Devoxx 2009 University session Jbpm4 In Action

jBPM 4 in ActionjBPM 4 in Actionby by

Tom Baeyens & Joram BarrezTom Baeyens & Joram Barrez

2

Speaker’s qualificationsFounded jBPM in 2003Project Lead of jBPMPassionate about BPM and JavaArticles/international conferences

JBoss jBPM core developer (06/09)Before: jBPM/BPM consultant

3

Agenda

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Part 4

Very interesting

REALLY interesting !

4

jBPM is great for BPM*and*

for developers

makes your work flow

8

Business process

An (organized) way of 'doing things'

... with a certain goal

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History lesson1723-1790, Adam Smith: The pin factory

– Labor division

1863-1947, Henry Ford: mass production– Assembly lines– Specialization

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History lessonWilliam E. Deming (1900-1993)

'Hero' of Japanese industryManufacturing processes ++

– Quality Circle– SPC– Six-Sigma– ...

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Processes are everywhere

Processes are everywhere

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Conclusion

Any company Any productAny service

They all have business processes

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Conclusion

Any company Any productAny service

Which means– 'Doing business'

== executing some business process

They all have business processes

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The M in BPM

Business processes are ubiquitous

But ... this doesn't mean that– People know they are part of one– Everybody is doing the same – They are controlled or guided

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The M in BPM

Managing business processes means– Everybody knows the what/when– There is guidance or control– Measurement (KPI)

Not a matter of 'buying BPM'– Organisational changes– Discipline

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BPM Systems

~BPM engine or workflow engineExecutes the business processes

– Diagram––––– <tech-details />

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Introducing jBPM

Transactional state-machineGeneric graph execution engine

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Introducing jBPM

Transactional state-machineGeneric graph execution engine

But most of all...– A kick-ass BPM engine

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Main business advantages

Diagram: no disconnection between– What business expects– What IT delivers

AgileVisibility

– Monitoring, CEP, KPI

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Main technical advantagesSolves scattered business logic problem

– Clean separation between data/logicAudit/task mgmt/... capabilities for freeDoesn't dictate your architecture

– Embed with any java framework– Any transaction configuration– Any environment

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jBPM history

4 Jan 2003 : 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

... rrrrrrooooaaaaarrrrr ... and we have a lift off !

jBpm is present in sourceforge.net

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jBPM history

4 Jan 2003 : 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

... rrrrrrooooaaaaarrrrr ... and we have a lift off !

jBpm is present in sourceforge.net

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jBPM history

18 Oct 2004 : released JBoss jBPM 2.0

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jBPM history

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jBPM history

24 May 2005 : The team is proud to declare

the beta1 releases of JBoss jBPM 3.0 !

Check out the sourceforge download pages and have fun...

8 may 2006: We are happy to announce

the release of JBoss jBPM 3.1.1.

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jBPM history

They grow so fast...

3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.43.2.0 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3

3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6

'Back in the days I had spent a full two hours with MS Paint to create the first logo for jBPM.'

'Now that my project even had a logo, I was in full confidence. Nothing could stop me now'

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jBPM history


3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.43.2.0 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3

3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6

'Back in the days I had spent a full two hours with MS Paint to create the first logo for jBPM.'

'Now that my project even had a logo, I was in full confidence. Nothing could stop me now'

'So I went to the conference and immediately I got a lot of valuable feedback'

.'Hey Tom, you're project is great

but your logo sucks bigtime!'

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jBPM history


3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.43.2.0 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3

3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6

'This time I sticked to coding and left the paint job to the professionals. '

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jBPM history

July 2009:

jBPM4 is out!

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jBPM history

November 2009

jBPM 4.2 released

Today

Today

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JBPM v4: what's new?Core engine completely revised

– 2nd generation PVM– Designed for cluster & performance– Not losing what made jBPM3 great

Incorporated lessons learned – 6 years of usage in the wild– Corner cases and even edgier– Simplified 'getting started'

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JBPM v4: what's new?Clean & simplified

– New API (incl. cool query mechanism)– Compact db schema– Native Spring integration

Performance boostImproved tooling

– Sexy GWT console – Signavio web modeling

QA lab

jBPM3 jBPM4

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JBPM v4: performanceDesigned with performance in mind

– Scalability/clusterability– Improved inner workings

Test method– 5 processes– Start --> end– 10K executions, 1-10 fixed threadpool

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JBPM v4: performance

process01 process02 process03 process04 process05 random0

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4

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jBPM 4.2 basic benchmark - MySQL 5(10 000 execut ions)

Seq. exec.2 fixedTP3 fixedTP4 fixedTP5 fixedTP6 fixedTP7 fixedTP8 fixedTP9 fixedTP10 fixedTPav

g du

ratio

n (m

s)

Config: Ubuntu 9.04, AMD Phenom II X4 3.0Ghz, 8Gb Ram, 7200rpm HDDB and benchmark on same machine

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2

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jBPM 4.2 basic benchmark - Postgresql 8.3(10 000 executions)


g du

ratio

n (m

s)


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2

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10

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jBPM 4.2 basic benchmark - Postgresql 8.3(10 000 executions)


g du

ratio

n (m

s)


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Avg process exec. time– 0.75ms – 2ms– 1.8 mil./hour– Yeah, that's fast

jBPM overhead == (extremely) minimal– So what are you waiting for?

Part 2: jBPM ConceptsPart 2: jBPM Concepts

A Process

An Execution

Execution

History

HISTORY_PROCESS_INSTANCE

ID START END …PROCESS

HISTORY_ACTIVITY_INSTANCE

ID START END …HPI ACTIVITY

2 09:391 Check Credit09:39

3 09:421 Accept Quote09:42

4 10:031 Charge Customer10:0310:04

10:041 09:38Order-1

1 09:381 Calculate Quote

History

Software ProjectExecutable Business Process

Processes As Part Of Software Development

Abstract Business Process

Non-techBusiness Analyst Developer<details />

Java, XML, Buildscripts,Tests, …

EAPSOA-PJBossTomcatJDK 5

Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL

jBPM YourApp

SignavioWeb

Modeling

BPM Console

Task UI

JoprBAM BISimu

lation

Model Repository

MavenRepository

SVN Repository

jBPM

PVM

Repository

Executions

History

Tasks

jPDL BPMN2

RepoService

ExeService

HistService

TaskService

Identities

•Users•Groups•Memberships

…

jPDL

• BPM focussed• Graph based• Readable, editable XML• Direct Java integration• Extended task management• Community

Available now!

BPMN 2.0• BPM focussed• Graph based• Upcoming standard• Focus on modeling notation

Coming Soon!

Building Community

BPEL 2.0• Web Service focussed (WSDL)• Script new service

as a function of other services• Block structured

jBPM Overview

Repository

JVM

jBPM.jar

JDBC

RepositoryServiceExecutions

History

Tasks

Identity

ExecutionServiceHistoryServiceTaskService

IdentityService

YourApplication

jBPM APIConfiguration cfg = new Configuration();

ProcessEngine processEngine = cfg.buildProcessEngine();

processEngine.getRepositoryService();processEngine.getExecutionService();processEngine.getHistoryService();processEngine.getTaskService();processEngine.getIdentityService();

jbpm.cfg.xml

jbpm.cfg.xml<jbpm-configuration> <import resource="jbpm.default.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.tx.hibernate.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.jpdl.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.identity.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.businesscalendar.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.console.cfg.xml" /> <import resource="jbpm.jobexecutor.cfg.xml" /></jbpm-configuration>

Installer Ant Scripts• Install, start & stop

– Hsqldb– JBoss– Tomcat

• Create, upgrade & drop jBPM schema

• Install jBPM into– JBoss (service archive)– Tomcat (libs+config)

Part 3: Demo ExamplesPart 3: Demo Examples

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Getting started demo

Working with processes– Can be overwhelming (at first)

Downloaded zip -> business process– Let's hope the demo gods aren't looking

Basically ... a free training!– Please don't tell our bosses

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Demo process

Ordering conference goodies

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First steps

Set up dev environmentUsing jBPM in embedded modeWork in iterations

– Create basic process (start–task-end)

– TDD our process

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jBPM 4 Task

Process execution waitsProcess state is persistedNew task created in DBFunctionality

– 'Work list': assignee, candidate-groups/users, swimlane, handler, ...

– notification/reminder mail– Timers

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DEMODEMO•First stepsFirst steps

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jBPM 4 DIY: custom activity

Business processes are business specificWe have a set of common activities

– And even more planned (jms, ejb, rules, calling your grandmother, ...)

Custom activities will always be neededPojo:<custom name="payout" class="com.devoxx.jbpm4.PayoutActivity"> <transition to="end1" /></custom>

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DEMODEMO•DIY: custom activitiesDIY: custom activities

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Decision

Automatic choice of process flow– Process data– Business rule

Actual decision– Expression– Custom DecisionHandler

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Decision - handler<decision name="evaluate document"> <handler class="org.jbpm.xx.ContentEvaluation" /> <transition name="good" to="submit document" /> <transition name="bad" to="try again" /> <transition name="ugly" to="give up" /></decision>

public class ContentEvaluation implements DecisionHandler { public String decide(OpenExecution execution) { ... }}

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Decision - expression

Expression language– Juel (2.2: +methods)– Groovy– ...

<decision name="evaluate document" expr="#{content}" > <transition name="good" to="submit document" /> <transition name="bad" to="try again" /> <transition name="ugly" to="give up" /></decision>

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Decision - expression

Expression language– Juel (2.2: +methods)– Groovy– ...

<decision name="checkPayment" > <transition name="expensive" to="pay less" > <condition expr=”#{order.amount > 999}” /> </transition> <transition name="cheap" to="pay more" /> <condition expr=”#{order.amount < 1000}” /> </transition></decision>

Process variable

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DEMODEMO• DecisionsDecisions

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Put it in 'staging'

Next steps– Switch to a real database– jBPM web console– Deploy process as part of build (dev)– Incorporate task forms for user IO

simulation

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Task form

Part of deployment – deployment.addResourceFromClasspath(…./my_form.ftl);– <task form="com/devoxx/jbpm4/my_form.ftl"

Freemarker templates– ${processVar}– <input type=”text” name=”myVar” />– Css

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DEMODEMO• Switching to the real stuffSwitching to the real stuff

Part 4: Advanced ConceptsPart 4: Advanced Concepts

Agenda• jBPM Architecture• Process Deployment• Execution and persistence• Transactional control flow• More core features

graph execution+

pers is tence=

transactional control flow

jBPM Architecture: POJO Core• POJO Classes representing

– Process definitions– Runtime executions– History, tasks, identities,...

• Behaviour in the domain model• Domain model persistable with hibernate

ClientProcessDefinition processDefinition = ProcessDefinitionBuilder.startProcess() .startActivity("creditRate?", new

AutomaticCreditRating()) .initial() .transition("priority delivery", "good") .transition("payment upfront", "bad") .endActivity() .startActivity("priority delivery", new WaitState()) .endActivity() .startActivity("payment upfront", new WaitState()) .endActivity() .endProcess();

ClientProcessInstance processInstance = processDefinition.createProcessInstance();

processInstance.setVariable("creditRate", 7);processInstance.start();

incubation

jBPM Architecture: Services• Infrastructure around domain model

– Embeddability– Persistence / transactions

• Services• Interceptors• Environment• Commands

Services• Main API• Services expose methods• Each method 1 command• Commands passed down interceptor stack

– Aka chain of command– Configurable interceptor stack

Servicespublic class ExecutionServiceImpl {

... public ProcessInstance startProcessInstanceById(String procDefId) {

return commandService.execute( new StartProcessInstanceCmd(procDefId,null,null)

); } ...

Configurable Interceptor Stacks• Standalone• JTA• Spring• Remote• Async

incubation

Environment• Decouples POJO model from environment• Interceptorstack responsible

for setting up the environment• Domain model looks up configurable

stuff from the environment• E.g. hibernate session

Commands• Invoke methods on POJO's• Persistence operations

– Load– Save

Persistence

no

submit web sale

sales review

fork

end

send bill

wait for payment

join

ship items

all shipped ?

yes

Persistence

no

submit web sale

sales review

fork

end

send bill

wait for payment

join

ship items

all shipped ?

yes

Execution

Transaction

1. Load

Persistence

no

submit web sale

sales review

fork

end

send bill

wait for payment

join

ship items

all shipped ?

yes

2. UpdateExecution

Transaction

Persistence

no

submit web sale

sales review

fork

end

send bill

wait for payment

join

ship items

all shipped ?

yes

3. Save changes

Execution

Transaction

How Does jBPM Do It?• Deployment• Automatic activities• Wait states• Process concurrency• Async Continuations• Timers

A Business Archive• Plain jar formatted file• .bar extension• Contents

– Process files– Process image– Classes– Forms– Rules– …

Deployment

Deployment With APIRepositoryService repositoryService =

processEngine.getRepositoryService();

String deploymentId =repositoryService.createDeployment() .addResourcesFromZipInputStream( “order.bar”) .deploy();

Deployment With Ant<jar destfile="order.bar"> ...</jar>

<taskdef name="jbpm-deploy" classname="org.jbpm.pvm.internal.ant.JbpmDeployTask" classpathref="jbpm.libs.and.cfg" />

<jbpm-deploy file="order.bar" />

Deployment• Deployment

– HashMap– Representing zip file– Named resources

• Key– Entry name– String

• Value– Blob– byte[]

order.jpdl.xml 11111011…order.jpg 01011100…com/pinokkio/Order.class 00100100…order.rules.drl 01110100…

DEPLOYMENT “1”

Process class

versioning !

Deployers• Scan deployments• Publish objects• RepositoryCache

RepositoryCache

OrderRuleBase

DeployerJpdlDeployerorder.jpdl.xml 11111011…order.jpg 01011100…com/pinokkio/Order.class 00100100…OrderStartForm.ftl 01110100…

DEPLOYMENT “1”

DEPLOYMENT 1

DeploymentClassLoader

Process Instance• All state related to 1 execution of a

process definition• Potentially multiple pointers

keeping track of concurrent paths of execution

• Variables• Timers

Execution• 1 path of execution

– 1 set of variables– 1 set of timers

Structure• 1 process instance is a tree of executions

– Concurrency– Variable

scoping– Competing

events in 1 scope

Full Automatic Example

<process name="Automatic">

<start> <transition to="print dots" /> </start>

<custom name="print dots" class="com.devoxx.jbpm.automatic.PrintDots"> <transition to="end" /> </custom> <end name="end"/>

</process>

Starting ProcessInstance

public void userClickedButtonEjbSessionCmt() { ... ProcessInstance processInstance = executionService

.startProcessInstanceByKey("example") ...}

SomeWeb

Framework

Tomcat

Inside startProcessInstanceByKey• New execution• Executes “print dots”• Execution ends (deleted)• History remains

– Net result– Part of user TX

Demo: Automatic ActivityDemo: Automatic Activity

Observation• Automatic activities

run in thread of the web app• Exceptions in process

roll back webapp transaction• Error message to the user

Waiting• Thread nor transaction should be

blocked for long periods– Not scalable

• Waiting for – A user completing a task– An message from an external system– Some other web request– Anything for which

you don’t want to block the thread/transaction

Persisting State• Current state

– Position in process graph– Variables– Timers

• Waiting means – Persisting state– Committing transaction

A Basic Wait State

<process name="WaitState">

<start> <transition to="print dots" /> </start>

<custom name="print dots" class="com.devoxx.jbpm.automatic.PrintDots"> <transition to="wait" /> </custom>

<state name="wait"> <transition to="end" /> </state>

<end name="end" />

</process>

A Wait State• Execution will wait• Until a signal is given• Typically

– EventListener on start of state activity

– External trigger continues process• MDB, DB trigger, file scanner,...

Wait State Persistence1. executionService

.s tartProcess InstanceByKey(...)1. Creates new execution2. Starts executing from start activity3. Execution arrives in s tate4. Execution state will be saved5. Transaction will be committed6. jBPM service method will return

Wait State Persistence2. Time goes by

– Execution state remains in the DB

Wait State Persistence3. executionService

.s ignalExecutionById(...)1. Loads the execution2. Takes an outgoing transition3. Continues execution till next wait state4. Stores execution updates5. Commit transaction6. signalExecutionById returns

A Basic Wait State

// e.g. in the button click codeProcessInstance processInstance = executionService .startProcessInstanceByKey("WaitState");assertFalse(processInstance.isEnded());String pid = processInstance.getId();

// much later. e.g in another request or MDB executionService.signalExecutionById(pid);

transaction

transaction

Testing• Process == software• Test == 1 scenario• Provide external triggers• Assert execution state• Support for

– Integration testing• Test process as is

– Unit testing• Process updates allow stubs

Demo: Wait S tate ActivityDemo: Wait S tate Activity

Process Execution Timeline

Transactional Control Flow

Auto State AutoAuto Auto State Auto

1. executionService.startProcessInstanceByKey(…)

Java Object:

SQL: INSERT INTO JBPM4_EXECUTION …

execution



2. executionService.signalExecutionById(…)

Java Object:

SQL: UPDATE JBPM4_EXECUTION …

execution



3. executionService.signalExecutionById(…)

Java Object:

SQL: DELETE JBPM4_EXECUTION …

execution

Concurrency• Parallel execution of activities• E.g. Order

– Shipping – Billing

• E.g. Loan– Sending loan money– Archiving contracts

Execution Concurrency

EventListeners• Attach POJO java code

to process execution event• Hidden from the graph

– For technical aspects

<process name="WaitState">

<start> <transition to="wait" /> </start>

<state name="wait"> <on event="start"> <event-listener event="com.devoxx.jbpm.DoHidden"> </on> <transition to="end" /> </state>

<end name="end" />

</process>

public class DoHidden implements EventListener {

public void notify(EventListenerExecution execution) {

... }}

Asynchronous Continuations• Automatic activities in sequence• One takes a long time

– E.g. pdf generation• Don’t block the client thread• async=“true”

pdf-g

Transaction 1 Transaction 2

JobExecutor

Timers• Actions

– Take Transition– Event listeners

• Also handled by JobExecutor• Business Calendar

– 15 minutes– 4 bus iness hours

Variables• HashMap associated to execution• Configurable type system• Scoping

Other Important Features• SEAM integration• Spring integration• Instance migration• Automatic upgrades

Summary

• Fits ins ide your architecture• S upports multiple process languages• Facilitates collaboration• jBPM has real value for real developers

– Model process– Play with transactions– Write POJO code

I just know you're excited to give it a try

You can do it tonight Just before you go to sleep Or even in your bed

Last demo movie

Getting started

http://jbpm.orghttp://processdevelopments.blogspot.comhttp://jorambarrez.be/blog

makes your work flowQ&AQ&A

http://jbpm.org/

http://jbpm.org/

http://processdevelopments.blogspot.com/



http://jorambarrez.be/blog

http://jorambarrez.be/blog

Technology

Devoxx 2009 University session Jbpm4 In Action