Business Process Execution

Language(BPEL)
R.GAYANA
406124003
Research Scholar

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Agenda
• Introduction to SOA
• Service Orchestration
• SOA Design
• What is BPEL?
• Key Features of BPEL
• BPEL in SOA: Role and Importance
• BPEL Process Structure
• Interaction Patterns
• Advantages of Using BPEL
• Challenges and Limitations
• Real-World Use Cases
• Conclusion 2
Introduction to SOA

• Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a design approach that

enables the creation of reusable, interoperable, and loosely coupled
software components called services.

• These services communicate with each other over a network, typically

using standard protocols like HTTP, SOAP, or REST.

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Key Principles of SOA

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SOA Architecture and Protocol

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Service Orchestration

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SOA Design

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BPEL
• BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) is an XML-based language.

• It is used to define and execute business processes in a Service-Oriented

Architecture (SOA).

• BPEL enables the orchestration of web services into complex workflows.

• It automates processes by integrating multiple services seamlessly

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History of BPEL
• Early 2000s – The rise of SOA created the need for an orchestration language.

• 2003 – BPEL4WS was introduced by major companies to standardize web

service orchestration.

• 2005 – OASIS standardized it as WS-BPEL 1.1, enabling enterprise adoption

• 2007 – WS-BPEL 2.0 launched with better error handling and compensation.

• Mid-2000s – BPEL became widely used in industries like banking and insurance.

• 2010s Onward – Modern alternatives (REST, microservices) led to a decline in

new BPEL implementations
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 Why BPEL ?
• Automates Workflow: It automates end to end process sequentially.

• Integrates Services: It orchestrates multiple web services, allowing different systems

to work together seamlessly.

• Standardization: As an XML-based language, BPEL provides a standard way to

define and execute business processes.

• Error Handling: Built-in mechanisms manage errors and compensate (rollback) when
things go wrong.

• Legacy Integration: Many established enterprises with SOA infrastructures still use
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BPEL to maintain and manage existing workflows.
Key Features of BPEL
• Service Orchestration

• XML-Based Standard

• Fault Handling and Compensation

• Control Flow Constructs

• Long-Running Process Support

• Reusability and Modularity

• Integration with WSDL

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BPEL in SOA: Role and Importance
• BPEL plays a crucial role in SOA by acting as the orchestrator that brings together
diverse web services into cohesive, automated business processes.

• Here are the key aspects of its role and importance:

1. Service Orchestration

2. Process Automation and Integration

3. Robust Error Handling

4. Standardization and Reusability

5. Legacy and Transition Role 12

Business Processes with BPEL
• BPEL can describe business process in two distinct ways

• Executable business process specify the exact details of business

processes can be executed by a BPEL engine.

• Abstract business process specify only the public message exchange

between parties, without including the specific details of process
flows. They are not executable and are rarely used.

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BPEL Structure
• A BPEL document is an XML file that follows a specific structure to define
executable business processes. Here's an overview of its main components:
• Root Element <process>

• Namespace Declarations

• Partner Links (<partnerLinks>)

• Variables (<variables>)

• Correlation Sets (<correlationSets>)

• Process Logic (Activities)

• Fault and Compensation Handling

• Scopes (<scope>) 14
Partner Links
• Defines relationships between the BPEL process and external web
services.
• Each partner link specifies roles for the process (myRole) and its
partner.
<partnerLinks>
<partnerLink name="OrderServiceLink"
partnerLinkType="tns:OrderLT"
myRole="orderProvider"
partnerRole="orderConsumer"/>
</partnerLinks>

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Variables
• Variables store data used during process execution (such as request
and response messages).

<variables>
<variable
name="orderRequest"messageType="tns:OrderRequestMessage"/>
<variable
name="orderResponse"messageType="tns:OrderResponseMessage"/>
</variables>

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Correlation Sets

• It is used to associate incoming (or outgoing) messages with the correct

process instance, especially in scenarios involving long-running or
asynchronous interactions.

• Imagine an order processing system where each order has a unique orderId.

• A correlation set can be defined to correlate all messages (like order updates
or cancellations) with the same orderId to the correct process instance.

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<correlationSets>
<correlationSet name="orderCorrelationSet" properties="tns:orderIdProperty"/>
</correlationSets>
<receive name="ReceiveOrder"
partnerLink="orderServiceLink"
portType="tns:OrderPT"
operation="placeOrder"
variable="orderRequest"
createInstance="yes">
<correlations>
<correlation set="orderCorrelationSet" initiate="yes"/>
</correlations>
</receive>
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BPEL Activities

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Basic Activities
• Receive: Waits for an incoming message to either start or continue a process instance.

Example: Receiving an order request from a client.

• Reply: Sends a response back to the initiator after the process execution.

Example: Sending an order confirmation back to the client.

• Invoke: Calls an external web service to perform an operation or retrieve data.

Example: Invoking a payment service to process a transaction.

• Assign: Transfers data between variables or transforms data.

Example: Copying customer details from one variable to another.

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Structured Activities
• These control the flow and organization of basic activities:

• Sequence: Executes a set of activities one after another in a defined order.

Ex: Order processing (Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3).

• Flow: Enables parallel execution of multiple activities, allowing them to run

concurrently.

Ex: Checking product availability while processing payment.

• If / Switch: Implements conditional logic for branching the process.

Ex: If payment succeeds, confirm the order; otherwise, cancel it.

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• While: Repeats a set of activities as long as a condition remains true.

Ex: Retry payment processing until successful or maximum retries

reached.

• Pick: Waits for one of multiple events to occur, then executes the
corresponding activity.

Ex: Wait for user confirmation or timeout before proceeding.

• Scope: Groups activities together to provide fault handling and

compensation.
Ex: Handles transaction failures by rolling back payments. 23
Error and Exception Handling Activities
• Throw: Explicitly throws a fault within the process.

• Fault Handlers: Defined in <faultHandlers> blocks to catch and

manage faults raised during process execution.

• Compensation Handlers: Allow rollback or undo operations if a part

of the process needs to be compensated after a fault.

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Interaction patterns
• The common interaction patterns between a BPEL process service
component and an external service, including
1. One-way messages
2. Synchronous and asynchronous interactions
3. One request - multiple and single responses
4. One request - mandatory and optional responses
5. Partial processing
6. Multiple application interactions 25
One-Way Messages

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Synchronous Interactions

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Asynchronous Interactions

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One Request, Multiple Responses

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One Request, One of Two Possible
Responses

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One Request, a Mandatory Response, and an Optional Response

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Partial Processing

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Multiple Application Interactions

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BPEL Designer Tools
• Oracle BPEL Designer

• NetBeans 6.1

• IBM Integration Designer

• Eclipse BPELDesigner

• JBoss Developer Studio

• Intalio Designer

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BPEL Process
Step 1: Inventory the Involved Web Services
Employee Travel Status Web Service

Airline Web Service

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Step 2: Define WSDL for the BPEL Process

Step 3: Define Partner Link Types

The third step is to define the partner link types.
Partner link types represent the interaction between a BPEL process
and the involved parties, which include the Web services the BPEL
process invokes and the client that invokes the BPEL process.

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Step 4: Create the Business Process
<process name="BusinessTravelProcess" ... >
<partnerLinks>
<!-- The declaration of partner links -->
</partnerLinks>
<variables>
<!-- The declaration of variables -->
</variables>
<sequence>
<!-- The definition of the BPEL business process main body -->
</sequence>
</process> 37
Sample BPEL Process

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Advantages
• Web Service Orchestration
 Automates Complex Workflows
Standardized Approach
• Fault and Compensation Handling
Built-In Error Management
• Interoperability
Platform Independence
• Reusability and Modularity
Modular Process Definitions

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Disadvantages
• Complexity and Verbosity
 Steep Learning Curve

 Difficult Debugging

• Limited Flexibility
 Rigid Process Flow

 Poor Support for Human Tasks

• .Outdated for Modern Architectures

 BPEL was built around SOAP and WSDL, so it may not integrate as well with modern
RESTful APIs, microservices, or cloud-native architectures.

• Legacy Focus
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Conclusion
• Standardized process orchestration

• Robust fault and compensation handling

• Effective system integration

• Complexity and rigid structure

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