Business Process Driven SOA using BPMN and BPEL

Business Process Driven SOA using BPMN and BPEL

by Kapil Pant, Matjaz Juric
Released August 2008
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: None

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Book description

In Detail Modeling business processes for SOA and developing end-to-end IT support has become one of the top IT priorities. The SOA approach is based on services and on processes. Processes are focused on composition of services and in that sense services become process activities. Experience has shown that the implementation and optimization of processes are the most important factors in the success of SOA projects. SOA is so valuable to businesses because it enables process optimization. In order to optimize processes, we need to know which processes are relevant and we have to understand them - something that cannot be done without business process modeling. There is a major problem with this approach - a semantic gap between the process model and the applications. This book will show you how to fill this gap. It describes a pragmatic approach to business process modeling using the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and the automatic mapping of BPMN to the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), which is the de-facto standard for executing business processes in SOA. The book will also cover related technologies like Business Rules Management and Business Activity Monitoring which play a pivotal role in achieving closed loop Business Process Management. What you will learn from this book?

  • Modeling business processes in an SOA-compliant way

  • A detailed understanding of BPMN standard for business process modeling and analysis

  • Automatically translating BPMN into BPEL

  • Executing business processes on SOA platforms

  • Overcome the semantic gap between process models and their execution, and follow the closed-loop business process management life cycle

  • Understand technologies complementary to BPM and SOA such as Business Rules Management and Business Activity monitoring

    • Approach The book provides a well-balanced mixture of theoretical discussion and real-world examples. It explains the concepts and approaches, and describes methodology and notation. It demonstrates these concepts on real-world examples and provides a step-by-step example tutorial that guides readers from business process modeling in BPMN through transformation into BPEL to execution on the SOA process server. It also discusses some key concepts using practical examples and business scenarios around Business Rules Management and Business Activity Monitoring with BPM and SOA. Who this book is written for? This book is for CIOs, executives, SOA project managers, business process analysts, BPM and SOA architects, who are responsible for improving the efficiency of business processes through IT, or for designing SOA. It provides a high-level coverage of business process modeling, but it also gives practical development examples on how to move from model to execution. We expect the readers to be familiar with the basics of SOA.

    Table of contents

    1. Business Process Driven SOA using BPMN and BPEL
    2. Credits
    3. Foreword
    4. About the Authors
    5. About the Reviewer
    6. Preface
      1. What This Book Covers
      2. Conventions
      3. Reader Feedback
      4. Customer Support
        1. Errata
        2. Piracy
        3. Questions
    7. 1. SOA and Business Processes
      1. Why Care about Business Processes?
        1. Examples of Business Processes
        2. How Business Processes Emerge
        3. How Business Processes and IT Relate
        4. IT Flexibility
          1. Heterogeneous Architecture
          2. Traditional Software Lifecycles
        5. Why Do We Need SOA?
          1. Why Should We Believe This?
      2. SOA Approach to Business Processes
        1. Major Improvements in the SOA Approach
        2. Focus on Content, Not Technology
        3. Management Support
        4. SOA Competency Centre
      3. SOA Inception
        1. SOA Forces
        2. Value of SOA for IT Departments
        3. Changes in the Development Approach
        4. Reduced Complexity
      4. Technical Introduction to SOA
        1. BPMN
        2. BPEL
          1. Features
        3. Services
          1. Service Interfaces
          2. Messages
          3. Synchronicity
          4. Loose Coupling
          5. Quality of Service
        4. Other Important Parts of SOA
          1. Enterprise Service Bus
          2. Registry and Repository
          3. Rules Engines
          4. Business Activity Monitoring
          5. User Interactions
            1. User Interaction in BPEL
            2. BPEL4People
      5. How SOA, BPMN, and BPEL Fit Together
        1. Agility
        2. Resilience
        3. Alignment Between Business and IT
        4. New Business Models
        5. How the Puzzles Fit Together
        6. SOA Vendors
      6. Summary
    8. 2. Modeling Business Processes for SOA
      1. Business Process Management
        1. IT and BPM
      2. SOA and BPM
      3. Business Process Lifecycle
        1. BPM and SOA—A Perfect Fit for the Lifecycle
      4. Business Process Modeling
        1. Modeling Method and Notation
          1. ARIS
        2. Modeling Notation
          1. BPMN
        3. Process Design
        4. Results of Process Modeling
          1. Process Map
          2. Roles and Relations Structure
          3. As-is Process Model
            1. Process Environment Diagram
            2. Top-level Process Model
            3. Detailed Process Maps
            4. Exception Handling Diagram
          4. Publishing and Communicating Process Models
        5. Process Simulation
          1. Tools for Simulating Processes
        6. Modeling Principles
        7. Common Problems in Process Modeling
      5. Process Implementation
        1. Classic Software Development
        2. Standardized ERP Solutions
        3. Service Oriented Architecture
          1. Process Implementation Phase with BPEL
      6. Process Execution and Control
        1. SOA for the Process Execution and Control Phase
        2. Business Activity Monitoring
      7. Process Optimization
        1. The To-be Process Model
        2. Key Performance Indicators
        3. Typical Problems in Process Optimization
      8. Summary
    9. 3. BPMN for Business Process Modeling
      1. The Need for Standards in Business Process Modeling
      2. Business Process Classification and BPMN
        1. Strategic or Operational
        2. Process Type
        3. Process Scope
      3. Business Process Diagrams—Core Elements
        1. Business Process Diagrams—A Deeper Analysis of the Key Elements of BPMN
          1. Events
          2. Activities
            1. Sub-Process
          3. Task
          4. Gateways
          5. Sequence Flow
          6. Message Flow
          7. Association
          8. Pool
          9. Lanes
          10. Data Object
          11. Group
          12. Text Annotation
      4. Introduction to Oracle Business Process Analysis Suite
        1. Developing an Example Process Using BPMN and the Selected Tool
      5. Summary
    10. 4. BPMN—Advance Constructs
      1. Business Process Modeling General Guidelines
        1. Rule #1: Process Models Should Provide Aid in Process Understanding
        2. Rule # 2: Match Each Split with a Join
        3. Rule #3: Have a Well-Defined Start and End Event
        4. Rule #4: Look Out for Orphan Tasks
      2. BPMN Attributes and Tools Support
        1. Business Process Diagram
        2. Process
        3. Sub-Process
        4. Events in Detail
          1. Start Events
            1. None
            2. Timer
            3. Message
            4. Rule
            5. Link
            6. Multiple
          2. End Events
            1. None
            2. Message
            3. Link
            4. Cancel
            5. Error
            6. Terminate
            7. Compensation
            8. Multiple
          3. Intermediate Events
            1. Message
            2. Timer
            3. Link
            4. Rule
            5. Error
            6. Cancel
            7. Compensation
            8. Multiple
      3. Process Modeling Patterns and BPMN
        1. Basic Control Patterns
          1. Simple Sequence
            1. Parallel Split Sequence or Forking
              1. Type 1: Uncontrolled Flow
              2. Type 2: Controlled Flow
              3. Type 3: Parallel Box
            2. Synchronization or Joining Flow
              1. Type 1: Use of Parallel (AND) Gateway
              2. Type 2: Sub Process Completion
        2. Branching and Synchronization Patterns
          1. Multi Choice
          2. Structured Synchronizing Merge
          3. Multi Merge
        3. Iteration Based Patterns
          1. Arbitrary Cycles
          2. Structured Loop
        4. Termination
          1. Implicit Termination
          2. Explicit Termination
        5. Multiple Instance Pattern
          1. Multiple Instances without Synchronization
          2. Multiple Instances with a Priori Design-Time Knowledge
          3. Multiple Instances with a Priori Run-Time Knowledge
        6. State-Based Patterns
          1. Deferred Choice
      4. Summary
    11. 5. Process Analysis and Transformation—From BPMN to BPEL
      1. Business Process Analysis Using Simulation
        1. The Business Process Model and Data input
        2. Simulation and Scenario Analysis
        3. Model Target Process
      2. Business Process Transition: Bridging the Business—IT divide
      3. BPMN to BPEL—Key Considerations
        1. BPMN Specification for BPEL Mapping
        2. Tools to Support BPMN-BPEL Transformations
          1. Oracle BPM Suite: Oracle BPA and SOA Suite for BPMN-BPEL Mapping
            1. Tool Approach for Process Transformation
            2. Modeling and Analysis Process
          2. Process Detailing for Transition—A Look into Oracle Extensions for BPMN and BPEL
            1. Automated Activity
            2. Human Workflow Activity
            3. Notification Activity
            4. Business Rules Activity
      4. Business- IT Synchronization using Process Blueprint
      5. Transformation Case Study
        1. Business Process Overview—What is 'Portfolio Account Opening?'
        2. Business Process Transformation—Modeling and Analysis
        3. Business Process Detailing for Transformation
        4. Model Validation before Transformation
        5. Automatic Mapping of BPA Elements for BPEL
        6. Generate Business Process Blueprint
        7. Retrieve the Business Process Blueprint
          1. Create a BPA Connection for Importing the Blueprint
          2. Create a BPEL Project
          3. Blueprint View and BPEL View
        8. Add Implementation Details
        9. Deploy and Test
        10. Updating the BPA Server
      6. Summary
    12. 6. Business Process Orchestration for SOA
      1. BPM Architecture and Role of Business Process Orchestration
      2. Executing BPEL Processes in BPEL Process Manager
        1. Initiation of the Process Instance
        2. Accessing a Human Task through the Worklist Application
          1. Task Invocation from BPEL Process Manager and its Integration with Worklist Application
      3. Introduction to Business Rules Management
        1. What are Business Rules?
        2. Business Rules Anatomy
        3. Automating Business Rules
        4. Automating Business Rules for Business Issues
      4. Business Rules Management, BPM, and SOA
        1. Key Considerations for Selecting a BRMS
        2. Key components of a BRMS—A Brief Look into Oracle Business Rules
        3. Implementing Business Rules—The Business Rules Development Process
      5. Introducing Business Activity Monitoring
        1. What is BAM?
        2. BPM, SOA, and BAM
        3. Oracle BAM
        4. Oracle BAM and BPM
      6. Summary

    Product information

    • Title: Business Process Driven SOA using BPMN and BPEL
    • Author(s): Kapil Pant, Matjaz Juric
    • Release date: August 2008
    • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
    • ISBN: None