BPMN value proposition

BPMN has few obvious value propositions:

1. Common notations.
2. Depicts sequence of flow in an e2e process.
3. Identifies messages between various.

It is meant for the whole spectrum of business users both very high level and very detail oriented business process modelers. A set of business users can document their processes; starting from a broad set of activities and decision points to a detailed process definition which captures the intricacies of everyday business including specific details of activities, conditions of gateways, default branches, subprocesses, exception handling and so on.

This will ensure that businesses understand themselves and their processes, are able to document those processes in simple notation and identify the participants. This will ensure that the business can be agile when it comes to adopting new requirements both internal to the org as well as external.

Further it facilitates IT to capture correct business requirements - validate those requirements, understand and capture corner cases. The notation being business user friendly still retains its value.
Another advantage is being able to identify coarse business services which can be further mapped to actual IT services or a combination thereof.

To give an analogy it will do the same to business prcoess modeling as what UML did to software engg, WSDL did to service description.

more details at http://www.bpmn.org

BPMN and BPEL

BPMN is a standardized graphical notation for drawing business processes. The standard has seen considerable traction in the BPM industry. Several pure play vendors have now BPMN representations supported out of the box in the modeling tool. Evidently, the first version of the spec wants to standardize the business process modeling notation. The spec very wisely provides a direct mapping to BPEL for execution. This further adds in favor of close tie up between business processes modeling and loosely coupled IT infrastructure.
The BPD modeled using BPMN can be easily realized as a BPEL process. The BPEL process may not be syntactically complete but has all the semantic elements correctly captured. The business definition of the process is captured with sanctity and transparently provided to IT as a blueprint for implementation.

BPM + SOA = Agile business

There has been a constant need for closer alignment of software with business। Instead of locking all the business process logic in a bunch of programming routines, SOA facilitates disparate independent services that can be orchestrated to accomplish business goals. This paradigm also ensures agile businesses that can accommodate changing business requirements. BPM is now complemented by middleware technologies for agility, and within middleware BPM and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) lead the charge। BPM is an investment in future agility of the enterprise। BPM and SOA together define a new business and IT world, which requires driving innovation and agility based on existing IT systems. The new paradigm promotes loosely coupled IT systems, which replace tightly integrated, hard-wired packaged applications; inherent is the paradigm of business excellence rather than functional excellence. It is difficult for business to predict the future needs of modification of business processes and hence the requirement to keep the processes loosely coupled becomes even more important. IT across industry has been adopting rapidly to SOA. BPEL has become the defacto standard for web services orchestration and integration. It is layered on top of Web services and XML and different component building blocks. Most people are already working in SOAP, WSDL, XML, and XML Schema, and most companies are already moving toward XML-based integration.

BPM Terminology

BPM - Business Process Management, some people also use it for Business Process Modeling.
BPMN - Business Process Modeling Notation - A standard notation orgininally defined by BPMI and subsequently owned and released by OMG. Pl note it is just a notation and has no serialization. It does define a mapping to BPEL4WS.
BPEL - Business Process Execution Language - This is the OASIS standard for orchestrating web services to execute business processes.
BPMS - Business Process Management Suites - A term used for product (or a set thereof) that provides definition and execution of business processes.
BPDM - Business Process Definition Metamodel - A meta model proposal for serializing BPMN diagrams. It is in RFP stage.
XPDL - XML Process Definition Language

BPM - Demystifying Business

Business users and business process modeling mean different things to different people.
One the one end of the spectrum are business users who know their processes in their mind. On the other end of the spectrum are business users who have sufficient technology background and will to make their hands dirty with service definitions.
As for BPModel, again everything from a flow chart on a white board to a graphical representation in a tool is construed as a businesss process model.

Moving my BPM blog here

I am moving my BPM blog here!

administration funcs for oc4j

Usage: java -jar admin.jar ormi://host.domain.com<:port> username password [comm
and]
Commands are:
-shutdown [force|ordinary] [reason] - shuts the entire server down
-restart [reason] - restarts the entire server
-deploy [subswitches] - (re)deploys an application. Sub-switches are:
-file [filename] - Enterprise Archive to deploy
-deploymentName [name] - Name of the application deployment
-targetPath [path] - The path on the remote OS to place the archive at. If no
t specified the applications directory is used
-parent [name] - Specifying parent application of this application, the defau
lt is the global ('default') application
-deploymentDirectory [path] - Root of the deployment configurations, "[NONE]"
to place them inside the .ear
-cluster - Signals that the deployment should be propagated to other live clu
ster nodes if part of a cluster
-iiopClientJar - the path on the local OS to place the jar file containing th
e application client stubs
-undeploy [application name] [subswitches] - remove a previously deployed applic
ation
-keepFiles - keep the generated application's files.
-site [subswitches] - configures a site. Sub-switches are:
-add - adds a site
-host [host] - host/IP of this site
-port [port] - port of this site
-display-name [display-name] - display name of this site
-virtual-hosts [virtual-hosts] - virtual hosts of this site
-secure [secure] - true if this site is secure; otherwise false
-factory [factory] - name of SSLServerSocketFactory implementation if not
using JSSE
-keystore [keystore] - the relative/absolute path to a keystore used by th
is site
-storepass [storepass] - keystore password
-provider [provider] - the provider used if not using JSSE
-needs-client-auth [needs-client-auth] - true if needs client auth; otherw
ise false
-remove - removes a site
-host [host] - host/IP of the site to be removed
-port [port] - port of the site to be removed
-test - tests a site
-host [host] - host/IP of the site to be tested
-port [port] - port of the site to be tested
-list - lists all sites
-update - updates a site
-oldHost [host] - old host/IP of this site
-oldPort [port] - old port of this site
-newHost [host] - new host/IP of this site
-newPort [port] - new port of this site
-display-name [display-name] - display name of this site
-virtual-hosts [virtual-hosts] - virtual hosts of this site
-secure [secure] - true if this site is secure; otherwise false
-factory [factory] - name of SSLServerSocketFactory implementation if not
using JSSE
-keystore [keystore] - the relative/absolute path to a keystore used by th
is site
-storepass [storepass] - keystore password
-provider [provider] - the provider used if not using JSSE
-needs-client-auth [needs-client-auth] - true if needs client auth; otherw
ise false
-bindWebApp [application deployment name] [web-app name] [web-site name] [contex
t root] - binds a web app to the specified site + root
-application [name] [command] - application specific command, subcommands includ
es:
-dataSourceInfo - gets info about the installed datasources
-restart - restarts the application, this will trigger auto-deployment if ena
bled and a file has been touched
-addUser [username] [password] - adds a user to the application
-listDataSource - lists the installed datasources
-removeDataSource - removes an existing datasource, arguments are:
-location [location] - the namespace location for the source, for instance
jdbc/DefaultDS
-testDataSource - tests an existing datasource, arguments are:
-location [location] - the namespace location for the source, for instance
jdbc/DefaultDS
-username [username] - the username to login
-password [password] - the password to login
-installDataSource - installs a new datasource, arguments are:
-jar [path] - path to a jar file to add to the server's library
-url [url] - the JDBC database URL
-location [location] - the namespace location for the raw source, for inst
ance jdbc/DefaultRawDS
-pooledLocation [pooledLocation] - the namespace location for the pooled s
ource, for instance jdbc/DefaultPooledDS
-xaLocation [xaLocation] - the namespace location for the XA source, for i
nstance jdbc/xa/DefaultXADS
-ejbLocation [ejbLocation] - the namespace location for the EJB source, fo
r instance jdbc/DefaultEJBDS - this is the source usually used by applications
-username [username] - the username to login
-password [password] - the password to login
-connectionDriver [drivername] - the JDBC database driver class, for insta
nce com.mydb.Driver
-className [className] - the datasource class name, for instance com.everm
ind.sql.DriverManagerDataSource
-sourceLocation [sourceLocation] - the underlying data source of this spec
ialized data source
-xaSourceLocation [xaSourceLocation] - the underlying XADataSource of this
specialized data source
-updateDataSource - updates an existing datasource, arguments are:
-oldLocation [oldLocation] - the old namespace location for the source, fo
r instance jdbc/DefaultDS
-newLocation [newLocation] - the new namespace location for the source, fo
r instance jdbc/DefaultDS
-jar [path] - path to a jar file to add to the server's library
-url [url] - the JDBC database URL
-pooledLocation [pooledLocation] - the namespace location for the pooled s
ource, for instance jdbc/DefaultPooledDS
-xaLocation [xaLocation] - the namespace location for the XA source, for i
nstance jdbc/xa/DefaultXADS
-ejbLocation [ejbLocation] - the namespace location for the EJB source, fo
r instance jdbc/DefaultEJBDS - this is the source usually used by applications
-username [username] - the username to login
-password [password] - the password to login
-connectionDriver [drivername] - the JDBC database driver class, for insta
nce com.mydb.Driver
-className [className] - the datasource class name, for instance com.everm
ind.sql.DriverManagerDataSource
-sourceLocation [sourceLocation] - the underlying data source of this spec
ialized data source
-xaSourceLocation [xaSourceLocation] - the underlying XADataSource of this
specialized data source
-deployconnector - deploy a Connector Architecture compliant resource adapter (R
AR), arguments are:
-file [path] - path to the Resource Adapter Archive to deploy
-name [name] - name of the resource adapter deployment
-nativeLibPath [path] - path to the native libraries within the RAR archive
-grantAllPermissions - grant all runtime permissions requested by the RAR
-undeployconnector - undeploy a Connector Architecture compliant resource adapte
r (RAR), arguments are:
-name [name] - name of the resource adapter deployment
-keepFiles - keep the generated files.


C:\>java -jar C:\oc4j\j2ee\home\admin.jar ormi://localhost admin welcome

Using java comm api

This is a sample java program that reads call information from the EPBX port and dumps it inot an excel sheet.
/*
* @(#)ReadCall.java 1.12 98/06/25
*

*/

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
import javax.comm.*;

public class ReadCall implements Runnable, SerialPortEventListener {
static CommPortIdentifier portId;
static Enumeration portList;

InputStream inputStream;
SerialPort serialPort;
Thread readThread;

public static void main(String[] args) {
portList = CommPortIdentifier.getPortIdentifiers();

while (portList.hasMoreElements()) {
portId = (CommPortIdentifier) portList.nextElement();
if (portId.getPortType() == CommPortIdentifier.PORT_SERIAL) {
System.out.println(" I am here" + portId.getName());
if (portId.getName().equals("COM1")) {
//if (portId.getName().equals("/dev/term/a")) {
ReadCall reader = new ReadCall();
}
}
}
}

public ReadCall() {
try {
serialPort = (SerialPort) portId.open("ReadCallApp", 2000);
} catch (PortInUseException e) {
System.out.println(" Port in use caught");
}
try {
inputStream = serialPort.getInputStream();
} catch (IOException e) {}
try {
serialPort.addEventListener(this);
} catch (TooManyListenersException e) {}
serialPort.notifyOnDataAvailable(true);
try {
// serialPort.setSerialPortParams(9600,
serialPort.setSerialPortParams(1200,
SerialPort.DATABITS_8,
SerialPort.STOPBITS_1,
SerialPort.PARITY_NONE);
} catch (UnsupportedCommOperationException e) {}
readThread = new Thread(this);
readThread.start();
}

public void run() {
try {
Thread.sleep(20000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {}
}

public void serialEvent(SerialPortEvent event) {
switch(event.getEventType()) {
case SerialPortEvent.BI:
case SerialPortEvent.OE:
case SerialPortEvent.FE:
case SerialPortEvent.PE:
case SerialPortEvent.CD:
case SerialPortEvent.CTS:
case SerialPortEvent.DSR:
case SerialPortEvent.RI:
case SerialPortEvent.OUTPUT_BUFFER_EMPTY:
break;
case SerialPortEvent.DATA_AVAILABLE:
byte[] readBuffer1 = new byte[22];
byte[] readBuffer2 = new byte[38];
byte[] readBuffer3 = new byte[23];
byte[] readBuffer4 = new byte[1];
byte[] readBuffer5 = new byte[16];
byte[] readBuffer6 = new byte[20];
int numBytes = 0;

try {
while (inputStream.available() > 0) {
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer1);
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer2);
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer3);
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer4);
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer5);
numBytes = inputStream.read(readBuffer6);
//System.out.println("Done with x bytes \n" + numBytes);
}
System.out.print(" 1" + new String(readBuffer1));
System.out.print(" 2" + new String(readBuffer2));
System.out.print(" 3" + new String(readBuffer3));
System.out.print(" 4" + new String(readBuffer4));
System.out.print(" 5" + new String(readBuffer5));
System.out.print(" 6" + new String(readBuffer6));
System.out.println("after while Done with x bytes \n" + numBytes);
} catch (IOException e) {}
break;
}
}
}

Basic Security - securing a web service

Ok once you have deployed a web service how do you make it secure.
Put the following snippet in the web.xml file

"
BASIC
Greeting Service


GreetingRole



Greeting Web Service
*


GreetingRole


NONE

"

just before the end tag ""

And in the orion-web.xml file, put the following xml snippet:





Now you are all set. Just deploy the web service again and you would be prompted to provide a user id and password.



As for the java client accessing the wsdl :
In the auto generated constructor, assuming u r using jdeveloper to create and deploy your web services: just provide the properties to the http connection.

Properties props = new Properties();
props.put(OracleSOAPHTTPConnection.AUTH_TYPE, "basic");
props.put(OracleSOAPHTTPConnection.USERNAME, "admin");
props.put(OracleSOAPHTTPConnection.PASSWORD, "welcome");
m_httpConnection.setProperties(props);

OC4J basics

Un deploying web services on OC4J can be a simple command:
java -jar C:\oc4j\j2ee\home\admin.jar ormi://localhost admin welcome
-undeploy

Deployed web services are copied as ear files in the j2ee/home/applications directory and expanded in applications-deployment as any other app server. (META-INF is scrapped from the directory though in deployments directory)