This topic applies only to the IBM Business Automation Workflow Advanced configuration.

Calling other BPEL processes

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This topic only applies to BAW, and is located in the BAW repository. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
You can model parts of your business model as subprocesses. Calling one BPEL process from another is discussed.

Before you begin

This task assumes that you have a BPEL process called parent and a second BPEL process called subprocess.

About this task

Your BPEL process can call other services, including other BPEL processes. There are scenarios in which it is important that the calling BPEL process (parent) knows that the called service is another BPEL process. For example, you want to manage the lifecycle of the processes, so that if the parent process is terminated, all subprocesses are stopped.

Another important example of when awareness of the nature of the called service is required is in late binding. In a late binding scenario a particular part of the overall process is modeled as a subprocess, but the integration developer is aware that in the future this part of the process may change. A good example would be when a decision point in the business model is reached; today the decision is made by a member of staff (a human task would be required) but in the future the decision may be automated (a microflow could be used). By modeling this decision as a subprocess, the parent process does not have to be modified when this change is made. The new subprocess can be seamlessly introduced.

Many BPEL processes can be reused as part of larger BPEL processes. You can build a set of useful subprocesses that can be reused to facilitate rapid development of complex BPEL processes. Take the following steps to call one BPEL process from another. Below we outline the steps to call a subprocess from a parent process.

For lifecycle management the parent and subprocess should be part of the same module. For late binding they should belong to different modules.

Procedure

  1. Add a reference partner SubprocessPartner to the BPEL process parent that points to the interface that is used by the process subprocess.
    1. In the tray, select the plus sign beside Reference Partners.
    2. Select the interface that corresponds to the subprocess from the list of matching interfaces.
  2. Add an Invoke activity to the parent business process by dragging the reference partner to the canvas.
  3. Enter the details for the Invoke activity in the details page.
    Provide any necessary variables.
  4. Optional: In order to control the lifecycle of the subprocess:
    1. In the parent process, in the Details property of the process, make sure that the Bind the lifecycle to the invoking BPEL process check box is cleared.
    2. In the subprocess process, in the Details property of the process, make sure that the Bind the lifecycle to the invoking BPEL process check box is selected.
    3. Open the assembly diagram.
    4. Add parent and subprocess to the assembly diagram and create a wire between them.
  5. Optional: To enable late binding versioning:
    1. In the tray select the reference partner subprocess and in the properties view enter subprocess in the Process template field.
    2. Open the assembly diagram of the module with the parent process.
    3. Add parent to the assembly diagram.
    4. Open the assembly diagram of the module with the subprocess process.
    5. Add subprocess to the assembly diagram.
    6. In the assembly diagram of subprocess, generate an SCA Binding export.
      Right-click subprocess in the assembly diagram, select Generate Export > SCA Binding.