Incorporating Sub-Processes Into Business Models

Sub-processes are Business Processes called within the main Business Process of a Project, and are invoked within the same application server. Use the Business Rule Designer to configure the input and output attributes for the sub-process.

Sub-processes are required when a Business Process contains a user activity; the sub-process defines the flow of data through the user activity. A sub-process exists within a main process, so incorporating a sub-process into a Business Process involves two steps:

• Creating a Sub-Process

• Adding the Sub-Process to the Main Business Process

Creating a Sub-Process

In the following procedure, you create a WSD object to use in the sub-process. The WSD object functions as the interface to the sub-process or, in the case of a user activity, to the Visual Page Designer pageflow.

To Create a Sub-Process

1. Right-click in the NetBeans Projects window and click New Project.

   The New Project Wizard appears.

2. Under Categories, expand CAPS and select ESB.
3. Under Projects, select CAPS Repository-based Project, and then click Next.
4. Enter a name for the Project and then click Finish.

   The new Project appears in the Projects window.

5. Right-click the Project, point to New, and then click Web Service Definition.
6. Enter a name for the WSDL file and click OK. Edit the WSDL file as needed.
7. Right-click the Project, point to New, and then click Business Process.
8. Add a receive activity to the Business Process, and then link it to the Start element.
9. In the NetBeans Projects window, expand the WSDL file, expand PortTypes, and then expand PortType.
10. Click the PortType operation and drag it onto the empty receive activity.

    If the operation includes an output message, a reply activity appears.

11. Add one or more empty activities to the canvas between the implement and reply activities.
12. Add links between the modeling elements in the sub-process, and then add business rules if needed.
13. Click Save.

Adding the Sub-Process to the Main Business Process

Once you create the sub-process, you can add it to the main Business Process in the Project.

To Add the Sub-Process to the Main Business Process

1. Create a new Business Process and add a receive activity, an empty activity, a reply activity, and any other activities required for the Business Process.
2. In the Project tree, expand the sub-process you created above, and drag its operation onto the empty receive activity.
3. Add links between the modeling elements in the main process and add business rules as needed.
4. Click Save.

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   Note - If the sub-process is to be invoked as a synchronous request/reply web service, the Receive and Reply must be associated with the same partner, port type, and operation. These properties can all be configured in the property sheet for the user activity.

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