Understanding the BPEL Module Project

The BPEL Module project is a group of source files which includes BPEL files, WSDL files, and XML schema files. Within a BPEL Module project, you can author a business process compliant with the WS-BPEL 2.0 language specification.

The BPEL Module project provides point-and-click support for the following:

• Using the New Project wizard to create a BPEL Module project and a Composite Application project.

• Importing WSDL Resources to act as partner services in the business process.

• Creating new WSDL resources, as needed.

• Importing XML Schema resources.

• Adding BPEL activities to the business process diagram; further defining the elements by using Property Editor dialog boxes, Properties window, and pop-up menu actions.

• Creating and changing the source code of the BPEL, WSDL and XSD files.

• Checking and validating XML source code.

• Building and adding the project as a JBI module to a Composite Application project.

• Test running BPEL processes by sending sample messages to the deployed process or processes.

• Debugging deployed business processes

Steps to Create a BPEL Module Project

Accordingly, the typical procedure to follow when building a BPEL process is:

1. Creating a new BPEL Module Project using the New Project wizard.

2. Creating a Composite Application Project. For sample processes, Composite Application projects are created automatically for you. For the processes created from scratch, you create the Composite Application project manually.

3. Add JBI Modules to the Composite Application project.

4. (Optional) Build the Composite Application project and make sure that the Application Server is started.

5. Build and Deploy the Composite Application Project the Composite Application project to the BPEL Service Engine.

6. Create test cases.

   For sample processes, test cases are automatically created; for new projects, you need to create at least one test case.

7. Run one or all test cases.

8. (Optional) Debug the BPEL process.

Creating Sample Processes in the BPEL Designer

The best way to get acquainted with constructing BPEL diagrams is to create sample processes. You can design your BPEL process by modifying existing sample processes.

For samples, the New Project sample wizard automatically generates both types of projects, BPEL Module and Composite Application, so you do not need to separately create each of these projects. The IDE automatically adds the sample BPEL Module project as a JBI module to the Composite Application project.

In the BPEL Designer, you can create the following sample processes:

• A Synchronous Sample Process

• An Asynchronous Sample Process

• Travel Reservation Service sample

A Synchronous Sample Process

A synchronous process refers to a conversation style in which the client sends a message to the process, waits for a reply, and continues work only when the reply comes back. When you create a synchronous sample process, the IDE generates a skeletal process with a single synchronous operation and the required WSDL and XML schema files.

An Asynchronous Sample Process

An asynchronous process applies to long-running conversations in which the client does not wait for a reply from the process before continuing its work. Instead of returning the result synchronously to the client, this process accepts the client's request, performs work that might be long-running, and then asynchronously calls back to the client when the work is done. When you create an asynchronous process, the IDE generates a skeletal process with one incoming and one outgoing asynchronous operation and the required WSDL and XML schema files.

Note that any particular process can consist of an arbitrary collection of synchronous and asynchronous interactions with one or more conversational partners.

Travel Reservation Service Sample

This sample is a real-world BPEL process sample constructed using the majority of BPEL elements and several partner web services.

Together with the Travel Reservation Service sample, the wizard creates another project, Reservation Partner Services, a basic EJB and JMS based implementation of the three partner services.

Creating a Sample BPEL Module Project

The following steps describe the general flow for creating a new project from a sample BPEL module project.

To create a sample BPEL Module project:

1. Choose File -> New Project (Ctrl-Shift-N).

2. In the Categories list, expand the Samples node and select SOA.

3. In the Projects list, select the sample project you want to create and click Next.

4. In the Name and Location page, name the project and specify the location of project files.

5. Click Finish.

   The wizard creates two types of projects for the selected sample: a sample BPEL Module project and a sample Composite Application project. You are free to modify the sample business process and or add additional BPEL processes to the BPEL Module. To deploy, test-run, and debug the BPEL process, use the Composite Application project.