BPEL Import and Export User Guide

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Using the BPEL Import Tool

This section describes the procedures to use BPEL Import tool in Oracle Workshop for WebLogic to import a BPEL file.

 


Topics Included in This Section

Introduction to BPEL

Provides a brief background on BPEL and how it evolved.

BPEL Import Tool

Provides an overview on how the BPEL Import tool works.

Importing a BPEL File

Describes how to import a BPEL file using Oracle Workshop for WebLogic.

Known Limitations and Issues

Provides information on the import tool that will enable you to use is more effectively and efficiently.

 


Introduction to BPEL

WS-BPEL (Web Services Business Process Execution Language, commonly referred to as “BPEL”) defines a language for the formal specification of automated business processes.

Processes written in BPEL can orchestrate interactions between Web services using XML documents in a standardized manner. These processes can be executed on any platform or product that complies with the BPEL specification. BPEL therefore enables customers to protect their investment in process automation by allowing them to move these process definitions between a wide variety of authoring tools and execution platforms. While there have been previous attempts to standardize business process definitions, BPEL has attracted an unprecedented level of interest and is the first to gain critical mass among software vendors.

WS-BPEL 2.0 is now an OASIS standard. For more information on BPEL, download the specification from BPEL4WS specification v1.1, and WS-BPEL specification 2.0. Also, see the official Home page for the BPEL standardization effort, hosted by OASIS. The BPEL import and export tool is provided largely to enable design-time interoperability with other tools that support the 1.1 and 2.0 specifications.

 


BPEL Import Tool

You can use the BPEL Import tool to import a BPEL file into a JPD file, where it can be used in the Oracle Workshop for WebLogic design environment. While the main orchestration logic of the BPEL file is imported into a JPD file, it is not expected that the imported JPD file will be immediately executable in Oracle Workshop for WebLogic.

In certain cases, runtime semantics are not guaranteed, due to the functional mismatches between the JPD and BPEL languages, or between various expression languages including differences between XQuery, Xpath, and XSLT. Runtime semantics are also not guaranteed when they involve vendor extensions, external artifacts, or environment settings. Therefore, the imported JPD file should be reviewed and tested with any required changes that are made to ensure that it runs properly.

In general, the BPEL Import tool expects complete BPEL and WSDL artifacts as input. To some extent, the tool also handles incomplete BPEL and WSDL artifacts, so that in-progress BPEL files can be imported as JPD, and then completed in the Oracle WebLogic Integration environment. Incomplete cases are numerous and may include missing WSDL files, missing type definitions, missing port type definitions, or incomplete constructs of <while>, <switch>, <invoke>, <receive>, <reply>, <onMessage>, <onAlarm>, <throw>, as well as other cases. If the BPEL Import is not able to import the input artifacts into a JPD file, error messages appear that enable you to correct the input artifacts for future imports.

 


Importing a BPEL File

  1. In Oracle Workshop for WebLogic, create or open a Oracle Workshop for WebLogic application.
  2. In the Package Explorer pane, navigate to the Web project and then select, Src > Import to import the BPEL file, as shown in Figure 1-1. The Import pane is displayed.
  3. Figure 1-1 Location for Imported File


    Location for Imported File

Note: The BPEL Import tool does not support importing to Schemas/Project root directories. If you try to import into a root directory, you get the following error message Figure 1-2.
Figure 1-2 Error Message

Error Message

  1. To choose the files to import, browse to the BPEL File folder, to select the required .bpel file. Similarly browse to the WSDL and XSD Locations to set the path for Web Services Description Language WSDL and XSD files as shown in Figure 1-3.
  2. Note: Type an appropriate Package Name in the Package Name Field..
    Note: Select the Util project folder. Preferably the make it point to the Util project created while reacting the Oracle WebLogic Process Application.
    Figure 1-3 Import BPEL Source Window


    Import BPEL Source Window

  3. You can view the log containing the complete details of the import as shown in Figure 1-4. This log also tells you if the import was successful or not.
  4. Figure 1-4 Import log


    Import log

    Figure 1-5 Problem View - Warning Messages


    Problem View - Warning Messages

    Note: A log file for the import process, named BpelImport.log is stored in the workspace/.metadata folder (workspace indicates your Oracle WebLogic Process Application workspace).

    The new JPD file is displayed in the folder specified in step 2 and the WSDL files are copied and placed in the Schemas folder.

This completes the import process and your new JPD file is located in the folder specified in step 2.

 


Known Limitations and Issues

This section details some known limitations and issues of the BPEL Import tool. The majority of these issues exist because of the inherent differences between the JPD and BPEL languages.

Note: You need to confirm that the generated JPD file corresponds semantically with the input BPEL file.


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