The approval process solution combines WSRR with Process Server to provide an integrated approach to controlling lifecycle transitions of governed objects. The lifecycle transitions are mediated through human-centric approval workflows.
The dynamic process capabilities of Process Server, including business processes and human-centric support, provide advanced capabilities for enriched governance lifecycle management. The following solution overview diagram illustrates the different components involved in integrating WSRR and Process Server to implement approval process scenarios. (The approval process solution can be used in conjunction with either WebSphere® Process server V7.0 or BPM Advanced - Process Server V7.5, for the sake of simplicity both are referred to as 'Process Server' in these topics.)
- Approval Process Framework
- The Approval Process Framework is the WSRR component that enables
the integration with Process Server, and contains
a set of classes and configurations. This approval process framework
is part of the Governance Enablement Configuration Profile. The framework
contains the following subcomponents:
- Process Server approval process configuration
- The configuration defines which object types in WSRR (for example, business capability) trigger advanced approval processes. It specifies approval transition, rejection transition, classification assertions, if any, and the details regarding the human approvers. Additionally the configuration stores information about servers and access details.
- Process Server approval process notifier
- A notifier class that monitors the governed objects in WSRR as they go through lifecycle state transitions. If a specific WSRR object reaches the target transition state as configured in the approval process configuration, the notifier triggers the approval process.
- Web service client - process starter
- This web services client is used by the approval process notifier to start the approval processes in Process Server. It uses configuration-specific helper classes to initialize various input parameters as specified in the WSRR Governance Approval Process Solution in Process Server. The invocation of the approval process is triggered through a background worker job in WSRR.
- WSRR governance approval process solution
- A flexible governance approval solution executes on Process Server and is responsible for providing the necessary
approval tasks based on the configuration passed from WSRR This solution
consists of three major applications that are connected to one another
to provide the necessary approval process in Process
Server, and the ability to make updates and transitions in WSRR. The
three applications share a library that contains business objects
and interface definitions.
- WSRR governance approval proxy process
- A lightweight application that provides a stable web service endpoint which starts the actual approval process.
- WSRR governance approval process
- An application that contains two process definitions: the approval process and the voting process. This application is primarily responsible for implementing the majority approval process as defined in the WSRR approval process configuration.
- Service registry interface (SCA)
- An application that provides services that interact with WSRR.