application Server administration tasks are performed with wsadmin commands, REST API operations, and the WebSphere administrative console. In a container runtime environment, these configuration and administration tasks are performed with REST API operations.

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 IBM Business Automation Workflow and its runtime environments

The architecture of IBM Business Automation Workflow and its runtime environments is shown in the following topology diagram:

The graphic shows the traditional and container runtime environments of IBM Business Automation Workflow and their relationship to IBM Process Federation Server and IBM Process Portal.

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

Workflow Center
An IBM 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.
Workflow Server
IBM Workflow Server is used in both the traditional runtime environment and the container runtime environment for deploying and running IBM Business Automation Workflow process applications and case solutions. 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
IBM Process Federation Server enhances the collaboration between Workflow Server and IBM Process Portal or Workplace. It is mandatory for Workflow Server in a container environment. Process Federation Server provides task workers with a single point of access to all of their tasks from a single Process Portal, regardless of the type of process that they are working on and the IBM Business Automation Workflow back-end system on which the process artifacts are stored. Tasks and instances can be federated across the following entities:
  • Multiple IBM Business Automation Workflow and IBM Business Process Manager cells
  • Multiple IBM Business Automation Workflow and IBM Business Process Manager releases
  • Multiple WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment and container-based runtime architectures
  • BPMN, case, workstream, and BPEL tasks.
     Containers:  Case federation applies only to the container version of Process Federation Server and federates only case containers.
     Traditional:  BPEL federation applies only to the traditional version of Process Federation Server.
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.

Process Portal
IBM Process Portal is a coach-based user interface that is provided with all editions of 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.
Workplace
 V20.0.0.2   Containers:  Workplace is a widget-based application that brings together process, case, and workstream 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. Provided with Business Automation Workflow on containers, Workplace can be configured to work with any number of traditional or container-based Business Automation Workflow systems that are federated using Process Federation Server.