Tools for Designing and Implementing BPI€¦ · Design GUI Tool Adapter Programming Framework Deployment GUI Tool. ... ¾Linking activities represents the overall flow of process

Copyright © 2001 by Hitachi, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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Tools for Designing and Implementing BPI- Business Process based application Integration -

Jan. 31, 2001Yuji Mizote

Business Solution Systems DivisionHITACHI Ltd.


2eAI needs Workflow facility, but…Our slogan is

Traditional eAI + Workflow != BPI

In this slogan, ‘Traditional eAI’ means Message Broker and Adapter.

To realize BPI, we believe we mustModel BPI system from a point of view of business process andIntegrate workflow model and eAI system model into BPI system model in a consistent way.


3Agenda

Architectural overviewScenario and tool configuration for developing BPIOMG standards which we useBPI system model

Business process modelExtended business process model for integrationInteraction model between the workflow and applications

Summary and future plans


4Architectural Overview

Work WorkWork

Work

ApplicationPackage

ExistingSystems

ERPPackage

Workflow native featureBusiness Processcontrolled by Workflow

Applications

Adapters

Human

Trans-former

Trans-former

Trans-formerAdapter Adapter Adapter


5Scenario for Developing BPI

Business experts model business processes as a blueprint of BPI system

Integrators extend the business process modelby adding integration information

Programmers develop adapter programs

Deployers deploy BPI system from the extended business process model and adapter programs

into runtime environment


6Tool Configuration

Process

Activity

Work

MachineLocation

SourceCode

ExecutableFile

AdministrativeRule

Software/File Distribution Middleware

Model Repository

Business Process ModeleAI extension for BP Model

Attributes ofAdapter

TransformationRule

Association

Deployment

Development

IntegrationDesign

GUI Tool

Business ProcessDesign GUI Tool

Adapter ProgrammingFramework

DeploymentGUI Tool


7OMG Standards which we useWe start with WfMC-based business process model and extend it into BPI system model :

in a uniform manner by using MOF/XMI andin consistence with WfMC Reference Model

MOF/XMI provides the following facilities:Modeling methodologyRepresentation and manipulation of modelManagement of dependencyStreaming format(XMI format)

WfMC Reference Model specifies:Application(Business) data modelWorkflow interoperability


8Modeling Business ProcessBusiness process consists of two layers: Activity and Work

Activity layerLinking activities represents the overall flow of processControl nodes and their rules control the flow of processAn activity is a collection of worksActivity layer is suitable for regularized production processes

Activity

Business Process Activity

Link

Activity

orActivityWorkWorkWork

Control Node

Business Data

Control flow rule


9Modeling Business ProcessBusiness process consists of two layers: Activity and Work

Work layerA work is an execution unit A work has an activation rule and a completion rule Resource selection rules assign each work to a humanWork layer is suitable for data-driven processes

Activity

Business Process Activity

Link

Activity

orActivityWorkWork

Control Node

Resource Selection Rule Activation RuleCompletion Rule

Business DataHuman/Organizational

information

Control flow rule

Work


10Modeling Business ProcessBusiness data consists of:

Workflow Relevant Data (coined by WfMC)Defined on a business processReferred in various rules, i.e. workflow-accessible format

Work-to-Work Message Data(approximates to ‘message’ of Message Broker):

Defined on a transition between 2 consecutive worksOpaque to the workflow engine, i.e. arbitrary format

Quotation Procurementor

Business Process Work-to-WorkMessage Data

If ‘Quote’ is less than ‘Budget’, thenBP transits to ‘Procurement’

Control Node RuleWorkflow Relevant Data

Quote, Budget etc.


11Business Process Design Tool

Activities

Workflow Relevant Data

Control Flow Rule

Message Data

Works


12Extending Business Process Model

③③③③ Defining transfor-mation rules

Quotation Procurement

①①①① Defining attributes of an adapter:Interaction model between the workflow and applicationsInput/output data formats

②②②②Associating each work with an adapter

QuotationResult Workflow Relevant Data

Quote, Budget etc.

Adapter

OutputData

Adapter

InputData

BP model is extended into BPI system model by adding the following:


13Integration Design ToolAssociating each work with an adapter

Defining transformation rules

Defining an adapter


14Interaction Model ー Viewpoints ーAll applications have internal works and control flow of them innature. Therefore any application can be considered as a kind of‘Workflow System’!

From a viewpoint of application invocationSynchronous request/responseAsynchronous request and pullAsynchronous request and pushOne-way

From a viewpoint of workflow interoperabilityNested business processChained business process

On BPI, we must take account of these two viewpoints in a combined manner.

InteractionModel?

InternalWork

InternalWork

Application

Workflow


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InternalWork

InternalWork

Chained subprocess

InternalWork

InternalWork

Nested subprocess for synchronous app.

InternalWork

InternalWork

Nested subprocess for asynchronous app.1

Pull

InternalWork

InternalWork

Chained subprocess

Nested subprocess for asynchronous app.2

Request

Nested subprocess

Interaction Model ー Examples ー

Push

One-way Asynchronous request/response

Nested subprocessRequest

Nested subprocess


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Our objective iseAI system must be modeled and developed from a business perspective in order to cope with real business problems effectively and speedy.

We have developed tools for modeling eAI Systemfrom a viewpoint of business process and by using MOF/XMIin consistence with WfMC Reference Model

We plan toextend BPI approach to B2B eAI(e.g. RosettaNet, ebXML) integrate intra-eAI (i.e. this presentation) and B2B eAI (aka. inter-eAI) into the unified integration framework

Summary and Future Plans

Documents

Tools for Designing and Implementing BPI€¦ · Design GUI Tool Adapter Programming Framework Deployment GUI Tool. ... ¾Linking activities represents the overall flow of process