10 Improving Service Performance with Split-Join

This chapter provides an overview of split-joins and how to create them, and also demonstrates static and dynamic split-join scenarios. Split-join is an advanced mediation feature that helps you improve service performance by concurrently processing individual messages in a request.

This chapter includes the following sections:

10.1 Introduction to Split-Joins

A split-join is a mediation pattern that can be used in a Service Bus to direct the flow and processing of messages. A split-join greatly improves service performance over standard sequential processing.

A Split-join splits an input message payload, such as an order, into submessages (split). The messages are then routed concurrently to their destinations., and the responses are aggregated into one overall return message (join). This process of payload splitting and response aggregation is called a split-join pattern.

Split-joins are useful for optimizing overall response times in scenarios where payloads delivered by faster systems are being directed to responding services on slower systems. Without split-join, individual messages in a payload are normally resolved in sequential order by the recipient, which can take a long time if the responding system is slow. With split-joins, multiple messages are processed simultaneously, which reduces burden on the responding system and greatly improves response times. Without a split-join, the overall response time is the sum of the individual response times for each message. With a split-join, the overall response time is roughly that of the longest individual message response time plus some minor system overhead.

You create and design split-joins in the JDeveloper Split-Join Definition Editor. You can then export the split-join and its associated resources, and import those resources to the Oracle Service Bus Console for testing and production. A split-join is saved to a .flow file in JDeveloper, and is always based on a WSDL operation. A split-join can be invoked from a proxy service, a pipeline, or another split-join. A split-join can invoke a proxy or business service, a pipeline, or another split-join.

There are two types of split-join pattern: static split-join to handle a known number of requests, and dynamic split-join to handle a variable number of requests. These patterns are described in the following sections.

Note:

A split-join can invoke another split-join in the same Service Bus configuration. This feature provides more flexibility in service design by letting you split up complex split-join functionality into multiple split-joins. This feature allows for componentization and reuse of split-join functionality. Performance is maintained, because there is no marshalling and unmarshalling of data between the split-joins.

Ensure that you do not create circular split-join references; Service Bus does not check for circular references.

10.1.1 Static Split-Joins

A static split-join branches from the main execution thread of a Service Bus message flow by splitting a payload into a fixed number of new branches according to the configuration of the split-join. At design time you determine the number and variety of services to be invoked. For instance, a customer places an order for a cable package that includes three separate services: internet service, TV service, and telephone service. In the static use case, you could execute all three requests in separate parallel branches to improve performance time over the standard sequential execution.

10.1.1.1 Static Split-Join – Sample Scenario

This scenario illustrates a telco company that employs static split-join to process a customer's order for a communications services package. In this case, the customer might sign up for DSL and voice services all at once. Rather than executing each request in the payload separately in order, the telco can execute the messages in parallel using a static split-join.

Static split-join is the ideal pattern in this case because you know there will always be exactly two incoming service requests for this particular service package: DSL and voice. Splitting the requests into parallel branches allows them to be processed concurrently, which improves the overall response time for processing the payload. After all messages are processed, the generated responses are aggregated back into one reply in the execution thread.

Figure 10-1 illustrates a static split-join that splits two known service requests, DSL activation and phone activation, processes each request in parallel, and joins the responses into a single reply.

Figure 10-1 Static Split-Join – Known Number of Service Requests

Description of "Figure 10-1 Static Split-Join – Known Number of Service Requests"

10.1.2 Dynamic Split-Join

A dynamic split-join branches from the main execution thread of a Service Bus pipeline by dynamically creating new branches according to the contents of the incoming payload. The number of message requests created is variable. A dynamic split-join uses conditional logic to determine the number of branches to create. All requests are handled simultaneously, and the responses are aggregated into a single reply. For instance, a retailer places a batch order containing a variable number of individual purchase orders. In the dynamic use case, you could parse the batch order and create a separate message request for each purchase. Like the static use case, these messages are then executed in parallel for improved performance.

10.1.2.1 Dynamic Split-Join – Sample Scenario

This scenario illustrates a company that uses dynamic split-join when it places automated stationery orders for its employees. If the orders are automatically placed every week based on employee submissions, there is no way to know how many individual orders are included in any one weekly order. Rather than placing each order separately, the company could use a dynamic split-join to place the orders concurrently using a dynamic split-join.

Dynamic split-join is the ideal pattern in this case, because there is no way of knowing how many orders will be submitted each week. The dynamic split-join loops through all the orders and places them in parallel. You can also limit the number of orders that are processed. After all of the orders have been processed, the generated order responses are aggregated back into one reply in the execution thread.

Figure 10-2 illustrates a dynamic split-join that splits 15 orders, processes them concurrently, and joins the responses into a single reply.

Figure 10-2 Dynamic Split-Join – Unknown Number of Service Requests

Description of "Figure 10-2 Dynamic Split-Join – Unknown Number of Service Requests"

10.1.3 Split-Join Operations

The Split-Join Components window lists all the operations you can use to construct a split-join. The operations are divided into the following categories: Communication, Flow Control, and Assign.

10.1.3.1 Split-Join Communication Operations

Communication operations define how the split-join interacts with external services. The available operations are described in Table 10-1.

Table 10-1 Split-Join Communication Operations

Operation	Description
Invoke Service	This operation invokes a WSDL-based, non-transport-typed business service, a WSDL-based proxy service, a WSDL-based proxy service, or a split-join. See How to Invoke a Service.
Reply	This operation sends a response or fault back to the Oracle Service Bus message flow. See How to Configure a Reply.

10.1.3.2 Split-Join Flow Control Operations

Flow control operations define how incoming messages flow through the split-join.

Table 10-2 Split-Join Flow Control Operations

Operation	Description
For Each	This operation executes the logic configured within its Scope a specified number of times. See How to Iterate Through a Variable Number of Requests.
Condition Operations	Condition operations let you define conditions that evaluate to true or false, and then carry out the behavior defined for each condition. You can define any of the following conditions: If: The associated If branch of an if-else operation is executed when the condition evaluates to true. Else-if operations also appear in the conditional node. The associated Else If branch of an if-else operation is executed when the initial If condition evaluates to false but the secondary condition evaluates to true. See How to Define If-Else Conditional Logic. While: The associated operation is repeated until the condition evaluates to false. The condition is evaluated before each loop commences. See How to Repeat an Operation Until it Evaluates to False. Repeat Until: The associated operation is repeated until the condition evaluates to true. The condition is evaluated after each loop finishes. See How to Repeat an Operation Until it Evaluates to True.
Parallel	This operation creates a fixed number of configured parallel branches, so you can define a static split-join that handles a fixed number of message requests. Parallels contain one or more Scope branches. See How to Process a Fixed Number of Requests in Parallel.
Raise Error	This operation generates an error that causes the split-join to stop normal processing. If the error is not handled using an error handler, the split-join will terminate and a Fault will be sent to the Oracle Service Bus message flow. See How to Raise an Error.
Re-Raise Error	This operation lets you re-raise an error caught by an error handler catch or catch all. You can configure a name and description for a Re-Raise Error operation. See How to Re-Raise an Error.
Scope	This operation creates a context that influences the behavior of its enclosed operations. Local variables and the error handler defined within the scope are restricted to this context. There are no configuration properties for a Scope operation. See How to Create a Container Node.
Wait	This operation inserts a pause in the split-join flow for a short duration to wait for other dependent jobs to complete. After the specified duration is reached, the split-join execution resumes. See How to Insert a Pause in Processing .

10.1.3.3 Split-Join Assign Operations

The assign operations let you manipulate the data in the message you process, including initializing and updating a variable. You can perform the following operations in an assign node: assign, copy, delete, insert, Java callout, log, and replace.

Table 10-3 Split-Join Assign Operations

Operation	Description
Assign	This operation lets you assign the result of an XQuery expression to a variable. See How to Assign a Value to a Variable.
Copy	This operation lets you copy the information specified by an XPath expression from a source document to a destination document. See How to Copy a Value from a Source to a Destination Document.
Delete	This operation lets you delete a set of nodes specified by an XPath Expression. See How to Delete a Set of Nodes.
Insert	This operation lets you insert the result of an XQuery expression at an identified place relative to nodes selected by an XPath Expression. See How to Insert the Result of an XQuery Expression.
Java Callout	This operation lets you invoke a static Java method from a split-join for custom actions to be handled in Java such as validation, transformation, and logging. See How to Invoke a Java Method in a Split-Join.
Log	This operation lets you log data at a specified severity so that administrators can take appropriate action. See How to Log Split-Join Data.
Replace	This operation lets you replace a node or the contents of a node specified by an XPath expression. See How to Replace a Node or Its Contents.

10.1.4 Using Split-Join with Content in SOAP Headers

You can use split-join to enhance the performance of services that place message content in SOAP headers. By default, split-joins do not propagate SOAP headers; however, you can modify the WSDL file to accommodate this, allowing proxy services to pass SOAP headers into split-joins and allowing split-joins to pass SOAP headers to proxy and business services as an invocation or response.

To enable this capability, you must declare the header parts along with the body parts in a single request/response message in the split-join WSDL file and in the WSDL file of the proxy or business services invoked by the split-join. With the message parts declared in the WSDL files, SOAP header content is available to split-joins in the request/response message variables.

Following is an example of the message and binding definitions in the WSDL file.

Message

<wsdl:message name="retrieveCustomerOverviewByIdRequestMessage">
    <wsdl:part name="retrieveCustomerOverviewByIdRequest"
     element="co:retrieveCustomerOverviewByIdRequest"/>
    <wsdl:part name="serviceContext" element="sc:serviceContext"/>
</wsdl:message>

Binding

<wsdl:input>
<soap:body use="literal" parts="retrieveCustomerOverviewByIdRequest"/>
    <soap:header message="tns:retrieveCustomerOverviewByIdRequestMessage"
     part="serviceContext" use="literal"/>
</wsdl:input>

10.1.5 Transaction Support

Split-joins provide support for propagating transactions. Many split-join operations provide an option for setting specific quality of service (QoS) values, which control transaction support. The QoS value of Exactly Once on a split-join operation ensures the operation executes in the context of a transaction if one exists.

Setting QoS values on individual operations gives you the flexibility to execute multiple operations in the context of a transaction and execute other operations outside of a transaction in a single split-join. Operations set with a QoS of Exactly Once are executed in the transaction. Operations set with a QoS of Best Effort do not execute in the context of a transaction.

Split-joins do not handle transaction rollback in the case of exceptions. It is the responsibility of the service component that called the split-join to handle transaction exceptions and rollback.

The following split-join operations support transaction propagation:

Invoke Service
Assign
Delete
Insert
Java Callout
Replace

10.1.6 Security with Split-Joins

Split-joins do not enforce security policies, which means you cannot create a split-join with a WSDL file that includes policies, and you cannot call a WSDL-based business service that contains WSDL policies from a split-join.

To ensure security enforcement when using split-joins, use proxy services to handle security enforcement in the following ways:

Use the inbound proxy that invokes the split-join to enforce policies.
If the split-join needs to invoke a WSDL business service that contains policies, have the split-join call a local proxy (configured without the security policies), which in turn invokes the business service with the required policies.

10.1.7 Split-Join Resource Type and Environment Variable

If you reference split-joins in any scripts or custom code, use the following values:

typeId: FLOW
Work manager environment value type: Work Manager

Note that work manager is another name for dispatch policy.

10.2 Service Level Agreement Alert Rules

Service Level Agreement (SLA) alert rules define conditions under which an alert is generated. These conditions are typically indicators of the overall health of the Service Bus application or of a specific service component.

For information about defining SLA alert rules for a split-join, see "Creating Service Level Agreement Alert Rules" in Administering Oracle Service Bus.

10.3 Working with Split-Joins in JDeveloper

You can only create and configure split-joins in JDeveloper.

JDeveloper provides a graphical modeling editor so you can easily model split-joins by dragging operations to the canvas, and configuring properties in the Properties window.

10.3.1 How to Create a Split-Join in JDeveloper

You create and configure split-joins in JDeveloper. If you develop Service Bus projects in the Oracle Service Bus Console, you can import the split-joins created in JDeveloper into the console. Split-Joins are defined in a .flow file, which is generated when you create a split-join in JDeveloper. The file might have references to proxy services, business services, or to external WSDL resources. Resources on which the split-join depends must be present on the server before you can activate the split-join.

To create a split-join in JDeveloper:

In Oracle JDeveloper, open or create the application and project to which you want to add the split-join.
In the Application Navigator, right-click the project, point to New, and then select Split-Join.

The Create Split-Join Service wizard appears.
On the Create Service page, enter a name for the split-join and, optionally, enter a location and description.

For naming requirements, see Naming Guidelines for Service Bus Components. Do not use the following characters in split-join names: leading space, trailing space, / \ * : " < > ? |
Optionally, enter a brief description of the split-join or modify the location of the files.

By default, files are saved in the project folder.
Click Next.
On the Type page, do one of the following:
- To use an existing WSDL file, click Find existing WSDLs to the right of the WSDL field and search for and select the WSDL file to use.
- To create a new WSDL file, click Generate WSDL from schema(s) to the right of the WSDL field. For more information, see "Generating a WSDL File" in Developing SOA Applications with Oracle SOA Suite.
Select the WSDL binding and operation to use from the options lists that appear for those fields.
To generate a proxy service from this split-join, select Expose as Proxy Service, and enter the following information:
- Proxy Name: A unique name for the proxy service. See the naming requirements above.
- Proxy Location: The path where you want to store the proxy service file. The default is the project folder.
- Proxy Transport: Select the type of transport to use for the proxy service. For more information, see Working with JCA Adapters, Transports, and Bindings.
Click Finish.

A basic split-join is created and displayed as a diagram in the Design view of the Split-Join Definition Editor. By default, it consists of a start node, a receive node, and a reply node (if the split-join is based on a request/response WSDL file). The start node contains the variables introspected from the WSDL operation. The receive node is used to receive incoming request messages. The reply node is used to send response messages.

10.3.2 How to Generate a Split-Join from a WSDL Document in JDeveloper

You can use a WSDL document that already exists in the Service Bus application to generate a split-join. If the WSDL document does not exist in the application, import it and then perform the following steps.

To generate a split-join from a WSDL document in JDeveloper:

In the Application Navigator, right-click the existing WSDL document, point to Service Bus, and then select Generate Split Join.
Name and configure the service, as described in How to Create a Split-Join in JDeveloper..

10.3.3 How to Display the Components Window and Properties Windows

You select the operations you add to a split-join from the Components window, so the window must be visible in JDeveloper in order to configure a split-join. You configure each operation using the JDeveloper Properties window, which also must be visible.

10.3.3.1 Displaying the Components Window

To display the Components Window

If the Components window is not visible on the JDeveloper window, select Window > Components.

The Components window appears on the right side of the JDeveloper window.

10.3.3.2 Displaying the Properties Window

To display the Properties Window

If the Properties window is not visible on the JDeveloper window, select Window > Properties.

The Properties window appears on the right side of the JDeveloper window. You can move this window to a different location, such as below the Split-Join Definition Editor, for better readability.

10.3.4 How to Configure the Start Node

The Start Node is generated automatically when you create a new split-join. It is the starting point from which all the other nodes proceed. The only element to configure in the Start Node is its name.

To change the Start Node name:

To change the name of the label for the Start Node, click the name of the node. In the field that appears, enter a unique, identifying string for the node. The name you enter appears underneath the node in the split-join editor

10.3.5 How to View External Services

The external services listed in the Start Node are those invoked outside the context of the split-join. They are specified in an Invoke Service node but are listed here for convenience.

To view external services:

To view external services, click the left-arrow button on the Start Node. The External Services box appears to the left of the Start Node. Hover your mouse over an external service to view the complete path of the service resource.

10.3.6 How to Configure Global and Local Variables

Variables in the Start Node store data that can be referenced globally, that is by any node in the split-join. By default, every Start Node is assigned both a request and a response variable when the split-join is initially created. From the Start Node, you can either create a new global variable or edit an existing global variable.

Variables in a Scope store data that can be referenced locally, that is only by the node to which it is attached. From a Scope, you can create new local variables or edit an existing local variable.

For more information about global and local variables, see How to Create a Container Node.

10.3.6.1 Defining Global and Local Variables

To define global and local variables:

In the Split-Join Definition Editor, do one of the following:
- To create a global variable, right-click the Start Node, and then select Create Variable.
- To create a local variable, right-click the Scope to which you want to add the variable, and then select Create Variable.
The Create Variable Alias dialog appears.
Enter a name for the variable.
Select the variable type (Built in, XML Schema, or WSDL Message).
Click Browse next to the variable type you selected to select the type from the type chooser dialog.
Click OK.

The new variable appears in the list of variables in the Variables box.

10.3.6.2 Editing Global or Local Variables

To edit a global or local variable:

If the variable you want to edit is not visible on the editor, click the arrow button on the lower left side of the Start Node or Scope containing the variable.

The Variables box appears.
Right-click the variable to edit and select Edit Variable.

The Edit Variable Alias dialog appears.
Do any of the following:
- Modify the variable's name.
- Select the variable type (Built in, XML Schema, or WSDL Message).
- Click Browse next to the selected variable type to select the type from the type chooser dialog.
Click OK.

10.3.7 How to Configure the Receive Operation

A Receive operation is generated automatically whenever you create a new split-join. The Receive operation places incoming request data in a variable and makes the contents available for later nodes to use. To configure the receive operation, you can specify the incoming message variable the Receive operation initializes and, optionally, a new name and description for the operation. A default variable, request, is automatically defined for the Receive operation.

To configure the receive operation:

If the Properties window is not visible on the JDeveloper window, select Window > Properties.
Select the Receive operation in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
To specify the incoming message variable, click the Receive tab on the Properties window and then do one of the following:
- To select an existing variable, select the variable name from the list of available options in the Request Variable field.
- To create a new variable, click Create Variable next to the Request Variable field. On the Create Variable dialog, enter a name for the variable and click OK.
To change the name of the Receive operation, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
In the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.4 Adding Communication Operations in JDeveloper

Communication operations define how the split-join interacts with external services. They include the Invoke Service and Reply operations.

10.4.1 How to Invoke a Service

Use the Invoke Service operation to invoke external, WSDL-based business services, WSDL-based proxy services, WSDL-based pipelines, and split-joins.

To invoke a service from a split-join:

Under Communication in the Components window, click Invoke Service and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to invoke the service.
Select the new Invoke Service node.
In the Properties window, click the Invoke tab.
In the Service field, click Browse to select the service to invoke.
In the Operation field, select the operation upon which the Invoke Service is based.
In the Request Variable field, select a message type variable with the type matching the operation's input message type, or click Create Variable to create a new variable.
In the Response Variable field, select a message type variable with the type matching the operation's output message type, or click Create Variable to create a new variable.

Note:

An Invoke Service requires both a request variable and a response variable unless it is a one-way invocation. Either type of variable can be global (available within the entire split-join) or local (available within a particular context Scope.)
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Invoke Service node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.4.2 How to Configure a Reply

A global Reply node is generated automatically when you create a new split-join. The purpose of the global Reply is to send a response back to the calling service. However, you can also create a Reply elsewhere in the split-join, including within error handlers.

The Reply can either send a response or a fault back to the client, depending on how you configure the variable. The available fault options vary depending upon whether the Reply is global or local.

A global Reply (that is, a Reply in a split-join outside of an Error Handler) can never have a SOAP Fault but can have a WSDL Fault. This is why the SOAP Fault option is disabled in this case.
A local Reply (that is, a Reply attached to an Error Handler) can have either a WSDL Fault or a SOAP Fault. WSDL Faults are available only if they were defined in the WSDL file upon which the split-join is based. The SOAP Fault option is always available provided one has been previously defined in the Error Handler.

Note:

Switching back and forth between the Response and Fault buttons will clear either configuration. For instance, if you previously selected Propagate SOAP Fault and you then switch to the Response configuration, Propagate SOAP Fault is no longer selected.

The default Reply operation automatically includes an implicit exit operation to end that instance of the flow without triggering a fault. The exit operation is not visible in the development environment.

To configure a reply:

In some circumstances, no Faults or only a SOAP Fault will be available for a Reply operation.

To add a new Reply operation, under Communication in the Components window, click Reply and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location.
Select a Reply node to configure it.
In the Properties window, click the Reply tab.
To send a response back to the calling service, do the following:
1. Select the Response option.
2. In the Response field, select a message variable whose type matches the operation's output message type. Select from the list of available variables or click Create Variable to define a new message variable.
To send a WSDL fault as a response, do the following:
1. Select the Fault Name option.
2. In the Fault Name field, select the name of the fault to send back to the message flow from the list of existing faults.
3. In the Fault Variable field, select the variable to which the fault will be assigned. Select from the list of available variables or click Create Variable to define a new fault variable.
To propagate the SOAP fault in the SOAP fault variable defined in the Error Handler, select Propagate SOAP Fault.
To change the name of the Reply node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5 Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper

Flow control operations define how incoming messages move through the split-join. They let you define conditional logic, define error handling, and define parallel processing.

10.5.1 How to Create a Container Node

A Scope is a container that groups various elements together. The container creates a context that influences the behavior of its enclosed elements. Local variables and any error handlers defined within the scope are restricted to this context. However, some nodes within the scope may operate both locally (that is, within the scope) and globally (that is, outside of the scope.) For instance, an Invoke Service within a certain scope might call upon an service external to the scope's context.

Although variables are visible in the scope in which they are defined and in all scopes nested within that scope, a variable declared in an outer scope is hidden when you declare a variable with an identical name in an inner scope. For example, if you define variable myVar in an outer scope (So) and then define variable myVar again in an inner scope (Si) which is contained by the outer scope So, then you can only access the myVar you defined in the inner scope (Si). This myVar overrides the myVar you defined in the outer scope So.

To create a container node:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Scope and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.
Select the new Scope node.
To change the name of the Scope node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
Add operations to the scope to define its processing logic, and configure them using the Properties windows.

For information about the available operations, see Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper and Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper.
To define local variables for the Scope node, see How to Configure Global and Local Variables.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.2 How to Iterate Through a Variable Number of Requests

A For Each node executes logic configured within its scope a specified number of times.Use the For Each operation to create conditional logic for iterating through a variable number of requests. It is primarily used to create dynamic Split-Joins.

To iterate through a variable number of requests:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click For Each and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.
Select the new For Each node.
In the Properties window, click the For Each tab.
In the Execution Mode field, select whether to process each iteration of the For Each loop sequentially or in parallel. .
In the Counter Variable Name field, enter the name of the implicit variable that counts the iterations.
Next to the Start Counter Value field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that specifies the initial value of the counter variable.

Note:

The lowest possible starting and finishing counter value is "1."
Next to the Final Counter Value field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that specifies the final value of the counter variable after the last iteration.
Next to the Number of Finished Branches field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that determines when to stop creating branches.
To count only successfully completed branches to determine whether the completion condition has been met, select Successful Branches Only.
To change the name of the For Each node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.3 How to Process a Fixed Number of Requests in Parallel

A Parallel operation creates a fixed number of configured parallel branches, letting you create a static split-join that handles a fixed number of message requests. Each branch has its own Scope, which in turn can contain any number of operations.

A Parallel node is essentially a placeholder for a fixed number of processing branches, each with its own scope. Two branches are automatically generated when you add a Parallel operation to the flow. You can define the unique processing logic for each scope by dragging the appropriate operations into the scope. You can also add more branches with the Add Scope button.

Figure 10-3 Add Scope Button

Description of "Figure 10-3 Add Scope Button"

To process a fixed number of requests in parallel:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Parallel and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.
To add more branches, click the Add Scope button in the upper right corner of the Parallel node.
For each branch, define the processing logic by dragging additional operations into the scope and then configuring them in the Properties window.

For information about the operations you can add, see Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper and Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper.
To change the name of the Parallel node, click Parallel at the top of the node and enter a new name in the field that appears.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.4 How to Define If-Else Conditional Logic

An If Activity provides conditional logic within a split-join. It is composed of a number of nodes that determine the behavior for the overall If activity. Each node must be individually configured. When you create an If activity, an If branch and an Else branch are automatically generated within it.

Each If and Else If branch provides a unit of conditional logic (defined by an XPath Expression) within the overall If activity. Those branches also define the processing logic to carry out when the conditions are met. The Else branch defines the processing logic to carry out when the conditions are not met. You can add an unlimited number of Else If nodes to the If operation.

To define if-else conditional logic:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click If and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.

An If node appears with an If branch and an Else branch.
To configure the If branch, do the following:
1. In the new If node, select the If branch.
2. In the Properties window, click the Condition tab.
3. Next to the Condition field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that defines the If condition.
4. To define the processing that occurs if the If condition is met, drag operations from the Components window to the If branch and then configure them in the Properties window.
  
  For information about the operations you can add, see Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper and Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper.
To add an Else If branch, do the following:
1. Click the yellow diamond-shaped icon in the upper right corner of the If node, or right-click in the If node and select Add Elseif.
  
  Figure 10-4 Add Else If Button
  
  Description of "Figure 10-4 Add Else If Button"
  
  A new Else If branch appears to the left of the Else branch.
2. Configure the Else If branch in the same way as the If branch, described in step 2.
To define the processing that occurs if none of the conditions are met, drag operations from the Components window to the Else branch and then configure them in the Properties window.
To change the name of the If node or any of the branches, select the node or branch icon, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.5 How to Create Error Handlers

An error handler and receives and handles errors. An error handler can be attached to a Start Node or a Scope. When attached to a Start Node, it is a global error handler and serves as a catch-all for the output of all local Raise Error nodes. When attached to a Scope, it only handles errors raised locally.

To create an error handler:

Select the Start Node or Scope node to which you want to add the Error Handler.
Right-click the selected node and select Add Catch or Add CatchAll.

A new Error Handlers node appears to the right of the selected node.
To invoke a SOAP Fault for a Catch All handler, select the Catch All branch, click the Catch All tab on the Properties window, and enter the fault name in the SOAP Fault Variable Name.
To configure a Catch handler, select the Catch branch, click the Catch tab on the Properties window, and do one of the following:
- To invoke a fault that you define, select User-defined Fault and click the Edit icon. On the Edit QName dialog, enter the fault's name and namespace.
- To invoke a predefined fault, select Pre-defined Fault and select a fault from the list of options.
To configure additional processing for a Catch or Catch All branch before a response is sent, drag Assign, If, and/or Reply nodes from the Components window and configure them in the Properties window.
To change the name of the Error Handler node or any of the branches, select the node or branch icon, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.6 How to Raise an Error

The Raise Error generates an error that causes the split-join to stop normal processing. If the error is not handled using an Error Handler, the split-join will terminate and a Fault will be sent to the Service Bus message flow. Configuring a Raise Error can optionally include documenting the nature of the error in the General Information tab.

To raise an error:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Raise Error and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.
Select the new Raise Error node.
In the Properties window, click the Raise Error tab.
To invoke a fault that you define, select User-defined Fault and click the Edit icon. On the Edit QName dialog, enter the fault's name and namespace.
To invoke a predefined fault, select Pre-defined Fault and select a fault from the list of options.
To change the name of the Raise Error node, select the node or branch icon, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.7 How to Re-Raise an Error

You can add a Re-Raise Error operation to an error handler. This operation lets you re-raise an error caught by an error handler Catch or Catch All operation. This operation does not require any configuration, but you can modify the name and add a description.

To re-raise an error:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Re-Raise Error and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.
Select the new Re-Raise Error node.
To change the name of the Re-Raise Error node, enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field on the Properties window.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.8 How to Repeat an Operation Until it Evaluates to True

A Repeat Until node provides conditional logic within a split-join. When you define a Repeat Until node, the associated operations repeat until the condition you define evaluates to true. The associated operations are defined in the loop of the Repeat Until node. The condition is evaluated after each loop finishes.

To repeat an operation until it evaluates to true:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Repeat Until and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.

A Repeat Until node appears with a conditional branch.
In the new Repeat Until node, select the Condition icon.
In the Properties window, click the Condition tab.
Next to the Condition field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that must evaluate to true in order for the process to stop repeating.
To define the processing logic that is repeated until the condition evaluates to true, drag operations from the Components window to the Repeat Until node and then configure them in the Properties window.

For information about the operations you can add, see Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper and Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper.
To change the name of the Repeat Until node, select the node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.9 How to Repeat an Operation Until it Evaluates to False

A While node provides conditional logic within a split-join. When you define a While node, the associated operations repeat until the condition you define evaluates to false. The associated operations are defined in the loop of the Repeat Until node. The condition is evaluated before each loop finishes.

To repeat an operation until it evaluates to false:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click While and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.

A While node appears with a conditional branch.
In the new While node, select the Condition icon.
In the Properties window, click the Condition tab.
Next to the Condition field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that must evaluate to false in order for the process to stop repeating.
To define the processing logic that is repeated until the condition evaluates to false, drag operations from the Components window to the While node and then configure them in the Properties window.

For information about the operations you can add, see Adding Flow Control Operations in JDeveloper and Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper.
To change the name of the While node, select the node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.5.10 How to Insert a Pause in Processing

A Wait operation inserts a pause in the split-join flow for a short duration to wait for other dependent jobs to complete. After the specified duration is reached, the split-join execution resumes.

To insert a pause in processing:

Under Flow Control in the Components window, click Wait and drag it onto the editor in the appropriate location in the flow.

A While node appears with a conditional branch.
Select the new Wait node.
In the Properties window, click the Wait tab.
Next to the Duration field, click the Expression Builder icon to launch the XPath Expression Builder and define an expression that evaluates to a duration type of xsd:duration in the following format:

PnYnMnDTnHnMnS (number of years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds, with a date/time separator, represented by "T".)
To change the name of the Wait node, select the node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.
In the Description field, enter any notes you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6 Adding Assign Operations in JDeveloper

Assign operations include Assign, Copy, Delete, Insert, Java Callout, Log, and Replace. Every Assign is composed of one or more of these operations, which you can add to the Assign using the Design view.

The assign operations you can use in a split-join are:

Assign: Assigns the result of an XQuery or XSLT expression to a variable.
Copy: Copies the information specified by an XPath expression from a source document to a destination document.
Delete: Deletes a set of nodes specified by an XPath expression.

Note:

Unlike the Service Bus delete, only an XPath expression can be deleted in a split-join, not the entire variable.
Insert: Inserts the result of an XQuery Expression at an identified place relative to nodes selected by an XPath expression.
Java Callout: Invokes a Java method for processing such as validation, transformation, and logging.
Log: Logs split-join data at a specified severity to the server log file.
Replace: Replaces a node or the contents of a node specified by an XPath expression.

10.6.1 About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations

You can use a variety of XQuery and XSLT resources to define the transformations and expressions that derive values for the assign operations. Most assign operations support the following methods. You can find more information in the links given below.

Transforming Data with XQuery
Transforming Data with XSLT
Working With Expression Editors in Oracle Service Bus Console
"Creating Transformations with the XQuery Mapper" in Developing SOA Applications with Oracle SOA Suite
"Creating Transformations with the XSLT Map Editor" in Developing SOA Applications with Oracle SOA Suite

Note:

The Assign operations in the split-join editor are similar to the corresponding pipeline actions. However, one important difference is that when you are using the XQuery, XSLT, or XPath Editors to edit expressions in the split-join context, only variables and namespaces internal to the split-join are available.

10.6.2 Assign Operation Expression Resolution

The assign functionality in split-joins conforms to the WS-BPEL specification for resolution of XPath, XQuery, and XSLT expressions to simple type variables. Supported simple types for binding expressions to variables in split-joins are String, Boolean, and Float. The Assign operation converts the value you provide to the type with which the variable is defined.

For example:

If you assign <order><number>4</number></order> to a response variable defined as a String ($response.result), Service Bus returns <number>4</number> as a String in the result through a simple copy of the child element and value.
If you map <order><number>4</number></order> to a String variable (such as myStr), then assign $myStr to $response.result, Service Bus returns <result>4</result>, because it first converts the value in $myStr to a String before it makes the assignment to the $response.result String variable.

10.6.3 How to Assign a Value to a Variable

Use an Assign to manipulate data by initializing and updating a variable using XSLT or XQuery expressions or resources. You can also use dynamic XSLT or XQuery.

When Service Bus binds variables in an inline XQuery, it assumes the type is xs:string. This can cause parser errors in operations with constants that are incompatible with xs:string. To ensure compatible types, use an explicit XQuery cast. For example, the following inline XQuery will fail. Although the $itemsTotal is of type xs:double, it is bound as an xs:string, which is incompatible in the test against 10000.

if ($itemsTotal < 10000) then . . .

To make this inline XQuery work, explicitly cast the $itemsTotal to an xs:double:

if (($itemsTotal cast as xs:double) < 10000) then . . .

When creating an assign operation to a String result or variable, make sure your expression returns a String value. Assigning a non-String value to a String result or String global variable does not cause a MismatchedAssignmentFailure exception, as specified by the WS-BPEL specification.

To assign a value to a variable:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Assign and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to update the variable.
Select the new Assign node.
In the Properties window, click the Assign tab.
Next to the Value field, select the Expression Builder icon or click the down arrow next to the icon to select the type of transformation you want to use to derive the variable value.

The expression builder for the transformation you selected appears.
Define the transformation or select a resource to use. For more information, see About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations.

Note:

When you select XQuery or XSLT resources that are not already included in the current project, you need to import them. When you select the resource from the expression builder, an import dialog automatically appears. For more information, see How to Import Resources in JDeveloper.
To specify the variable to which you are assigning the value, do one of the following:
- To select an existing variable, select the variable name from the list of available options in the Variable field.
- To create a new variable, click Create Variable next to the Variable field. Complete the Create Variable Alias dialog, as described in "To define global and local variables:".
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Assign node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.4 How to Copy a Value from a Source to a Destination Document

The Copy operation lets you copy the information specified by an XPath expression or literal value from a source document to a destination document. It is an operation unique to the split-join editor.

To copy a value:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Copy and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to copy the data.
Select the new Copy node.
In the Properties window, click the Copy tab.
To use the existing element name in the destination to hold the copied value, select Keep Source Element.

If this option is not selected, the name of the source element in the destination is used to hold the copied value.
In the From: Type field, select the type of element to copy from.
Do one of the following:
- If you selected Expression, Variable, or XML Fragment, click the Expression Builder icon by the Value field. Define the expression in the dialog that appears.
- If you selected Literal, enter the literal string to copy in the Value field.
In the To: Type field, select the type of element to copy to.
Click the Expression Builder icon below the Value or Query field. Define the expression in the dialog that appears.
To change the name of the Copy node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.5 How to Delete a Set of Nodes

The Delete operation lets you delete a set of nodes specified by an XPath expression.

Note:

Unlike the Service Bus delete, only an XPath expression may be deleted in a split-join, not the entire variable.

To delete a set of nodes:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Delete and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to delete the nodes.
Select the new Delete node.
In the Properties window, click the Delete tab.
In the Location field, select the variable on which the XPath expression is executed to select the nodes to be deleted.
Click the Expression Builder icon to launch the expression editor and define an XPath expression that specifies the nodes to be deleted.
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Delete node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.6 How to Insert the Result of an XQuery Expression

The Insert operation inserts the result of an XQuery expression at an identified place relative to nodes selected by an XPath expression.

To insert the result of an XQuery expression:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Insert and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to insert the result.
Select the new Insert node.
In the Properties window, click the Insert tab.
Next to the Value field, select the Expression Builder icon or click the down arrow next to the icon to select the type of transformation you want to use to create the data that to insert at a specified location in a variable.

The expression builder for the transformation you selected appears.
In the expression builder, define the transformation or select a resource to use. For more information, see About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations.

Note:

When you select XQuery or XSLT resources that are not already included in the current project, you need to import them. When you select the resource from the expression builder, an import dialog automatically appears. For more information, see How to Import Resources in JDeveloper.
In the Position field, select the position where you want to insert the data. Select from before, after, as first child of, or as last child of.
In the Location field, select the variable into which you want to insert the data, or click Create Variable to add a new variable.
Click the Expression Builder icon below the Location field to launch the XPath Expression Builder, and define an expression that specifies the nodes to be selected.
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Insert node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.7 How to Invoke a Java Method in a Split-Join

A Java callout operation lets you invoke a static Java method from a split-join for custom operations to be handled in Java such as validation, transformation, and logging.

To invoke a Java method in a split-join:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Java Callout and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to use the callout.
Select the new Java Callout node.
In the Properties window, click the Java Callout tab.
Next to the Method field, click Browse, navigate to and select the JAR file that contains the method to invoke, and then select the method.

Any arguments for the method appears in the Arguments table.
In the Value column, click the Expression Builder icon, or click the down arrow next to the icon to select a transformation type.

The expression builder for the transformation you selected appears.
Define an expression to map data to the input parameters of the static Java method. For more information, see About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations.

Note:

When you select XQuery or XSLT resources that are not already included in the current project, you need to import them. When you select the resource from the expression builder, an import dialog automatically appears. For more information, see How to Import Resources in JDeveloper.
In the Return field, select the variable to contain the result value for the Java method from the list of options. If the variable does not exist, click Create Variable to add a new one.
In the Service Account field, click Browse to select a service account to use to put the appropriate subject on the thread when executing the Java callout.
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Java Callout node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.8 How to Log Split-Join Data

A log operation lets you log split-join data of a specified severity to the server log file. Administrators can use log information to take appropriate actions based on the severity of the data logged.

To log split-join data:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Log and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to create log entries.
Select the new Log node.
In the Properties window, click the Log tab.
Next to the Content field, click the Expression Builder icon, or click the down arrow next to the icon to select a transformation type.

The expression builder for the transformation you selected appears.
Define an expression to select the data to be logged. For more information, see About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations.

Note:

When you select XQuery or XSLT resources that are not already included in the current project, you need to import them. When you select the resource from the expression builder, an import dialog automatically appears. For more information, see How to Import Resources in JDeveloper.
In the Summary field, specify a note for the log. The annotation is logged along with the data selected by the expression
In the Severity field, select one of the following the severity levels for the log:
- Debug
- Info
- Warning
- Error
To change the name of the Log node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.6.9 How to Replace a Node or Its Contents

A Replace operation replaces a node or the contents of a node specified by an XPath expression.

To replace a node or its contents:

Under Assign Operations in the Components window, click Replace and drag it onto the editor in the location in the flow where you want to replace data.
Select the new Replace node.
In the Properties window, click the Replace tab.
In the Location field, select the variable containing the data to be replaced, or click Create Variable to add a new variable.
Click the Expression Builder icon below the Location field to launch the XPath Expression Builder, and define an expression that specifies the nodes to be replaced.
Next to the Value field, click the Expression Builder icon, or click the down arrow next to the icon to select a transformation type.

The expression builder for the transformation you selected appears.
Define an expression to select the data to be replaced. For more information, see About Transformations and Expressions in Assign Operations.

Note:

When you select XQuery or XSLT resources that are not already included in the current project, you need to import them. When you select the resource from the expression builder, an import dialog automatically appears. For more information, see How to Import Resources in JDeveloper.
In the Replace field, select Entire Node to replace the entire node or select Node Contents to replace just the content of the node.
In the QoS field, select either Best Effort (not executed in the context of a transaction) or Exactly Once (executed in a transaction).
To change the name of the Log node, click the General tab of the Properties window, and enter a unique, identifying string in the Name field.

The new name appears beneath the node in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any notes that you think are important.
On the JDeveloper toolbar, click Save.

10.7 Working with Split-Joins in the Oracle Service Bus Console

You create and configure split-joins in JDeveloper, but you can import split-joins into the Oracle Service Bus Console to add them to projects in the console.

You can also import them by importing the entire project. From the console, you can specify dispatch policies, update the XQuery version, and define SLA alerts.

10.7.1 How to Import a Split-Join into the Console

Before you can work with a split-join in the console, you need to export it from JDeveloper and then import it into the console. Once the resource is in the console, you can open it in the Split-Join Definition Editor to configure certain properties and define SLA alert rules. For information about exporting and importing resources, see Importing and Exporting Resources in the Oracle Service Bus Console .

10.7.2 How to Configure Split-Joins in the Console

You can only configure certain properties of split-joins in the Oracle Service Bus Console; you cannot configure the processing logic of the split-join.

To configure split-joins in the Console:

In the Project Navigator, navigate to the split-join you want to configure.
Right-click the split-join and select Open.

The split-join appears in the Split-Join Definition Editor.
In the Description field, enter any important notes about the split-join.
In the Dispatch Policy field, select the WebLogic Server Work Manager to use to execute the split-join.
In the Version for snippets field, select the version of XQuery for processing XQuery in the split-join.
Click Save.

10.7.3 How to Define Service Level Agreement Rules for a Split-Join

Service level agreement (SLA) alerts let system administrators know when certain conditions are met that indicate the health of a split-join. You can define alerts based on statistics such as error counts, message counts, elapsed time, and failure or success ratios for message processing. For more information about defining SLA alerts, see "Creating Service Level Agreement Alert Rules" in Administering Oracle Service Bus.

10.8 Static and Dynamic Split-Join Samples

This section describes how to create static and dynamic split-joins using sample scenarios.

10.8.1 Designing a Static Split-Join

This scenario creates a new split-join called Service Availability that handles orders for a telco's cable service package including TV, phone, and internet service. The idea is for the split-join to receive an incoming package order and to reply with an order acknowledgment for each type of service. In this case, Service Availability is designed as a Static split-join because there are three message requests per order, one for each type of service. In this particular example the customer requests only TV and DSL service.

Creating the Service Availability split-join may include the following tasks:

Creating a New Split-Join

Adding an Assign

Adding a Parallel Node

Adding an Assign for Each Branch

Adding an Invoke Service

Adding an Assign for Each Branch

Exporting and Testing the Split-Join

10.8.1.1 Creating a New Split-Join

Create a new split-join based on the WSDL operation you want to use for placing the order. In this case the WSDL operation we want is called "telecom."

After you select the WSDL operation, a skeleton of the newly created split-join appears in the split-join editor, as shown in the following figure. It consists of a Start Node, a Receive, a Reply. Edit the labels in the Properties window to better reflect the specific function of each node in this particular split-join.

Figure 10-5 New Split-Join

Description of "Figure 10-5 New Split-Join"

The Start Node contains both a Request variable and a Response variable that were determined by the WSDL operation initially selected. The Receive receives the incoming request message (in this case for the three or fewer different kinds of cable service), and the Reply generates a response message and sends it back to the client.

Note:

The Receive node requires no further configuration. Similarly the Reply requires no further configuration, unless to generate an error fault, which is not the case in this scenario.

10.8.1.2 Adding an Assign

The first Assign, Prepare Output Message, contains an Assign operation that prepares the Response variable in a form such that the later nodes can work on the data within it. This output message is relayed to the final Reply node in the split-join and, in turn, returned to the original client.

10.8.1.3 Adding a Parallel Node

The Parallel node contains two main branches, one to check cable TV availability and one to check DSL availability. Each branch is composed of a number of actions, the sequence and general configuration being the same for both branches.

Figure 10-6 Parallel Node

Description of "Figure 10-6 Parallel Node"

10.8.1.4 Adding an Assign for Each Branch

The first Assign in each Parallel branch, Prepare Input Address, copies the incoming customer address data into a Variable that is referenced to check the availability of the service at that location. The Assigns are the same for each branch and would be for additional branches as well.

10.8.1.5 Adding an Invoke Service

An External Service is then invoked to check whether the requested service type is available at the customer's location. Each branch contains one Invoke Service, Check Cable TV Availability and Check DSL Availability. Each invocation calls an External Service, which compares the customer's address (stored in the Variable initialized in the previous step) to the availability of the service at that location. The result is then stored in an output Variable that is passed on to the final Assign in the Branch below.

10.8.1.6 Adding an Assign for Each Branch

The final two Assigns, Update Cable TV Status in Output Message and Update DSL Status in Output Message, take the results of the external service invocations and put them into the output message using a Replace operation. The aggregated response are then sent to the original client in the final Reply node, which requires no further configuration.

10.8.1.7 Exporting and Testing the Split-Join

After you design the split-join, you can export it to the Oracle Service Bus Console for testing and production.

Figure 10-7 Completed Split-Join Ready for Testing

Description of "Figure 10-7 Completed Split-Join Ready for Testing"

10.8.2 Designing a Dynamic Split-Join

This scenario illustrates a split-join that handles a batch order from a retailer containing a variable number of individual purchase orders (as opposed to a fixed number of orders). The idea is for the split-join to receive the batch order and to reply with an order acknowledgment for each order within. This would be a Dynamic split-join because the number of individual purchase order requests is variable and unknown at design time.

Creating this split-join may include the following tasks:

Creating a New Split-Join

Adding an Assign

Adding a For Each

Adding an Assign

Adding an Invoke Service

Adding an Assign

Adding an Error Handler

Exporting and Testing the Split-Join

10.8.2.1 Creating a New Split-Join

Create a new split-join based off of the WSDL operation you want to use for placing the order. In this case the WSDL operation we want is called "batchOrders." After the operation is selected, a skeleton of the newly created split-join appears in the split-join editor consisting of a Start Node, a Receive, a Reply. The labels are then edited in the general properties tab to better reflect the specific function of each node in this particular split-join.

Figure 10-8 New Split-Join With Edited Labels

Description of "Figure 10-8 New Split-Join With Edited Labels"

The Start Node, Order Placement, contains both a request variable, inputVar, and an response variable, outputVar. The Receive, Receive Batch Order Request, will initialize the contents of the Request Variable (in this case purchase orders), and the Reply, Reply Order Placement, will send a response, based on the order acknowledgments aggregated into the Response Variable, back to the client. In this example Order Placement also contains a callout to an External Service, "Order" that will be invoked to approve individual orders.

Note:

The Receive node requires no further configuration. Similarly, the Reply requires no further configuration, unless you would like to generate an error fault—which is not the case in this scenario (see How to Configure a Replyfor more information on generating faults).

10.8.2.2 Adding an Assign

The first Assign, Prepare Output Message, contains an Assign operation that prepares the response variable (here labeled an "Output Message" for readability) in a form such that the later nodes can work on the data captured within it (that is, Copy/Insert/Assign/Replace/Delete into the Variable). In this case, that data would consist of order acknowledgments and/or errors.This Output Message is relayed to the final Reply node in the split-join and, in turn, returned to the original client.

10.8.2.3 Adding a For Each

The For Each, Iterate Through Orders, contains logic that will parse through each order in the batch, send it to an external proxy for approval, and capture an order acknowledgment in response. If there is a problem with an order, an error is sent from the invoked proxy and captured in the Error Handler. The following figure depicts the entire scope of the For Each logic.

Figure 10-9 For Each Node Labeled "Iterate Through Orders"

Description of "Figure 10-9 For Each Node Labeled "Iterate Through Orders""

10.8.2.4 Adding an Assign

The Assign, Prepare Purchase Order, copies the incoming purchase order requests into a variable that is referenced to check approval of the order in the next step.

10.8.2.5 Adding an Invoke Service

An external service, Check Order Availability, is then invoked to approve each individual purchase order. If the order is accepted, the service responds with an order acknowledgment. If the order is not accepted, the service responds with an error.The result is then stored in an output variable that is passed on to the final Assign in the next step.

10.8.2.6 Adding an Assign

The final Assign, Update Order Status in Output Message, takes the results of the external service invocation and copies them into the output message using an Insert operation. The aggregated response is then sent to the original client in the final Reply node, which requires no further configuration.

10.8.2.7 Adding an Error Handler

The Error Handler captures any Errors returned by the invoked service. It takes these errors and inserts them into the output message using an Assign operation.

Figure 10-10 Error Handler

Description of "Figure 10-10 Error Handler"

10.8.2.8 Exporting and Testing the Split-Join

After you design the split-join, you can export it to the Oracle Service Bus Console for testing and production.

Figure 10-11 Completed Split-Join Ready for Testing

Description of "Figure 10-11 Completed Split-Join Ready for Testing"