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
webMethods isis unique
unique in
in being
being able
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to provide
provide both
both business
business process
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automation
automation and
and human
human workflow.
workflow.
Workflow Architecture
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.
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
Users Inbox Administrator
Designer Generator Monitor
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
Integrated User Interfaces
GUI and HTML user interfaces are
built dynamically without coding
Seamlessly link from interface to
logic & data in underlying system
Graphical Capabilities
Multi-user environment for
collaboration on design &
implementation.
Create multi-level authorizations
Workflow - example
