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Business Process Option Architectural Overview

This section provides a brief description and graphical overview of the basic Business Process Option components you will be configuring. Topics include:

- Overview

- Business Process Engine Components

- Business Process Option Components

- eLink Platform and Foundation Servers

- Server Groups and Services

Overview

The primary Business Process Option components can be categorized as follows:

Note: The term Business Process Option is used in two different contexts - one general and one specific - in this manual. The general term refers to the product as a whole, which includes the entire set of Business Process Engine components and non-Business Process Engine components, such as the Business Process Option Servers. The specific term refers to the subset of non-Business Process Engine components, which are the Business Process Option Servers and Business Process Option Contract Repository.

- Business Process Engine Components

  - Business Process Engine Client Components:

  - Process Design Assistant (PDA)

      Business Interface Window

      Process Design Window

  - Business Process Repository

  - Business Process Engine Servers:

  - IcWorker (IcGen services)

  - IcWorker (IcJob services)

  - IcEvtAct

  - IcCliMgr (Client Manager) Server

- Business Process Option Components

  - Business Process Option Servers

  - eProcRunner

  - eProcStarter

  - eTaskAgent

  - Business Process Option Contract Repository

- eLink Platform/TUXEDO Servers

  - WSL

  - eLinkJSL

  - IREPSVR

Figure 1-1 provides a graphical overview of the Business Process Option components.

Figure 1-1 Business Process Option Architectural Overview

The sections below provide descriptions of primary Business Process Engine and Business Process Option components.

Business Process Engine Components

The Business Process Engine does the following:

- Provides workflow storage and management facilities

- Maintains object and state information in the database

- Provides decision-making services for controlling process flows (task sequencing)

The Business Process Engine consists of four eLink Platform servers, a number of applications, a database, and a repository of documents. Important runtime configration information is stored in the <$IC_HOME>/config directory. Additional platform configuration information is stored in the platform environment file (by default eLink_BPO.env). The Business Process Engine eLink Platform servers are located in the directory <$IC_HOME>/tuxapp.

Business Process Engine Client Components

The Business Process Engine Client components consist of the following:

- Process Design Assistant (PDA)

  - The Business Interface Window

  - The Process Design Window

- Business Process Repository Database

  - Oracle Database

  - Oracle Transaction Manager (TMS)

These components are described in the following sections.

Process Design Assistant

The main Business Process Engine Client component is the Process Design Assistant (PDA). This component, in turn, comprises the following subcomponents:

- Business Interface Window - The Business Interface Window of the Process Design Assistant is the primary interface to the Business Repository database. The contents of the database are displayed in an object tree structure that lists the available modules, the interfaces contained in each module, and so on. You can use the Interface Window to add, modify, or delete the objects in the database. You can also populate the Business Repository database by importing existing Field Manipulation Language (FML) files, or by loading interfaces from text files.

- Process Design Window-You use the Process Design Window to form process flows. You create process flows by using palettes and templates in the Design Pad (subwindow). The process flows you create are displayed as flow diagrams in the Design Pad. The process boxes in the diagrams represent tasks, and the arrows in the diagrams represent dependencies between tasks.

Figure 1-2 illustrates the structure of the Process Design Assistant.

Figure 1-2 Business Process Engine Client Components

Document Repository

Process flows may have external documents "attached" to them. The Document Repository is where information regarding these attachments is maintained. The data is stored in a directory or set of directories and maintained by the Business Process Engine by way of the IcRepDaemon Server and other Engine applications.

Oracle Database

The Business Process Engine Business Repository requires the presence of the Oracle database. The Business Repository uses the database to store process-related information.

Note: As part of the eLink Business Process Option Server installation, you should have already created your Business Process Engine tablespace and user. If you have not, please refer to the BEA eLink Business Process Option Server Installation Guide. Data should only be accessed via the tools provided, never directly.

Oracle Transaction Manager (TMS)

The Oracle transaction manager, or TMS, is included with the Business Process Engine installation, and is located in the directory <$IC_HOME>/tuxapp. The executable is IcTMS.

Business Process Engine Servers

The Business Process Engine Servers are as follows:

- IcWorker - IcGen_eLink services

- IcWorker - IcJob_eLink services

- IcEvtAct - Event/Action Daemon Server

- IcCliMgr - Business Process Engine Client Manager

The Business Process Engine Servers are located in the directory $IC_HOME/tuxapp. A descriptions of the servers are provided in the following sections.

IcWorker Servers

The Business Process Option IcWorker Servers provide two kinds of services for balancing the system processing load created by client calls to the API:

- IcGen service - The IcGen service is intended for processing API calls that require relatively little time and system resources.

- IcJob service - The IcJob service is intended for processing API calls that consume more time and system resources.

There are two IcWorker Servers, one for each service. Routing Business Process Option API calls to the appropriate service enables calls to be processed in a timely fashion. The corresponding IcWorker server then handles the request and returns data to the client as appropriate.

IcEvtAct (Event/Action Daemon) Server

IcEvtAct is the Business Process Engine Event/Action Daemon Server. This server handles processing of Business Process Option events (which are distinct from ATMI events). In general, it is not necessary to modify or configure this server.

IcCliMgr (Client Manager) Server

IcCliMgr is the Business Process Engine Client Manager Server. The Client Manager handles starting and restarting of long-running daemons. One of these is the IcEvtSched daemon which drives the IcEvtAct server. As part of the installation, the Business Process Engine Document Repository server is put under Client Manager control. The configuration information for the IcCliMgr server is maintained in <$IC_HOME>/config/IcCliMgr.cfg.

Business Process Option Components

This section describes the basic Business Process Option (non-Engine) components. These are:

- Business Process Option Servers:

- Business Process Option Contract Repository

- ATMI and Business Process Databases

The components are described in the following sections.

Business Process Option Servers

The Business Process Option Servers start processes, execute tasks, and pass information to the processes and tasks via calls to eLink Platform services. They provide access by other applications to the Business Process Engine via the eLink Platform.

The Business Process Option Servers are as follows:

- eProcRunner

- eProcStarter

- eTaskAgent

The servers are located in the directory <$TUXDIR>/bin. The following sections describe each of the servers.

eProcRunner

The eProcRunner is the Business Process Option Server that starts a Business Process Engine job or process, and waits for the process to complete before returning. The eProcRunner will pass data to a process when it starts the process, and return data based upon the outcome of the process.

eProcStarter

The eProcStarter is the Business Process Option Server that starts a Business Process Engine job (request) or process, and returns as soon as the process has started. The eProcStarter will pass data to a process when it starts the process, but will return to the calling client as soon as the process has been successfully activated.

eTaskAgent

The eTaskAgent is the Business Process Option Server that processes Business Process Engine tasks. The eTaskAgent obtains tasks ready for processing and calls an eLink Platform service. The service name called is the same as the task name. The eTaskAgent passes data to the service as specified by the task attributes, which are defined by parameter expressions. The data received from the service call is then made available to the process, again as stated in the parameter expressions.

eLink Platform and Foundation Servers

The eLink Platform and Foundation Servers provide access for clients to eLink Platform services. A client can be any other eLink Platform application. Clients can request the services of the eLink Platform itself, or the services of any other application server managed by the eLink Platform. These servers are provided as part of your eLink Platform and Foundation installation. The eLink Platform Servers are as follows:

- WSL

- eLinkJSL

- IREPSVR

The eLink Platform Servers are located in the directory <$TUXDIR>/bin. The following sections describe each of these servers. For more detailed information, refer to your TUXEDO, eLink Platform, and Foundation documentation.

WSL Server

The WSL is the eLink Platform Workstation Listener, and is provided as part of your eLink Platform installation. The WSL provides access for clients, known as Workstation Clients, to the services of other eLink Platform application servers. Essentially, WSL handles all communication between Workstation Clients and the eLink Platform application servers. In the context of the Business Process Option, WSL provides these services for the Business Process Engine Process Design Assistant and various of the Business Process Engine applications.

eLinkJSL Server

The eLinkJSL is the eLink Platform JOLT Listener, and is provided as part of your eLink Platform installation. The eLinkJSL provides access for clients to the services of other eLink Platform application servers. Essentially, eLinkJSL handles all communication between Jolt Clients and the eLink Platform application servers. In the context of the Business Process Option application, eLinkJSL provides these services primarily for the Business Process Engine Process Design Assistant.

IREPSVR Server

This is the Business Repository Server. This is provided as part of your eLink Platform/Business Process Option installation. IREPSVR provides services for accessing and maintaining the Business Repository. In the context of the Business Process Option application, IREPSVR provides these services primarily for the Business Process Engine Process Design Assistant.

Server Groups and Services

The base eLink Platform configuration consists of two server groups: one is the Transactional Group, and the other the Non-transactional Group. Non-transactional servers do not support the ability to participate in transactions, while transactional servers do provide this function, and are managed by the Oracle XA. A transaction is one or more actions, steps, tasks, or other procedures that must occur as an atomic unit. If one step of a transaction fails, all other tasks must be undone (if already completed), such that there is no trace of the tasks ever having occurred. This is referred to as a rollback. If all tasks for a transaction have been completed successfully, the transaction is committed (finalized) and is considered complete. Non-transactional servers do not support the rollback function, and therefore do not support transactions.

The collection of all Business Process Option eLink Platform Servers, their group association, and services are defined in the following sections.

Non-Transactional Group

Table 1-1 summarizes the servers in the Non-Transactional Group.

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Table 1-1 Business Process Option eLink Platform Servers: Non-Transactional Group

Server | Service | Description
--- | --- | ---
WSL | None. | Standard ATMI Workstation Listener
eLinkJSL | None | Standard ATMI Jolt Listener
IcCliMgr | IcCliMgr | Administrative interface to the Daemon Manager, which manages long-running ATMI client applications
IcCliMgr | IcCmChildError | Error reporting interface to the Daemon Manager, which manages long-running ATMI client applications
IREPSVR | hidden system | Contract Repository Server

Oracle Transactional Group

Table 1-2 summarizes the servers in Oracle Transactional Group. This group contains the Business Process Engine transactional servers. These servers are grouped together to enable them to be managed simultaneously through the eLink Platform administration tools tmstart and tmadmin.

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Table 1-2 Business Process Option eLink Platform Servers: Oracle Transactional Group 1

Server | Service | Description
--- | --- | ---
IcEvtAct | IcEA_eLink | Event/Action Daemon processing service
IcWorker | IcGen_eLink | IcGen Worker service
IcWorker | IcJob_eLink | IcJob Worker service
eProcStarter | User defined | Return from service call after creating an active job (job runs asynchronously)
eProcRunner | User defined | Return from service call after job completes
eTaskAgent | IcTaskAgentLoop | Task processing daemon service

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