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

Scenario: Developing a straight through process

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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
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In this scenario, a BPEL process exists and is deployed. A developer uses IBM® Process Designer to define a process that requires manual steps and a screen flow.

This set of tasks corresponds in a general way to the getting started procurement sample for Advanced deployment environment.

In this scenario, an automated process, which was created by using IBM Integration Designer, exists. Using IBM Process Designer, a developer augments the process to use assets that can be created only in Process Designer. For example, more complex human interventions may be needed when handling exceptions.

The work described here is set up to be done by using two different authoring environments, each optimized to contribute its part of the total process. The developers may both contribute their work to a common repository. The Workflow Center repository can contain all the BPM assets.
Note: Integration Designer assets can be stored independently of the Process Designer assets. For more information, see Implementing an Advanced Integration service in a separate module and Creating an import to start a process in a stand-alone module.

The IBM Business Automation Workflow repository contains all the BPM assets. The high-level assets are process applications, toolkits, tracks, and snapshots. Both designers contribute to the same process applications and toolkits. Process Designer contributes business processes and data types. Integration Designer contributes modules, libraries, and BPEL business logic.

Creating a process application for a BPEL process in IBM Integration Designer

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The BPEL process can optionally be associated with a process application to take advantage of Workflow Center versioning and have its assets that are stored in the Workflow Center repository.

Procedure

  1. Plan your project.
    For a better understanding of the relationship between the authoring environments and Workflow Center, see Authoring tools and The Workflow Center repository.
  2. In the Integration Designer, open the Workflow Center perspective and connect to the server.
  3. In the Workflow Center perspective, create a new process application. Name the process application and open it in your workspace.
  4. Associating a module or library with a process application or toolkit.
  5. Refactor and move business objects that are used in Process Designer to a library that is associated with the process application. Do not refactor the interfaces; interfaces are not used in the Workflow Center.
  6. Using Integration Designer, test the BPEL process in isolation. To test the BPEL component, right-click it in the assembly editor and select Test Component in Isolation. You can run it on the Workflow Center server or a unit test environment. If the BPEL is in a separate module, only the unit test option is available. Alternatively, follow these steps:
    1. Merging workspace and repository changes, or if you are using a separate module, republish the module on the unit test environment server.
    2. Launching the Business Process Choreographer Explorer.
    3. Starting a new process instance using Business Process Choreographer Explorer.
    4. Monitoring the progress of a process instance using Business Process Choreographer Explorer.

Creating a process in IBM Process Designer

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About this task

To model a process in Process Designer, you must first create a process. A process is a set of related activities, along with supporting information such as data and content.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the Workflow Center.
  2. Select the process application that you imported into Integration Designer, and open it in Process Designer.
  3. Creating a process.
  4. Declaring variables for a process or service.
    In IBM Business Automation Workflow, variables capture the business data that is passed from step to step in a process.
  5. Implementing activities in a process.
    Activities represent the steps in your process. The procurement sample uses activities to specify human tasks.
  6. Building coaches.
    Human tasks usually involve coaches. Coaches are the web-based interfaces where process participants do the work that is required to complete each task.

Updating the BPEL process to use the business process definition

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About this task

The process that is created in Process Designer becomes available as an SCA service. You can drop it into the assembly diagram in Integration Designer as an import. Or you can drop it into the Integration Designer BPEL process as an invoke activity.

Procedure

  1. Open the Integration Designer Business Integration perspective.
  2. Retrieve the Process Designer service by refreshing the process application from the Workflow Center.
    The process and interfaces that are created in Process Designer are now available in the module and library.
  3. Create an SCA import for the business process definition..
  4. In the assembly editor wire the import to the BPEL process.

Deploy and test the process app

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About this task

Earlier sections covered testing individual components: first, the BPEL process in Integration Designer, followed by the process in Process Designer. In this section, you perform end-to-end testing of the complete application by invoking the BPEL in the Integration Designer module, which in turn calls the process in the process app.

Procedure

  1. Deploy the application.
    If the Integration Designer module was deployed separately, ensure that it is also deployed to the Workflow Center server. For more information, see Deploying service modules. If tested in isolation on a unit test server, the BPEL cannot invoke the process app. If the module is associated with a process app, deployment will occur automatically in the next step when you select Test Component in the assembly editor and choose the Workflow Center server.
  2. Test the application.
    If the BPEL is in a separate module, use the Business Process Choreographer Explorer and repeat steps 6b–d from Creating a process application for a BPEL process in IBM Integration Designer Otherwise, right-click the BPEL in the assembly editor, select Test Component, and run it on the Workflow Center server.