BPM 11g Sample_UpdateTask_MessageBasedCorrelation

Oracle BPM Suite 11g Sample – Update task and message based correlation

Oracle BPM Suite 11g – Update Task and Message Based Correlation

Contents Oracle BPM Suite 11g – Update Task and Message Based Correlation ........................... 1

1 Oracle BPM Suite 11g – Update Task and Message Based Correlation ..................... 1

1.1 Concepts ............................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Update Task ................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.2 BPMN Event Subprocess ........................................................................................... 1

1.1.3 Message Based Correlation ......................................................................................... 2

1.2 Sample Overview ................................................................................................................ 3

1.2.1 Scope ............................................................................................................................... 3

1.2.2 What’s Included ............................................................................................................ 3

1.3 Understanding the Update Task sample ......................................................................... 3

1.3.1 Main Flow ...................................................................................................................... 3

1.3.2 Cancel Flow - Event SubProcess ............................................................................... 4

1.4 Testing................................................................................................................................. 10


Oracle BPM Suite 11g – Update task and message based correlation 1

1 Oracle BPM Suite 11g – Update Task and Message Based Correlation

1.1 Concepts

1.1.1 Update Task

The Update Task Activity is a special Service Task that has been added to the BPMN palette in

Oracle BPM Suite 11g R1 PS4 release. It is used for making changes to the states of active as well as

outstanding Human workflow tasks. Using the Update Task you can suspend, withdraw, resume,

escalate, reassign, suspend and resume the timers of outstanding Interactive tasks in 2-click

operation.

1.1.2 BPMN Event Subprocess

Special purpose inline or embedded subprocess used for events and exception handling and can

listen to in-flight events and messages. It is visually denoted by dashed boundary in expanded form

and starts with a Start Event of type either Message or Error or Signal or Timer. The event

subprocess is active only when its scope (enclosing process or subprocess) is active. The Start Event

of an Event Subprocess can be “interrupting” or “non-interrupting”. In the former, the main

process flow is aborted and the process flows through the Event Subprocess. In the latter, the event

subprocess is executed in parallel to the main process flow and is re-entrant.



1.1.3 Message Based Correlation

Processes can interchange messages and have conversations. WS-Addressing or automatic

correlation will suffice if one of the interacting parties creates a new instance of the other. In this

case, the first time it’s not needed to determine which instance to route to, and once the first

interaction has happened, the two instances can continue to converse using the WS-Addressing

Conversation Id. However, if the Conversation is happening between 2 already created instances,

then you need to have payload based correlation also known as Message based correlation to able to

route the message correctly. The second use case for Message based correlation which is what this

sample is showcasing is to handle in-flight messages (Message Start Event of an Event Subprocess).



Prior to BPM 11g R1 PS4 FP release, BPM supported only automatic correlation via WS-Addressing

headers. If message based correlation was needed, the approach was to delegate the correlation

tasks to a BPEL process. Starting in 11.1.1.5FP, BPM now supports automatic and message based

correlation. Starting in Oracle BPM Suite 11g R1 PS4FP, out of the box support for message based

correlation is provided in addition to automatic correlation. Correlation Keys can be based on one

or more Correlation Properties (message attributes) to form a unique key to locate the process

instance. A wizard is provided to define Correlation Keys and they are set in the same way as Data

Associations.

1.2 Sample Overview

1.2.1 Scope

This sample covers UpdateTask, Event Subprocess and Message based correlation.

Note: This sample will work with Oracle BPM 11 g R1 PS4 FP release and above.

1.2.2 What’s Included

The sample Application has 1 Project:

1. UpdateTask BPM Project

1.3 Understanding the Update Task sample

1.3.1 Main Flow

This is a very simple sample where a request comes in through a Message Start Event. The request

has only a String payload.

This is followed by a Parallel Gateway consisting of Approvals1 and Approvals 2 process steps. The

Approvals1 and Approvals2 both point to a common Human workflow task implementation. The

task implementation is of type “Single Approver” and the assignee is set to the current swimlane

role.



The main flow ends after the approvals get completed.

1.3.2 Cancel Flow - Event SubProcess

In addition, there is a non-interrupting Message Start Event – cancel Event of the Event

Subprocess to be able to handle cancel requests.



1.3.2.1 Configuring Message based Correlation

Since, the cancel message is received when the process instance is in-flight, you need message based

correlation to route the cancel message to the appropriate UpdateTask process instance.

The basic steps for configuring message based correlation are:

Define Correlation Properties

Define Correlation Keys using those Correlation Properties

Associate Message Start Events with one or more Correlation Keys

Setting Correlation Property

The first step is defining one or more properties that can be used to uniquely identify a process

instance. These properties are referred to as Correlation Properties. In the simplest case a single

Correlation Property can define the Correlation Key as in this sample. But often multiple

Correlation Properties are combined into a Correlation Key. This is similar to how you might define

a composite primary key in database design.

If you right click on the Correlation Properties node you’ll get a dialog for creating properties.In this

process the Correlation Property is just the input string.

Setting up Correlation Keys

If you right click on the Correlation Keys node you’ll see the dialog for creating Correlation Keys.

Note that Correlation Keys are built from existing Correlation Properties. A Correlation Property

can be used in multiple Correlation Keys. When creating a Correlation Key, there’s an icon where

you can add new Correlation Properties; without having to close the dialog to return to the

Correlation Properties dialog.



Below is a screen shot that shows a complex Correlation Key made up of 3 Correlation Properties -

accountId, cardNumber, and requestDate. Those three properties are combined to create a

Correlation Key named cKeyAcctCardReqDate, which uniquely identifies a process instance.

Initializing Correlation Keys

Once you’ve defined the Correlation Key(s) for your process, the next step is to associate

Correlation Keys with message events, and define whether the message “Initiates” or “Uses” the

associated Correlation Key. Initializing a Correlation Key effectively “sets” the values for each

property that uniquely identify the process instance. For any given process instance, a Correlation

Key can only be initialized once. After that, the Correlation Key values can only be used to locate

the process instance. This is configured by setting the “Mode” value to “Initiates” in the

“Correlations” portion of the message event properties. To see how this is done in the credit card

application:

Right click on the “Start” message start event

You’ll see the Properties dialog, select the Implementation tab

In the bottom portion of the Implementation tab you’ll see a series of links including one

for “Correlations”.

Select the “Correlations” link and you’ll see the Correlation Definition dialog.

The Correlation Definition dialog provides the ability to:



Select the Correlation Key to use

Select whether the mode is “Initiates” or “Uses”

Map each of the Correlation Key properties to an element within the message. This creates an alias

for each property that can be expressed using Xpath, a simple expression, or a literal value

In this sample, the Correlation Key is “set” or “Initialized” from properties in the message that

started the process (Start event). The message events that start the Cancel event subprocesses will

be configured to “Use” that correlation key. That’s how a cancellation request can be correlated to

the correct process instance.



1.3.2.2 Suspend

If a cancel request is received, then any pending approvals (if Approver1 and Approver2 process

steps are active) are suspended. This is achieved through the UpdateTask – Service activity. All

active User Tasks are suspended in this case. You can also suspend a specific task or a set of tasks

using taskIds.

1.3.2.3 Review step

The Process Owner through the Review process step either chooses APPROVE or REJECT

option. The outcome of the Review – User task is mapped to the reviewOutcome – Process Data

Object.



1.3.2.4 Resume

If APPROVE is the outcome of the Review step, then the Approver1 and Approver2 process steps

if suspended earlier are resumed and become active.

1.3.2.5 Withdraw

If REJECT is the outcome of the Review step, then the Approver1 and Approver2 process steps if

suspended earlier are withdrawn and the process completes.



1.4 Testing 1. Go to EM and select the Test button for the BPMN process instance and select the “request”

operation. Supply a string value for the input to initiate the process instance.

2. Inside BPM Workspace, log in as “jcooper” and “wfaulk”. Claim the task but do not select any

of the Actions. There is no UI Form associated with this project. Submit a purchase requisition

request.

3. Go to EM and and select the Test button for the BPMN process instance and select the

“request” operation. Supply the same string value for the cancel input to send a cancellation

request to the process instance started in step 1.

4. Inside BPM Workspace, log in as “jcooper” and “wfaulk”. In the Task Panel, select the filter to

show “suspended” tasks. You will see that the tasks which was in assigned state before is now is

status “suspend”.

5. Log in as process owner “jstein” and perform the Review step. Select action “APPROVE”.

6. Log in as “jcooper” and “wfaulk”. You will see that the suspended tasks are now back to state

“assigned”.

7. Launch another instance and this time select “REJECT” for the Review step.

BPM 11g Sample_UpdateTask_MessageBasedCorrelation

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