Oracle Applications InterConnect User Guide Release 4.1 A90225-02 |
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This chapter discusses Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow.
Topics include:
Oracle Workflow is integrated with Oracle Applications InterConnect. In the context of Oracle Applications InterConnect, Oracle Workflow is used for business process collaborations across two or more applications. A business process collaboration is defined as the conversation between two or more applications in the context of a business process.
In previous versions of Oracle Applications InterConnect, this business process definition was implicit in the messaging definitions through iStudio. Now, Oracle Applications InterConnect leverages the robust design time and runtime Oracle Workflow business process definition and execution support to make these business processes explicit and manageable.
The following are some of the common business problems that can be solved using Oracle Workflow.
If there is a problem in a conversation between two or more applications, the errors arising from this problem can be centrally managed and appropriate remedial actions can be defined. For example, it may be a requirement to keep the data of an order entry system in synch with a backend ERP system. Consider that a new purchase order is created in the order entry system but the ERP system is down at the time the purchase order is created. At a later time, the ERP system comes back up and an attempt is made to create a corresponding new purchase order through messaging using Oracle Applications InterConnect. This attempt fails. To deal with this scenario, the integrator can utilize Oracle Workflow to send a compensating message to the order entry system to undo the creation of the purchase order and notify the user who created the order.
In previous versions of Oracle Applications InterConnect, the conversation between two or more applications was based purely on messaging. Now, human interaction can be added to better capture business processes.
In the example above, Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow can be used to model the following for every purchase order that is over $50,000, send a notification to a named approver, and wait for approval. If approved, send the message to the ERP system, otherwise send a message to the order entry system to rollback the order creation.
Fan-in and fan-out of messages can be effectively modeled using Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow. Fan-in involves combining two or more messages into one. Fan-out involves splitting one message into two or more.
For an example of fan-in, consider the following. A global organization has a centralized Human Resources ERP application in the United States. Each country has one or more local systems that capture local employee information. If a new employee joins the Japanese branch of this organization, data is entered into a local HR application and a local Benefits application. Each entry launches a message for adding this information to the centralized system. However, the centralized system needs data from both systems combined and will only commit the data if it was entered successfully in both the local systems. Using Oracle Workflow, this process can be modeled so that Oracle Applications InterConnect routes messages from both local systems to Oracle Workflow, Oracle Workflow waits until it receives both messages, combines the data, and launches a single message to be delivered by Oracle Applications InterConnect to the centralized HR system.
Oracle Applications InterConnect provides extensive support for stateless routing through event based and content based routing features. Using Oracle Workflow, stateful routing can be accomplished. In other words, the decision to route can be based on more than the event or the content of the message.
Using all of the above examples, an internal (organization focused) or external (customer/partner focused) service can be built through a well defined set of business processes involving communication between two or more applications. For example, a brick-and-mortar retail company could provide an on-line procurement service to their customers. Behind the user interface are several business processes controlling communication across several internal applications to deliver a robust, performant service to the customer.
The following describes how Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow are integrated.
During design time, business process and event definitions in iStudio can be deployed to Oracle Workflow with one click. Consequently, Workflow tools can be launched from within iStudio to graphically create process diagrams in the context of enterprise integration through Oracle Applications InterConnect.
There are two Oracle Workflow tools that can be launched through iStudio:
For more information on the Business Event System, see the Oracle Workflow Guide.
At runtime, Oracle Applications InterConnect integrates with the Business Event System of Oracle Workflow. The Business Event System is an application service that uses the Advanced Queueing infrastructure to communicate business events between systems. Oracle Applications InterConnect registers itself as an external system in Business Event System so the following conditions exist:
At runtime, Oracle Workflow is integrated with Oracle Applications InterConnect at the hub. Messages are passed back and forth between Oracle Applications InterConnect and the Business Event System of Oracle Workflow via Advanced Queues. The Oracle Applications InterConnect Workflow Communication Infrastructure facilitates this communication.
At design time, to keep the integration methodology consistent, iStudio reuses the messaging paradigms of publish/subscribe and request/reply to specify communication between Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow. So, for messages inbound into Workflow, the iStudio user can specify, in the context of a business process, which events Workflow is subscribing to and which procedures Workflow is implementing. For, outbound messages, you can specify events that Workflow can publish and procedures that it can invoke.
For more information on how to set up Oracle Applications InterConnect and Oracle Workflow at design time, see "Using Oracle Workflow with Oracle Applications InterConnect".
This section describes using Oracle Applications InterConnect with Oracle Workflow. There are three broad steps.
To install the following Oracle Workflow components, see the Oracle Applications InterConnect Installation Guide.
In addition, follow the Workflow-related post installation steps as described in the Oracle Applications InterConnect Installation Guide.
.wft
file.
.wft
file.
The following concepts discuss how iStudio and Oracle Workflow work together in Oracle Applications InterConnect. In addition, these topics discuss how to use iStudio and Oracle Workflow step by step during design time for business process collaborations across applications.
A process bundle is a set of logically related business processes. This maps one-to-one with a workflow item. For more information on business processes, see "Business Process".
A business process is a set of Oracle Applications InterConnect common view events and/or procedures that must be routed to and from Oracle Workflow in one workflow business process. These events and procedures manifest themselves as workflow business events and can be used to define a process diagram in Oracle Workflow Builder. This maps one-to-one with a workflow business process.
Activities in iStudio allows the user to define the common view events and procedures that must be a part of a workflow business process. The following lists the types of activities in iStudio:
The following table describes how iStudio and Oracle Workflow concepts are mapped.
iStudio Concept | Oracle Workflow Concept | Mapping |
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Process Bundle |
Item |
One-to-one. |
Business Process |
Business Process |
One-to-one. |
Common View Event |
Business Event |
One-to-one.1 |
Common View Procedure |
Business Event |
Two business events per procedure. |
Publish Activity |
Send Event Activity |
One-to-one. |
Subscribe Activity |
Receive Event Activity |
One-to-one. |
Invoke Activity |
Send Event Activity (for the request) Receive Event Activity (for the reply) |
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Implement Activity |
Receive Event Activity (for the request) Send Event Activity (for the reply) |
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To create a process bundle using iStudio:
The Create Process Bundle dialog displays:
A new process bundle is created.
To create a business process:
The Create Business Process dialog displays:
A new business process is created.
To populate a business process with activities:
The Subscribe Activity Wizard displays.
A new activity has been added to the business process.
Repeat these steps for adding other activities to the process.
After populating business processes with activities, this information must be deployed to Oracle Workflow to graphically model a business process. To deploy this information to Oracle Workflow:
The Deploy dialog displays:
To check if events have been deployed, launch the Oracle Workflow Home page. For more information on the Oracle Workflow Home page, see "Launching the Oracle Workflow Home Page".
By default both choices are selected. The dialog also allows the following to be automatically launched:
By default these choices are unselected. Choose to launch these tools with deployment or complete this task at a later time on the Design tab. For more information on launching these tools, see "Launching Oracle Workflow Tools".
If you selected deploying event definitions to the Oracle Workflow Business Event System, the following dialog displays:
If Deploying Process Definitions to a .wft
file was selected, a file dialog displays:
The following topics discuss how to launch Oracle Workflow tools in iStudio.
To launch the Oracle Workflow Home page:
The Username and Password Required dialog displays:
The Workflow Home page is launched using the default browser.
To launch Oracle Workflow Builder:
.wft
file name to load into Workflow Builder.
Workflow Builder is launched depending on which process definition file selected.
Note: To launch Workflow Builder outside of a specific Oracle Applications InterConnect process bundle, right-click on Workflow and select Launch Workflow Builder. |
When modifying existing Oracle Workflow processes, do not add, modify, or remove Oracle Applications InterConnect event activities directly in Workflow Builder. Always make all event-related process changes in iStudio, redeploy to the file, and import in Workflow Builder.
For example, assume the following steps were completed to create an integration-related Oracle Workflow business process:
my_process_bundle.wft
file.
my_process_bundle.wft
.
Now, some event related modifications to the business process need to be made. For example, two new events need to be added to the business process. The following steps complete this task:
changes_to_my_process_bundle.wft
. Do not deploy to my_process_bundle.wft
because any non-event-related modifications made through Workflow Builder will be lost.
my_process_bundle.wft
and changes_to_my_process_bundle.wft
.
changes_to_my_process_bundle.wft
to the process representing my_process_bundle.wft
.
my_process_bundle.wft
.
The my_process_bundle.wft
file now contains the updated process definition with both the event and the non-event modifications.
1
This example is used for explaining the steps. The steps are similar regardless of the selection.
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