WebMethods Workflow

Why we need workflows ? Typical Workflow Scenarios

Human validation is required “Has the bill of lading been packaged?” or “Is this your correct

address?”

Approval is a multi-step process “Checks and balances” transactions requiring peer approval

Mission-critical tasks must be escalated “We need to sign this contract today, and the head of

Purchasing isn’t in. Who else in Purchasing can sign?”

Advanced warning of key exceptions is required “If our biggest supplier does not acknowledge one of our orders

within three hours, we need to know that and find out why.”

Defining Workflow

Business process management, where people perform the individual steps

Business rules guide the process flow from step to step

Spans companies, applications, and people

webMethods is unique in being able to provide both business process automation and human workflow.

webMethods is unique in being able to provide both business process automation and human workflow.

webMethods Workflow offers a distributed architecture that is based on webMethods Broker. webMethods Broker provides the core messaging infrastructure of webMethods Workflow. The webMethods Workflow components act as clients of the messaging infrastructure to coordinate webMethods Workflow activity across the platform.

Workflow Architecture

Design Concepts

Top-down methodology is key to a successful implementation of the webMethods platform, including Workflow

The Workflow Concepts Guide provides a thorough overview of the product, and how to apply top-down design to your workflow projects

Nest workflows inside of higher-level workflows to achieve top-level design

Business analysts can design at the highest process levels

Workflow developers can complete the underlying logic to perform individual steps

Applying a Top-Down Approach

Begin at top-most level, describing the real-life process for your enterprise (pseudo-logic)

Define the highest-level workflow to represent this process Break the model into lower-level sub-processes (nested

workflows) Break the sub-processes into individual tasks representing actual

steps being performed Identify GUI elements: where is data entered or accessed by

the people participating in the process? Identify non-GUI elements: which steps being performed

require no human interaction? Define process flow: where will branches, timers, or external

programs be employed?

Key Workflow Features

Linked with Business Integrator Graphical environment Role-based:

Assign tasks to roles, not people

People can play one or more roles

Absence conditions (what to do if someone is away)

Checklist for Creating a Workflow Process

Basic steps are: Create a project and a workflow Define documents to contain the data your workflow will use Create roles for the participants in the process Inside the workflow, add:

Tasks and GUI elements for the process Controllers and other non-GUI elements to complete the

process logic Assign roles to tasks Map the data to flow between components of the process Wire the control flow to connect the process steps Wire the data in the documents to the task views Create an Implementation Module to publish/subscribe Enterprise

data

Designer Building Blocks

Projects Workflows Tasks Controllers Implementation Modules Documents Roles

Workflows Routers Assigners & Comparators Timers Joins Notifiers Plug-Ins

Workflow Server Components

webMethods Workflow Server

The server side of webMethods Workflow includes the following components:

Process Server Distribution Control Service (DCS) Authentication Service Portfolio Service Log Service Server Manager Service Resource Service

Workflow Client Components

The webMethods Workflow client is a graphical user interface that allows Workflow users to start the webMethods Workflow Users.

Designer Inbox Generator Administrator Monitor tools. Users can select the toolbar buttons to start any of these six tools

that they are authorized to access.

Login

After startup completes, login dialog will display Log in as ‘Administrator’ to begin Additional users and passwords are created using the Workflow

client

The Workflow Console

Start, Programs, webMethods, Workflow Each icon in the console launches a different component of the Workflow

product

Designer

Inbox

MonitorGenerator

AdministratorUsers

Flow Control vs. Data Control

Two fundamental activities are required to complete a workflow design:1. Defining flow control – sequence of the workflow process

Who: Users, roles How: Workflows and Tasks, GUIs, logic When: Calendars, timers

2. Defining data control – passing documents through process Documents Joins and Routers Assigning values Wiring GUI elements to data controllers Interacting with Enterprise documents

Seamlessly link from interface to logic & data in underlying system

GUI and HTML user interfaces are built dynamically without coding

Integrated User Interfaces

Multi-user environment for collaboration on design & implementation.

Create multi-level authorizations

Graphical Capabilities

Workflow - example