Build a Business Process Solution Using Rational and WebSphere Tools

Build a Business Process Solution Using Rational and WebSphere Tools

by Peter Swithinbank, Arisa Izuno, Hossam Badawi, Jenny He, Parul Lewicke, Holger Schwarzer, Larry Yusuf
Released February 2006
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: 9780738496306

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Book description

This IBM Redbooks publication is based on the experiences of a team in the IBM Hursley laboratory. They built an auto-claim insurance solution to put the WebSphere software platform through its paces. The team worked with WebSphere developers to use the experience of building the solution to improve the design of WebSphere version 6 platform products.

They thought it would be valuable to share their experiences with a wider audience. The result is a tour de force, showing how the team went about using IBM’s software development platform to understand business requirements and then architect, design and build the solution.

Their experiences will help you plan, design and build a business driven development solution using products from IBM’s WebSphere Business Integration portfolio.

This book is written from the perspective of three types of developer: the business analyst, the software architect, and the IT specialist. Individual chapters in the book show how each member of the team developed their part of the solution, and how the team integrated the solution together.

Please note that the additional material referenced in the text is not available from IBM.

Table of contents

  1. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  2. Preface
    1. The companies in this redbook
    2. The team that wrote this redbook
    3. Become a published author
    4. Comments welcome
  3. Part 1: Background
    1. Chapter 1: Business context
      1. Setting the scene
        1. Company history
        2. Scope of the scenario
        3. Claim system
      2. Business goals
        1. Reduce cost
        2. Increase customer satisfaction
        3. Incorporate existing resources into the new solution
        4. Provide a complete view of the external assessment process
      3. IT goals and constraints
      4. Roles
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 2: Current architecture
      1. Before the merger
      2. The merged solution context
      3. Integration solutions
        1. Quote and policy administration
        2. Claims Integration
      4. IT infrastructure (1/2)
      5. IT infrastructure (2/2)
        1. User interfaces
        2. Application Servers
        3. Message Brokers
        4. Process managers
        5. Backend transaction servers and data centers
      6. Extending the architecture
      7. Summary
  4. Part 2: Modeling
    1. Chapter 3: Our method
      1. Building the On Demand Business
        1. The on demand operating environment
        2. Service-oriented modeling
        3. The IBM Software Development Platform
      2. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (1/6)
      3. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (2/6)
      4. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (3/6)
      5. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (4/6)
      6. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (5/6)
      7. Building the External Claim Assessor solution (6/6)
        1. Roles and responsibilities
        2. Responsibilities and contract-based development
        3. Gather business requirements though modeling workshops
        4. Establish a Reference Architecture
        5. The Patterns for e-business layered asset model
        6. A process for using the Patterns for e-business asset model
        7. Use a Model Driven Development approach
        8. Tool chains
      8. Summary
    2. Chapter 4: Business Process
      1. Introduction to business process management (1/2)
      2. Introduction to business process management (2/2)
        1. Business Process Management
        2. IBM suite of BPM tools
        3. Why business process modelling
        4. WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
        5. Editions of WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
      3. Using WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
        1. Who uses WebSphere Business Integration Modeler?
      4. Modeling the claim investigation process (1/7)
      5. Modeling the claim investigation process (2/7)
      6. Modeling the claim investigation process (3/7)
      7. Modeling the claim investigation process (4/7)
      8. Modeling the claim investigation process (5/7)
      9. Modeling the claim investigation process (6/7)
      10. Modeling the claim investigation process (7/7)
        1. Start WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
        2. Import AS-IS process
        3. Analyzing the as-is process
        4. Create the to-be process
        5. Build a new process
        6. Features attractive to business analyst
      11. Simulate the process (1/3)
      12. Simulate the process (2/3)
      13. Simulate the process (3/3)
        1. Create a simulation snapshot
        2. Define values for simulation
        3. Run a simulation
        4. Simulate the whole claim investigation process
        5. Analyze the results
      14. Developing the process implementation (1/4)
      15. Developing the process implementation (2/4)
      16. Developing the process implementation (3/4)
      17. Developing the process implementation (4/4)
        1. Export processes
        2. Export as FDL process
        3. Export RequestExternalReports as a BPEL4WS process
      18. Summary
    3. Chapter 5: System Architecture
      1. Selecting the architectural patterns
      2. Step 0: Collating requirements (1/3)
      3. Step 0: Collating requirements (2/3)
      4. Step 0: Collating requirements (3/3)
        1. Business goals
        2. Business use cases
        3. Roles
        4. Components
        5. Organization and architectural constraints
        6. Limitations
      5. Step 1: Select a Business Integration Pattern
      6. Step 2: Select the application pattern
        1. Collaborations
        2. Application Patterns for the Extended Enterprise
        3. Application patterns for Application Integration
      7. Step 3: Select and merge the runtime patterns
        1. Proposal 1: Broker focussed integration pattern
        2. Proposal 2: Process focused integration pattern
      8. Step 4: Apply product mappings
        1. Existing systems and platform investments
        2. Available customer and developer skills
        3. Customer choice
        4. Product Mappings
      9. Reference architecture
        1. Omissions from the reference architecture
      10. Summary
    4. Chapter 6: Solution Architecture
      1. Interaction Model (1/2)
      2. Interaction Model (2/2)
        1. Interaction descriptions
        2. Sequence diagram
      3. Interfaces (1/4)
      4. Interfaces (2/4)
      5. Interfaces (3/4)
      6. Interfaces (4/4)
        1. Choice of interface description language
        2. Creating WSDL interfaces
        3. Sources of Interface Information for the scenario
        4. Creating the interface definitions
        5. Incorporating the interfaces into the UML model
        6. Summary of the interfaces
      7. The architect’s contracts
      8. Making materials available
      9. Conclusion
  5. Part 3: Implementation
    1. Chapter 7: Install and configure runtimes
      1. System Infrastructure
        1. Mobile computer configuration
        2. Communication implementation
      2. Install SAH414A (1/3)
      3. Install SAH414A (2/3)
      4. Install SAH414A (3/3)
        1. WebSphere MQ
        2. DB/2
        3. WebSphere Application Server
        4. Install and configure WebSphere MQ Workflow
        5. Install and configure the Message Broker
      5. Install and Configure SAH414B (1/2)
      6. Install and Configure SAH414B (2/2)
        1. WebSphere MQ
        2. DB/2
        3. WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation
    2. Chapter 8: Test and deploy the application components
      1. The Assessor Automation System (1/2)
      2. The Assessor Automation System (2/2)
        1. Assessor Management System
        2. Business Rules Engine
        3. Document Management System
      3. External Assessor System
      4. Deploy and test application components
        1. Deploying to WebSphere Application Server
        2. Testing the deployed applications
      5. Summary
    3. Chapter 9: Build the Enterprise Service Bus
      1. Architecture
      2. WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker (1/2)
      3. WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker (2/2)
        1. Components of message broker
      4. Component Design (1/3)
      5. Component Design (2/3)
      6. Component Design (3/3)
        1. Message Sets
        2. Message flows and transport independence
        3. Database tables
        4. Distribution and aggregation
      7. Implementation of the message sets (1/5)
      8. Implementation of the message sets (2/5)
      9. Implementation of the message sets (3/5)
      10. Implementation of the message sets (4/5)
      11. Implementation of the message sets (5/5)
        1. Convert the messages in wsdl files into schemas
        2. Create the Message Set Project
        3. Create the Message Set
        4. Import the schemas into the broker
        5. Using schemas to create MDFs
        6. Customizing the SOAP MDF (soap11.mxsd)
        7. Create the SOAP messages
      12. Implementation of the database tables
        1. Create the ASSESSOR Database
        2. Create the schema and tables
        3. Connect to the database from the broker workbench
      13. Create the message flows (1/7)
      14. Create the message flows (2/7)
      15. Create the message flows (3/7)
      16. Create the message flows (4/7)
      17. Create the message flows (5/7)
      18. Create the message flows (6/7)
      19. Create the message flows (7/7)
        1. Create the Message Flow projects and dependencies
        2. Create message flows
        3. Create the CommonSOAPHttpFlows
        4. Create the AvailabilityFlows
        5. Create AssessorReport flows
      20. Create the ESQL code for the message flows (1/3)
      21. Create the ESQL code for the message flows (2/3)
      22. Create the ESQL code for the message flows (3/3)
        1. ESQL functions to support Aggregation
        2. Setting the SOAP/Http destination dynamically
        3. Common namespace prefix declarations
        4. ESQL Error handling code
      23. Deploy message set and flows
        1. Create the UNKNOWN flow
        2. Create a Broker Archive
        3. Deploying Assessor.bar to the broker
      24. Unit testing the deployed flows (1/2)
      25. Unit testing the deployed flows (2/2)
        1. Test tools
        2. Scaffolded Assessor and Claim system
        3. Tracing and debugging flows
    4. Chapter 10: Build the Request External Reports process
      1. Overview
      2. Import WSDL and BPEL into the IDE (1/2)
      3. Import WSDL and BPEL into the IDE (2/2)
        1. Import WSDL from Rational Software Architect
        2. Import BPEL from WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
      4. Integrate the process with its services
      5. Integrate the process with its services (1/7)
      6. Integrate the process with its services (2/7)
      7. Integrate the process with its services (3/7)
      8. Integrate the process with its services (4/7)
      9. Integrate the process with its services (5/7)
      10. Integrate the process with its services (6/7)
      11. Integrate the process with its services (7/7)
        1. Correct the list of partner links in the model
        2. Integrate the partner links with the process
        3. Configure the partner links
        4. Configure the activities
        5. Configure the types of input and output variables
        6. Map data between input and output variables
        7. Configuring the flow to wait for responses from the assessors
      12. Controlling the path through the process (1/3)
      13. Controlling the path through the process (2/3)
      14. Controlling the path through the process (3/3)
        1. Checking the results from RequestAvailability
        2. Create a While activity to test for a committed assessment
      15. Implementing the Claim handler staff activity (1/2)
      16. Implementing the Claim handler staff activity (2/2)
      17. Build
        1. Building the business process
        2. Building for a production server
      18. Test and debug the process (1/3)
      19. Test and debug the process (2/3)
      20. Test and debug the process (3/3)
        1. Prepare to test
        2. Publishing the business process to the test server
        3. Creating the test environment
        4. Check that downstream components are operational
        5. Testing and debugging the business process
      21. Deploy the process to the server
        1. Installation of business process application
        2. Verify the application
      22. Summary
    5. Chapter 11: Modify the Claim Investigation process
      1. WebSphere MQ Workflow: long-running processes
      2. Process Integration: WebSphere MQ Workflow
        1. Implementing custom invocations in WebSphere MQ Workflow
      3. Create the ClaimInvestigation_TOBE Workflow (1/2)
      4. Create the ClaimInvestigation_TOBE Workflow (2/2)
        1. Import the ASIS workflow
        2. Create the data structures for RequestExternalReports
        3. Define the interface to RequestExternalReports
      5. Deploying the workflow process
      6. Summary
    6. Chapter 12: Integrate and test the business processes
      1. Integrating WebSphere MQ Workflow and WebSphere BI Server Foundation
        1. Candidate SupportPacs
      2. SupportPac WA0D overview
        1. WebSphere MQ Workflow interfaces
        2. Process Choreographer interfaces
        3. The SupportPac Architecture
        4. How the SupportPac works
      3. Installing and configuring the WA0D SupportPac (1/2)
      4. Installing and configuring the WA0D SupportPac (2/2)
        1. Upgrade WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation
        2. Define WPCUPESQ
        3. Install WA0D
        4. Configure the claim investigation process
        5. Generate FDL
        6. Generate WSDL for the proxy process
        7. Install the Supportpac Eclipse plug-in
        8. Create the RequestExternalReportsProxy process
        9. Add WMQ_Formatter.jar to the process
        10. Replace bpeInterop.jar in the server library
        11. Install bpeInterop.ear
        12. Install the RequestExternalReportsProxy process
      5. Test the integration
      6. Summary
    7. Chapter 13: Points to consider
      1. Lessons learned (1/2)
      2. Lessons learned (2/2)
        1. Business Modeling and IT Architecture
        2. Export BPEL from WebSphere Business Integration Modeler?
        3. Naming
        4. Metadata
        5. Service Bus
        6. Conclusion
      3. Tooling and middleware changes
        1. WebSphere MQ
        2. WebSphere MQ Workflow
        3. WebSphere Application Server
        4. WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker
        5. WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation
        6. WebSphere Studio Application Development Integration Edition
        7. WebSphere Business Integration Modeler
        8. Rational Software Architect
  6. Part 4: Appendixes
    1. Appendix A: Additional material
      1. Locating the Web material
      2. Using the Web material
        1. System requirements for downloading the Web material
        2. How to use the Web material
    2. Appendix B: Integration considerations
      1. Integrating WebSphere Business Integration Modeler andRational Software Architect
        1. Business Process and Application Development Use Case
    3. Abbreviations and acronyms
    4. Related publications
      1. IBM Redbooks
      2. Other publications
      3. Online resources
      4. How to get IBM Redbooks
      5. Help from IBM
    5. Index (1/6)
    6. Index (2/6)
    7. Index (3/6)
    8. Index (4/6)
    9. Index (5/6)
    10. Index (6/6)
    11. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Build a Business Process Solution Using Rational and WebSphere Tools
  • Author(s): Peter Swithinbank, Arisa Izuno, Hossam Badawi, Jenny He, Parul Lewicke, Holger Schwarzer, Larry Yusuf
  • Release date: February 2006
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: 9780738496306