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Administering Data within WebLogic Process Integrator

 

The following sections describe the data administration tasks within WebLogic Process Integrator:

 


Security

User, role, and organization information within WebLogic Process Integrator is maintained in BEA WebLogic Server(TM) WLS security realms. Creating a new user, role, or organization within WebLogic Process Integrator means adding those entities to the WLS security realm. Therefore, the functions of creating and deleting users, roles, and organizations are accessible only if a manageable realm is used and detected by WebLogic Process Integrator.

When using a non-manageable realm, such as the WebLogic properties file, only certain updates can be performed to the data kept within the WebLogic Process Integrator database. For example, the business calendar attached to a user, role, or organization can be changed. However, in order to add a new user, role, or organization, or to add a user to a role or an organization, the addition must be made directly within the security realm and not through use of the WebLogic Process Integrator user interface. WebLogic Process Integrator cannot persist information to the security realm.

In the sections that follow, the functions of adding new users, adding new roles, adding users to existing roles, and adding users to organizations can be performed only when using a manageable realm.

The following functions can be performed with a non-manageable realm:

 


Maintaining Organizations

Use the Organization option to define organizations, which can represent different business entities, geographical locations, or any other distinction relevant to the particular business of the company.

The Organization drop-down list is located at the top of the WebLogic Process Integrator main window. Selecting an organization from the drop-down list displays information in the folder tree for that organization only.

Adding an Organization

To add an organization:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Organizations to display the Define Organizations dialog box.

    Figure 2-1 Define Organizations Dialog Box

  2. In the Define Organizations dialog box, click the Add button to display the Organization Properties dialog box.

    Figure 2-2 Organization Properties Dialog Box

  3. Enter a meaningful ID for the organization in the Organization Id field; the limit is 8 characters.

  4. From the Calendar Id drop-down list, select a calendar to assign to the organization. See Administering Business Calendars for details on this feature.

  5. Click OK.

Updating an Organization

To update an organization:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Organizations.

  2. In the Define Organizations dialog box, highlight the organization to update.

  3. Click the Update button to display the Organization Properties dialog box.

    Figure 2-3 Organization Properties Dialog Box

  4. Make changes as needed to the Organization Id or Calendar Id fields, and click OK.

Removing an Organization

To remove an organization:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Organizations.

  2. In the Define Organizations dialog box, highlight the organization to delete.

  3. Click the Delete button to display the Delete Organization dialog box.

    Figure 2-4 Delete Organization Dialog Box

  4. Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.

 


Maintaining Users

Create, add, update, and delete users with the Users feature. You can also assign users to and remove them from roles.

A user is an individual defined in WebLogic Process Integrator who has permissions to perform tasks. A role is an area of responsibility, ability, or authorization level that is shared by a particular group of individuals.

The User folder is located in the WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree. Expanding it displays a list of users who have already been defined for the current organization. Double-clicking on an existing user displays the properties for that user.

Right-clicking the User folder displays a menu with the following options:

Right-clicking a user within the User folder displays a menu with the following options:

Adding a User to WebLogic Process Integrator

To add a user to WebLogic Process Integrator is to add an existing user defined in the WebLogic Server (WLS) security realm to the current pool of WebLogic Process Integrator users as well as the selected WebLogic Process Integrator organization. (See Maintaining Organizations.)

To add a user to WebLogic Process Integrator:

  1. Right-click the Users folder, and select Add Users to display the Add Users dialog box.

    Figure 2-7 Add Users Dialog Box

  2. A list of valid users is displayed. (Valid users are those users registered in WLS). Click the check box to the left of the user to add, and click OK.

  3. The user is added to the folder tree. Right-click the user name, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu to display the User dialog box.

    Figure 2-8 User Dialog Box

    The User dialog box contains the following fields:

  4. Click OK to save the new user information, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Creating a User

The Create User option is available only if the security realm is a manageable one. To create a new user in WebLogic Process Integrator:

  1. Right-click the Users folder, and select Create Users to display the Create User dialog box.

    Figure 2-9 Create User Dialog Box

  2. Enter values in the following fields, and then click OK.

Updating User Properties

To update user properties:

  1. Right-click a user and choose Properties to display the User dialog box.

  2. Make the necessary changes to the E-mail Address, Default Organization, and Calendar.

  3. Click OK to save the update the user information, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Removing a User

Before you can remove a user from the current organization, the tasks assigned to that user must be reassigned to other users. To reassign tasks, see Administering Task Routing.

To remove a user from the current WebLogic Process Integrator organization:

  1. Right-click a user and choose Remove to display the Remove User dialog box.

    Figure 2-10 Remove User Dialog Box

  2. To remove the user, click Yes. To cancel the delete, click No.

 


Maintaining Roles

Use the Roles feature to add, update, and delete roles. A role is a common area of responsibility, ability, or authorization level that is shared by a group of individuals. A single user can belong to one or more roles.

Roles are displayed within each organization. Selecting an organization from the Organizations drop-down list in the WebLogic Process Integrator main window and double-clicking the Roles folder displays the roles belonging to that particular organization. Double-clicking on an existing role displays the properties for that role.

Right-clicking a role displays a menu with the following options:

Creating a Role

To add a new role:

  1. Right-click the Roles folder and choose Create Role from the menu to display the Role dialog box.

    Figure 2-12 Role Dialog Box

  2. Enter a meaningful Id for the role in the Id field.

  3. Use the Calendar drop-down list to assign a calendar to the role. See Administering Business Calendars for details on this feature.

  4. In the Members section of the dialog box, select the check box(es) to the left of the user(s) to assign to this role.

  5. Click OK to save the new role. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Updating a Role

To update an existing role:

  1. Right-click the role and choose Properties from the menu to display the Role dialog box.

    Figure 2-13 Role Dialog Box

  2. Make changes as needed to the calendar and member assignments.

  3. Click OK to save the update. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Removing a Role

To remove a role:

  1. Right-click the role and choose Delete from the pop-up menu to display the Delete Role dialog box.

    Figure 2-14 Delete Role Dialog Box

  2. To delete the role, click Yes. To cancel the delete, click No.

 


Administering Task Routing

Use the Routing feature to reroute currently assigned tasks from one user to another user or role for a specified, albeit temporary, period of time.

Right-click Routing in the folder tree to display a menu containing two options: Open and Close. Choose Open to display the Routing dialog box. The Routing dialog box contains a list of defined routings, showing users whose tasks were rerouted and the users or roles to whom the tasks were rerouted. The Effective and To dates represent the time period for which the tasks are rerouted.

Figure 2-15 Routing Dialog Box

Adding a Task Routing Specification

To reroute a task:

  1. In the Routing dialog box, click Add to display the Reroute Tasks dialog box.

    Figure 2-16 Reroute Tasks Dialog Box

  2. From the Route From drop-down list, select the user from which all tasks should be rerouted.

  3. From the Route To drop-down list, select the User, User in Role, or Role to which all tasks should be rerouted, and select the corresponding radio button.

    Note: When you assign to a User in Role, the system performs workload balancing by first reviewing the number of tasks assigned to all users in the role, selecting the user with the least number of assigned tasks, and assigning all of the rerouted tasks to this user.

  4. Specify an Effective date by selecting a month and year, and clicking on a day in the month display.

  5. In a similar fashion, specify the Expiry date for the task rerouting.

  6. Click OK to save the rerouting specification. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Updating a Task Routing Specification

To update a task rerouting specification:

  1. Right-click the Routing feature in the folder tree, and choose Open from the pop-up menu to display the Routing dialog box.

  2. In the list of displayed task reroutings, locate and highlight the task rerouting you want to update.

  3. Click Update to display the Reroute Tasks dialog box.

  4. Make changes as needed to the Route To, Effective, and Expiry values.

  5. Click OK to save the changes. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Deleting a Task Routing Specification

To delete a task rerouting specification:

  1. Right-click the Routing feature in the folder tree, and choose Open from the pop-up menu to display the Routing dialog box.

  2. In the list of displayed task routings, locate and highlight the task routing you wish to delete.

  3. Click Delete to display the Delete Reroute dialog box.

  4. To delete the task rerouting, click Yes. To cancel the delete, click No.

Refreshing the Task List

Click Refresh on the Routing dialog box to refresh the rerouting task list and display any changes that have been made since you first invoked the Routing dialog box.

 


Administering Business Calendars

The WebLogic Process Integrator business calendar feature defines the operating hours for the current organization. Business calendars make possible business time-related calculations, such as "Set a task's due date to three business days from today."

Calendars can be associated with the following, as described in the sections indicated:

You can define and assign the same business calendar to organizations, users, roles, and actions. You can also assign different business calendars to users, roles, and actions within the same organization.

Calendar assignment within WebLogic Process Integrator is hierarchical in nature. The hierarchy places time-related actions at the lowest level, followed by roles and users, and finally, organizations at the highest level. If a time-related action is not assigned a calendar, it will, by default, be assigned the calendar of the user or role to which it is assigned. If a user or role is not assigned a calendar, it will, by default, be assigned the business calendar (organization level). In other words, calendar assignment is made at the most detailed component level.

Business calendars are rule-based. The calendar facility leads you through the definition of each rule, much as the WebLogic Process Integrator Expression Builder allows you to select from lists of functions, operators, variables, and so on in order to create an expression.

Creating a Calendar

To create a new calendar:

  1. Right-click Calendars in the folder tree, and choose Create Calendar to display the Calendar Properties dialog box.

    Figure 2-17 Calendar Properties Dialog Box

  2. Enter a meaningful name for the calendar in the Name field.

  3. Select a time zone for the calendar from the Time Zone drop-down list.

  4. To add a rule, click the Add button. This displays the Rule dialog box.

    Figure 2-18 Rule Dialog Box

  5. Select either Exclude or Include. These buttons determine the method by which you will define your calendar rules (by exclusion or by inclusion). It is recommended that you use one or the other method and not both throughout your rule defining process.

  6. Define calendar rules using the following buttons:

  7. Once you define your calendar rules (using either the Exclusion or Inclusion method), use the Period From: and To: calendars to specify the period for which this calendar will be in effect.

  8. Click the OK button to save your changes, or click Cancel to terminate the operation.

Updating a Calendar

To update an existing calendar:

  1. In the folder tree, right-click the calendar you want to update, and choose Properties.

  2. Make the necessary changes to the business days and hours.

  3. Click OK to save the changes. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

Deleting a Calendar

To delete an existing calendar:

  1. Right-click the calendar you want to delete and choose Delete to display the Delete Calendar dialog box.

    Figure 2-25 Delete Calendar Dialog Box

  2. To delete the calendar, click Yes. To cancel the delete, click No.

 


Understanding Business Operations

The WebLogic Process Integrator Business Operations facility enables you to display all Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) or Java classes that are registered in WebLogic Sever and their remote methods and parameters. Using this Business Operations facility, you provide a descriptive name for EJB/Java class method and its parameters that you wish to deploy, hence providing non-technical users with an understanding of the business meaning behind the method and its beans.

In WebLogic Process Integrator, a business operation represents a method call on an EJB or Java Class instance. This method call is added to a workflow in WebLogic Process Integrator through use of the Perform Business Operation action. The invocation results of this action can be assigned to the workflow variables.

EJBs represent a component architecture for developing and deploying object-oriented, distributed, enterprise-level applications. The Business Operations feature, in effect, allows for the creation of customized actions, which create the connection between WebLogic Process Integrator and end-user applications and components.

Using the Business Operations Dialog Box

In the WebLogic Process Integrator Studio main window, choose Business Operations from the Configuration menu. This displays the Business Operations dialog box.

Figure 2-26 Business Operations Dialog Box

The Business Operation dialog box (accessed from the WebLogic Process Integrator Studio Configuration menu) contains the following:

Defining a Business Operation

To define a WebLogic Process Integrator business operation, from the Business Operations dialog box, click the Add button. This displays the Add Business Operation dialog box. Select EJB or Java Class, depending on the type of business operation you are defining.

Figure 2-27 Add Business Operation Dialog Box

Enterprise JavaBean

Select the EJB option to display the Define Business Operation dialog box.

Figure 2-28 Define Business Operation Dialog Box

Enter information as follows:

Once you have defined the business operation, click OK. The business operation is added as a valid business operation to the Business Operation dialog box. Use the Perform Business Operation action to invoke a defined business operation. For more information, see Perform Business Operation in Using Actions.

Java Class

Select the Java Class option in the Add Business Operation dialog box to display the Java Class Name dialog box.

Figure 2-29 Java Class Name

Enter the Java class name (for example, java.lang.String), and click OK to display the Define Business Operation dialog box.

Figure 2-30 Define Business Operation Dialog Box

Enter information as follows, and then click OK.