Administering Data

 

The following sections explain data administration concepts and tasks within BEA WebLogic Process Integrator:

• Understanding Security

• Configuring Security

• Maintaining Organizations

• Maintaining Users

• Administering Task Routing

• Administering Task Routing

• Administering Business Calendars

• Understanding Business Operations

 

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Understanding Security

In BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, you maintain security for your workflows and their resources by doing the following:

• Mapping role and user information in BEA WebLogic Process Integrator to BEA WebLogic Server security realms

• Specifying levels of permission for roles and users to protect and control access to BEA WebLogic Process Integrator functions

About Security Realms

WebLogic Server provides security for applications through a service called a security realm. A security realm is a logical grouping of users and groups. A user is a specific individual who performs a certain task, such as programming or sales. A group is a collection of users who perform the same task. In this scheme, Group A might represent a collection of users who are programmers, and Group B might represent a collection of users who are sales people. Within a security realm, administrators can specify the levels of access users and groups have to workflows and other resources.

BEA WebLogic Process Integrator maintains information about roles and users in WebLogic Server security realms. When you define users and roles in BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, you need to specify their relationship to users and groups in WebLogic Server. You do this by mapping the roles you define in the Studio to the groups in a security realm in WebLogic Server.

About Levels of Permission

Levels of permission enable you to protect and control access to Studio functionality. Roles and users can perform the tasks shown in the following table only if they have the corresponding level of permission.

Table 4-1 Levels of Permission

Permission Level	Allows User or Role to . . .
Configure System	Make application configuration changes, such as adding, updating, and deleting business calendars
Configure Components	Define, update, and delete business operations Load and configure plug-ins
Administer User	Manage users, roles, and organizations Specify levels of permission for users and roles Work with task routing specifications
Monitor Instance	Monitor instances, but not change them Monitor business calendars, but not change them Work with workload and statistics reports
Create Template	Create templates
Delete Template	Delete templates
Execute Template	Execute templates within a particular organization.

 

A role in BEA WebLogic Process Integrator inherits the levels of permission for the WebLogic Server group to which it belongs. In the Studio, you can add or remove levels of permission for a role. Any changes you make to a role are reflected in the group to which the role belongs, and affect any other roles that belong to the group.

A user inherits the levels of permission for role to which it belongs. In the Studio, you can add levels of permission for a user, but you cannot remove the permissions a user inherits from the role to which it belongs. Any permissions you add to a user are specific to the user, and are not reflected in the role to which the user belongs.

Available Functions

A security realm in WebLogic Server can be manageable or nonmanageable. This is defined when the realm is implemented on WebLogic Server. A manageable realm is one in which an application can make updates to groups and users. A nonmanageable realm is one in which an application can only list the groups and users

BEA WebLogic Process Integrator detects automatically whether a realm is manageable or nonmanageable. The type of security realm BEA WebLogic Process Integrator detects determines which data administration functions are available in the Studio.

You can perform the following tasks using the Studio dialog boxes only if BEA WebLogic Process Integrator detects a manageable realm:

• Map a role to a WebLogic Server group

• Add or delete a user

• Add a user to an organization

• Remove a user from an organization

• Add a user to a role

• Remove a user from a role

If BEA WebLogic Process Integrator detects a nonmanageable realm, you can perform the following tasks using the Studio dialog boxes:

• See a list of users and roles. The functions provided in the Studio dialog boxes to perform add, delete, and mapping tasks are dimmed, so you cannot select them.

• Update data managed by BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, and not by WebLogic Server in a security realm, such as a business calendar attached to a user, role, or organization.

If you want to add users to a nonmanageable realm, you must add them using the appropriate data administration functions for the realm. You cannot add them using the Studio dialog boxes.

 

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Configuring Security

To configure security for roles and users, you need to perform tasks in both WebLogic Server and the Studio as follows:

1. In WebLogic Server, define a group in a security realm. For information about this task, see the WebLogic Server documentation.

2. In the Studio:

   1. Add an organization.

   2. Define a role within the organization, and map the role to a WebLogic Server group.

   3. If necessary, modify the levels of permission for the role. Roles inherit the permissions of the groups to which they belong. Changing the levels of permission for a role also changes the permissions in the group, and affects any other roles that belong to the group.

   4. Define users for the role.

   5. If necessary, define additional levels of permission for users. Users inherit the permissions of the role to which they belong, but you can add other levels of permission to users that are not defined for the role to which the users belong.

For information about performing these tasks using the Studio, see the sections that follow.

 

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Maintaining Organizations

Use the Organization option to define organizations, which can represent different business entities, geographical locations, or any other distinction relevant to the particular business of the company. Organizations are specific to BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, and do not correspond to any groups on WebLogic Server.

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

Adding an Organization

The Add Organization facility adds an organization to the WebLogic Process Integrator database.

To add an organization:

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

   Figure 4-1 Define Organizations Dialog Box

   
    

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

   Figure 4-2 Organization Properties Dialog Box

   
    

3. Enter a meaningful ID for the organization in the Organization Id field.

4. From the Calendar Id drop-down list, select a calendar to assign to the organization. For details about this feature, see Administering Business Calendars.

5. Click OK.

Updating an Organization

The Update Organization facility allows you to update the business calendar of an existing organization.

To update an organization:

1. From the Configuration menu, choose Organizations.

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

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

   Figure 4-3 Organization Properties Dialog Box

   
    

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

Deleting an Organization

The Delete Organization facility allows you to remove an organization from the WebLogic Process Integrator database.

To delete an organization:

1. From the Configuration menu, choose Organizations.

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

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

   Figure 4-4 Delete Organization Dialog Box

   
    

4. Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.

 

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Maintaining Roles

Use the Roles feature to create, update, and delete roles, and to map roles to WebLogic Server groups.

A role is a common area of responsibility, ability, or authorization level that is shared by a group of individuals. A role can only be a member of one organization, but you can use the same name in multiple organizations. For example, you can have a role named Supervisor defined in Org1 and Org2. The name of the role is the same, but, in actual fact, the roles are different. Supervisor in Org1 is not the same as Supervisor in Org2, even though the names are the same.

Roles are mapped to groups in WebLogic Server. Using the previous roles and organizations as an example, you can map Supervisor in Org1 to a group called SupervisorOrg1, and Supervisor in Org2 to a group called SupervisorOrg2.

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

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

• Properties — displays the Role dialog box, where you create a new role or update a selected role.

• Delete — delete the highlighted role from the WebLogic Server security realm. To delete a role, all of the role's tasks must first be reassigned to other roles.

• Open Role Worklist — opens a list of tasks assigned to the role. For details, see Viewing Role Worklists.

• Close Role Worklist — closes the list of tasks assigned to the role.

A role inherits the levels of permission of the group to which it belongs. After you create a role, you can specify different levels of permission for the role. Any changes you make to the levels of permission for a role are reflected in the group, and affect any other roles that belong to the group.

Creating a Role

The Create Role facility allows you to create a new role in the WebLogic Server security realm, and to map the role to a group in WebLogic Server. This facility is accessible only if WebLogic Process Integrator Studio is operating in a manageable realm.

To add a new role:

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

   Figure 4-5 Role Dialog Box

   
    

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

3. Use the Calendar drop-down list to assign a calendar to the role. For details about this feature, see Administering Business Calendars.

4. Use the WLS Group drop-down list to assign the role to a group in WebLogic Server.

5. To create a new group in WebLogic Server with the same name as the role, click the following check box: Map to a group with the same name as the role.

6. In the Members section of the dialog box, select the check box(es) to the left of the users that you will make members of this role.

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

Updating a Role

To update an existing role:

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

   Figure 4-6 Role Dialog Box

   
    

2. Make changes as needed to the calendar and role members.

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

Deleting a Role

Use the Delete Role dialog box to delete a role from the WebLogic Server security realm and WebLogic Process Integrator database.

To delete a role:

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

   Figure 4-7 Delete Role Dialog Box

   
    

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

Changing the Mapping for Roles

You can change the group in a security realm to which a role is mapped. You might want to do this if you decide that you want the role to be mapped to a group that is different from the one you mapped the role to when you created the role.

When you create a new role, you can map the role to an existing WebLogic Server group or you can create a new group. For details, see Creating a Role.

To change the mapping for a role:

1. From the main Studio window, choose Configuration—>Role Mappings.The Role Mappings dialog box is displayed.

   Figure 4-8 Role Mappings Dialog Box

   
    

2. From the Organization drop-down list, select the organization containing the roles you want to assign to WebLogic Server groups. The current mappings are displayed in a table.

3. In the table, select the role or group you want to remap.

   A drop-down arrow appears to the right of the group name to be changed.

4. Click the drop-down arrow and, from the drop-down list, select the new WebLogic Server group to which you want to map the role.

5. Click OK to complete the procedure, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

Setting Permissions for Roles

A role inherits the levels of permission for the WebLogic Server group to which it belongs. You can add and remove levels of permission for a role. Any changes you make to a role are also reflected in the group to which the role belongs.

To set the levels of permission for a role:

1. From the main Studio window, choose Configuration—>Permissions. The Permissions dialog box is displayed
    

2. Select the Roles tab.

   Figure 4-9 Permissions Dialog Box

   
    

3. From the Organization drop-down list, select the organization for which you want to set the role permissions.

   The Permissions dialog box displays all the roles in the organization and the permissions currently assigned.

4. Select or clear the check boxes as desired.

5. Click OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

 

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Maintaining Users

A user is an individual who has permissions to perform certain tasks. Use the Users feature to create, update, and delete users in a security realm in WebLogic Server. You can also add or remove users already defined in a security realm from organizations.

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

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

• Add Users — adds a user already defined in a WebLogic Server security realm to the current organization.

• Create Users — adds a user to a WebLogic Server security realm.

• Delete Users — deletes defined users from a WebLogic Server security realm.

  Figure 4-10 User Folder Menu Options

  
   

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

• Properties — displays the User dialog box, where you create a new user or update a selected user.

• Remove User — removes the highlighted user from the current organization. To remove a user, all of the user's tasks must first be reassigned to other users.

• Open User Worklist — opens a list of tasks assigned to the user. For details, see Viewing User Worklists.

• Close User Worklist — closes the list of tasks assigned to the user.

  Figure 4-11 Users Menu Options

  
   

Adding a User to the Current Organization

The Add User facility adds a user that is already defined in the WebLogic Server security realm to the current WebLogic Process Integrator organization. This facility is accessible only if WebLogic Process Integrator Studio is operating within a manageable realm.

To add a user to the current WebLogic Process Integrator organization:

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

   Figure 4-12 Add Users Dialog Box

   
    
    

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

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

   Figure 4-13 User Dialog Box

   
    

   The User dialog box contains the following fields:

   • User Id — uniquely defines the user. The user enters this ID to log in to BEA WebLogic Process Integrator applications. In the User dialog box, this field is already populated with the name of the user selected in Step 2.

   • E-mail Address — enter the e-mail address of the user.

   • Default Organization — assign one default organization to the user.

   • Calendar — select the appropriate business calendar to assign to the user. For details about this feature, see Administering Business Calendars.

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

Removing a User from the Current Organization

The Remove User facility removes a user that is already defined in the WebLogic Server security realm from the current organization. It does not remove the user from the security realm.

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

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

   Figure 4-14 Remove User Dialog Box

   
    

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

Creating a User

The Create User option adds a user to a WebLogic Server security realm, and is available only if the security realm is a manageable one.

To create a user in the security realm and WebLogic Process Integrator database:

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

   Figure 4-15 Create User Dialog Box

   
    

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

   • User Id — uniquely defines the user. The user enters this ID to log in to BEA WebLogic Process Integrator client applications.

   • Password and Re-enter Password — enter a password for the user.

   • E-mail Address — optionally enter the e-mail address of the user.

   • Default Organization — select a default organization for the user.

   • Calendar — optionally select a business calendar for the user.

Deleting a User

To delete defined users from the WebLogic Server security realm and WebLogic Process Integrator database:

1. Right-click the Users folder, and select Delete Users to display the Delete Users dialog box, which contains a complete list of valid users for the current organization.

   Figure 4-16 Delete Users Dialog Box

   
    

2. Select the checkbox to the left of each user that you will delete, and click OK.

   A confirmation dialog box prompts you to confirm your selection.

3. Click Yes to delete the selected user(s).

Updating User Properties

To update user properties:

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

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

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

Setting Permissions for Users

A user inherits the levels of permission for the role to which it belongs. You can add other levels of permission to a user that are not defined for the role to which it belongs, but you cannot remove the permissions a user inherits from the role to which it belongs. Any permissions you add to a user are specific to the user, and are not reflected in the role to which the user belongs.

To set levels of permission for a user:

1. From the main Studio window, choose Configuration—>Permissions. The Permissions dialog box is displayed.

2. Select the Users tab (if it is not already selected).

   Figure 4-17 Permissions Dialog Box

   
    

   The Permissions dialog box displays all the currently defined users, and the permissions currently assigned. If a permission is checked, but grayed out, you cannot remove that permission because it was inherited from the role to which the user belongs.

3. Select or clear the check boxes as desired.

4. Click OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

 

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Administering Task Routing

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

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

Figure 4-18 Routing Dialog Box

 

Adding a Routing Specification

To reroute a task:

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

   Figure 4-19 Reroute Tasks Dialog Box

   
    

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updating a Task Routing Specification

To update a task rerouting specification:

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

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

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

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

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

Deleting a Task Routing Specification

To delete a task rerouting specification:

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

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

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

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

Refreshing the Task List

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

 

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Administering Business Calendars

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

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

• Organizations (See Adding an Organization)

• Users (See Adding an Organization)

• Roles (See Creating a Role)

• Time-related actions:

  • Set Task Due Date action (See Set Task Due Date)

  • Timed Event action (See Timed Event)

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

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

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

Creating a Calendar

To create a new calendar:

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

   Figure 4-20 Calendar Properties Dialog Box

   
    

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

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

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

   Figure 4-21 Rule Dialog Box

   
    

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

6. Define calendar rules using the following buttons:

   • Days — displays the Days dialog box. Excludes or includes certain calendar days. (Hold the CTRL key down to select more than one day of the week from the Days dialog box.)

     Figure 4-22 Days Dialog Box

     
      

   • Hours — displays the Hours dialog box. Excludes or includes certain hours of the day. Select a From and To value.

     Figure 4-23 Hours Dialog Box

     
      

   • Date — displays the Date dialog box. Excludes or includes a certain date.

     Figure 4-24 Date Dialog Box

     
      

   • Month — displays the Month dialog box. Excludes or includes certain month(s) of the year. (Hold the CTRL key down while clicking with your mouse to select more than one month of the year from the Month dialog box.)

     Figure 4-25 Month Dialog Box

     
      

   • Date Interval — displays the Date Interval dialog box. Enables you to specify a specific date interval to be excluded or included.

     Figure 4-26 Date Interval Dialog Box

     
      

     New calendar rules are displayed in the Rules area of the Calendar Rules dialog box.

     Figure 4-27 Calendar Rules

     
      

     Note: You can update or delete a calendar rule by highlighting the rule in the Rules portion of the Calendar Properties dialog box, clicking Update or Delete, and following the prompts.

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

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

Updating a Calendar

To update an existing calendar:

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

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

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

Deleting a Calendar

To delete an existing calendar:

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

   Figure 4-28 Delete Calendar Dialog Box

   
    

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

 

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Understanding Business Operations

The Business Operations facility enables you to display all Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) and Java classes that are registered in WebLogic Server, as well as their remote methods and parameters. Using the Business Operations facility, you can create customized actions that invoke existing applications or applications that are built specifically for the workflow.

EJBs and Java classes are software components that a workflow invokes to perform a business activity, such as checking the account balance of a customer. The workflow invokes the software component by calling one of its methods to perform the activity. In BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, a business operation represents the method call. The business operation connects the workflow to the software components that automate the business process.

You use the Business Operations facility to define the business operation, and the Perform Business Operation action to perform the method call. You can assign the results of the method call to a workflow variable.

Ideally, technical personnel with detailed knowledge about the software components would define Business Operations. Workflow designers would then use the Business Operations in the appropriate place in the workflow to perform the business activity invoked by the Business Operation.

Using the Business Operations Dialog Box

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

Figure 4-29 Business Operations Dialog Box

 

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

• Description — description assigned to the business operation. For more information, see Defining a Business Operation.

• EJB/Class — Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) or Java class to be invoked.

• Method — method in the EJB or Java class to be called.

• Add — invokes the Define Business Operation dialog box, where you define business operations.

• Update — updates the highlighted business operation; invoke the Define Business Operation dialog box and make changes as needed.

• Delete — deletes the highlighted business operation.

Defining a Business Operation

To define a BEA WebLogic Process Integrator business operation, proceed as follows:

1. From the Business Operations dialog box, click Add to display the Define Business Operation dialog box.

   Figure 4-30 Define Business Operation Dialog Box

   
    

2. A business operation represents a method call on an EJB or Java class instance. In the Name field, enter a description of the business operation that is meaningful to a business analyst. A business operation that returns the number of items available in stock might be called, for example, CheckInventory.

3. Specify the software component the business operation is invoking. The choices are:

   • Java Class — the business operation calls a method in a Java class on WebLogic Server. Only Java classes that implement the serializable interface can be used with business operations.

   • Session EJB — the business operation calls a method in a session EJB on WebLogic Server. Session EJBs represent transient data, and persists only for the duration of a transaction.

   • Entity EJB — the business operation calls a method in an entity EJB on WebLogic Server. Entity EJBs represent persistent data, and persist for at least the duration of the workflow instance and, often, beyond the life of a workflow instance.

Defining Business Operations for Java Classes

To define a business operation for a Java class, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Java Class radio button.

2. Click Set to display the Java Class Name dialog box.

   Figure 4-31 Java Class Name Dialog Box

   
    

3. Enter a fully qualified Java class name (for example, java.lang.String), and click OK. The Java class name is set in the Fully Qualified Java Class Name field of the Define Business Operation dialog box.

4. Use the Method to Call drop-down list to select a method to call upon invocation of the business operation in the workflow. There are three types of Java class methods in the list:

   • Constructor Type — these method types are first in the list and begin with the word String. Constructor methods return an object of the type you entered as the Java Class Name.

   • Method Type — these method types are second in the list. They are invoked on Java objects and can return any type.

   • Static Type — these are last in the list and begin with the word Static. Static methods require no object to be invoked and can return any type.

     Figure 4-32 Method to Call Drop-down List

     
      

5. The Parameter Name and Parameter Type fields are populated with the parameter values of the selected method. You can optionally rename the parameter and give it a more meaningful name by highlighting the parameter and clicking Update to display the Parameter dialog box.

   Figure 4-33 Parameter Dialog Box

   
    

6. Change the parameter name in the Description field, and click OK.

Defining Business Operations for Session EJBs

To define a business operation for a Session EJB (Enterprise Java Bean), proceed as follows:

1. Select the Session EJB radio button to display fields relevant to Session EJBs in the Define Business Operation dialog box.

   Figure 4-34 Define Business Operation: Session EJB

   
    

2. From the JNDI Name for Session EJB drop-down list, select the JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) name for the Session EJB. JNDI is a service provided by WebLogic Server; this service stores objects much like a database. Here, you are selecting the JNDI name for the Session EJB; a Session EJB is an object stored in this service.

3. The Method to Call drop-down list contains a list of methods (or operations) that you can perform on the Session EJB by calling it. Select the method to call from the drop-down list.

4. The Parameter Name and Parameter Type fields are populated with the parameter values of the selected method. You can optionally rename the parameter and give it a more meaningful name by highlighting the parameter and clicking the Update button to display the Parameter dialog box.

   Figure 4-35 Parameter Dialog Box

   
    

5. Change the parameter name in the Description field, and click OK.

Defining Business Operations for Entity EJBs

To define a business operation for an Entity EJB (Enterprise Java Bean), proceed as follows:

1. Select the Entity EJB radio button to display fields relevant to Session EJBs in the Define Business Operation dialog box.

   Figure 4-36 Define Business Operation: Entity EJB

   
    

2. From the JNDI Name for Entity EJB drop-down list, select the JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) name for the Entity EJB. JNDI is a service provided by WebLogic Server; this service stores objects much like a database. Here, you are selecting the JNDI name for the Entity EJB; an Entity EJB is an object stored in this service.

3. The Method to Call drop-down list contains a list of methods (or operations) that you can perform on the Entity EJB by calling it. Select the method to call from the drop-down list.

4. The Parameter Name and Parameter Type fields are populated with the parameter values of the selected method. You can optionally rename the parameter and give it a more meaningful name by highlighting the parameter and clicking Update to display the Parameter dialog box.

   Figure 4-37 Parameter Dialog Box

   
    

5. Change the parameter name in the Description field, and click OK.

Once you have defined all of your business operations, click OK on the Define Business Operations dialog box to confirm your changes. The business operations are added to the list of valid business operations in the Business Operation dialog box.

You use the Perform Business Operation action to invoke a defined business operation. For more information, see Perform Business Operation.