BPMN Flow Objects

This section describes the BPMN design elements and their properties as they are represented in the Intalio|BPMS Designer application.

Appendix Contents

• Flow Objects Overview
• Basic BPMN Shapes
• Events
• Gateways

Flow Objects Overview

This section provides a brief overview of the key elements used in creating a process design and their properties:

• Basic BPMN Shapes
• Events
• Gateways
• Common Properties

Activities, events and gateways are accessed directly from the Palette panel or from Modeling Assistant. Flow connectors, described separately inFlow Connector Properties, are delineated with the mouse cursor.

Basic BPMN Shapes

The BPMN specification describes an activity as "a generic term for work that [a process participant] performs." In the Intalio|BPMS Designer, the Palette panel represents multiple forms of the two basic activities: task and sub-process. Tasks are the most basic unit; subprocesses represent bound BPMN objects. As shown below, activities are represented by rectangles with rounded corners.
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Pools and lanes are also included inside the basic shapes. A pool represents a participant in a process. It is also acts as a "swim lane" and a graphical container for partitioning a set of activities from other pools. A Lane is a sub-partition within a Pool and will extend the entire length of the Pool, either vertically or horizontally. Lanes are used to organize and categorize activities.

 

Flow connectors also included inside the basic shapes.
Flow Connector: This is using for connecting between two activities in the same pool.
Message Connection: This Connector is using for connecting between two activities which are in different pools
Association: This is using for to connect from activity to a text annotation or to a data objects.

 

These objects and their properties are further described in Activities.

Figure 1- Activities Represented in the Palette Panel

 

 

NOTE: Technically, per the BPMN specification, an entire pool and its contents also constitute an activity.

Events

Events represent events that affect the process flow. They can cause or trigger or a result. There are three types of events (start, intermediate, and end), as further described in Events.

As shown below, events are represented by circular object shapes. The graphical icons indicate the type of trigger or result associated with the event.

Figure 2- Events Represented in the Palette Panel

 

 

Gateways

Gateways represent points of decision in the process diagram from which the process flow can continue down one or more paths.

Gateways direct the process flow in one of three ways:

• Exclusively: only one branch can execute.
• Inclusively: one or more branches may execute.
• In parallel: all branches execute.

Furthermore, gateways can determine flow direction based on the contents of the process data (data-based) or based on which subsequent event executes first (event-based).

Figure 3- Gateways Represented in the Palette Panel

 

 

For more information about gateway objects and their properties, see Gateways

Activities

Task and Looping Task Properties

This section describes the Task and Looping Task activities. These activities are identical; the Looping Task simply has the Loop type property preset to Standard.

Figure 5�- Task Activity Shapes

 

 

Property	Description
Label	Using this you can give the name for activity.
Documentation	You can use this field to add additional documentation about the selected activity.
Technical Name	Here you can give the technical name for the looping task
Loop type	A task can be one of three loop types: While (default) This type will create while condition for the loop. The activity evaluates the Boolean condition and continues to loop as long as the expression evaluates true. Repeat until - This type creates a multi-instance task. The activity evaluates a Boolean expression and continues until the expression evaluates as true. This condition executes minimum once. Foreach - This type creates a multi-instance task. For each element of the node-set (first argument) the quoted XPath expression (second argument) is evaluated and the result put into a node set. NOTE: Foreach is not implemented in Looping task, so this is included for future reference only.� NOTE: If the While or Repeat until or For Each option is set, the activity shape will display the curling loop icon. Also, either looping option necessitates additional properties that must be configured. For more information, see Working with Looping Activities..
Activity Type	It will display the name of the activity type. Using this we can change the activity Type

 

Sub-Process Properties

This section describes all the Sub-process activitys. The Palette displays two different shapes but these activities are identical and share the same properties; the Looping Sub-process simply has the Loop type property. Both contain prepositioned activities, which be replaced and modified as desired.

NOTE: To display sub-process properties, select the outer boundary of the activity. When selected it displays as red.

Figure 6�- Sub-Process Activity Shapes

 

 

Property	Description
Label	Using this you can give the name for activity.
Documentation	You can use this field to add additional documentation about the selected activity.
Technical Name	You can give the technical name for the looping task
Loop type	A task can be one of three loop types: � ��� ��� o�While (default) � This type will create while condition for the loop. The activity evaluates the Boolean condition and continues to loop as long as the expression evaluates true. ��� o�Repeat until - This type creates a multi-instance task. The activity evaluates a Boolean expression and continues until the expression evaluates as true. This condition executes minimum once. ��� o�Foreach - This type creates a multi-instance task. For each element of the node-set (first argument) the quoted XPath expression (second argument) is evaluated and the result put into a node set. NOTE: Foreach is not implemented in Looping task, so this is included for future reference only.� NOTE: If the While or Repeat until or For Each option is set, the activity shape will display the curling loop icon. Also, either looping option necessitates additional properties that must be configured. For more information, see Working with Looping Activities
Activity Type	It will display the name of the activity type. Using this we can change the activity Type
ODE Failure Handling	This you can use when you are using boundary events.
Fault on failure	By default it is false while using the boundary events you can this accordingly.
Retry Delay	Here you can use integer value for how much time it need to delay for retry.
Retry for	Here you can use integer value for how many times it needs to retry.

 

Events

Event are divided into three categories, each of which contains its own set of events:

• Start Events
• Intermediate Events
• End Events

All the events having same properties� mentioned below.�

 

 

Property	Description
Label	Using this you can give the name for activity.
Documentation	You can use this field to add additional documentation about the selected activity.
Technical Name	You can give the technical name for the looping task
Activity Type	It will display the name of the activity type. Using this we can change the activity Type

 

Each category is further described below.

Start Events

There are three kinds of start events:

• Empty Start Event
• Message Start Event
• Rule Start Event

 

Empty Start Event

The Empty start event simply indicates where the process execution begins. (Other start events define types of triggers, such as a type of message.)

Figure 7�- Empty Start Event Icon

 

 

Message Start Event

This event triggers process execution based on an incoming message.

Figure 8�- Message Start Event Icon

 

 

Rule Start Event

This event triggers process execution based on an incoming message.

Figure 9�- Rule Start Event Icon

 

 

NOTE: Timer Start Event also there but it was not implemented in current version.

 

Intermediate Events

There are six kinds of intermediate events:

• Empty Intermediate Event
• Message Intermediate Event
• Timer Intermediate Event
• Error Intermediate Event
• Compensation Intermediate Event
• Rule Intermediate Event

 

Empty Intermediate Event

The Empty intermediate helps document the process diagram.

Figure 10�- Empty Intermediate Event Icon

 

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Message Intermediate Event

This event awaits for the arrival of a message from a participant.

Figure 11�- Message Intermediate Event Icon

 

 

Timer Intermediate Event

This event waits for a specified duration of time.

Figure 12�- Timer Intermediate Event Icon

 

 

Error Intermediate Event

Within the normal flow, this event maps to a throw element. Attached to an activity, the mappings of the activity (to which the Event is attached) will be placed within a scope and the event maps to a catch element within a scope.

NOTE: For more information about this event, see Working with Exception Handlers.

Figure 13�- Error Intermediate Event Icon

 

 

Compensation Intermediate Event

This event attaches to a transactional subprocess and indicates how that sub-process may be compensated. In a process design in the event of a rollback. A compensation event uses a compensation flow connector to direct the process to a compensation activity.

Figure 14�- Compensation Intermediate Event Icon

 

 

Rule Intermediate Event

This event awaits for the arrival of a message from a participant.

Figure 15�- Rule Intermediate Event Icon

 

 

End Events

There are four kinds of end events:

• Empty End Event
• Message End Event
• Error End Event
• Terminate End Event

Empty End Event

The Empty end event simply indicates where the process execution ends.

Figure 16�- Empty End Event Icon

 

 

Message End Event

This event sends a message when the process completes.

Figure 17�- Message End Event Icon

 

 

Error End Event

This event generates an error when the process completes.

Figure 18�- Error End Event Icon

 

 

Terminate End Event

This event forces a process to terminate even if other, parallel events in the same flow are still executing.

Figure 19�- Terminate End Event Icon

 

 

Gateways

All four gateway shapes have the same set of properties. However, they behave differently in the diagram context.

NOTE: For more information about gateways, see Working with Gateways and Decision Points.

Table 2: Gateways and Their Behavior

 

Icon	Name	Description
	Data-based exclusive	Process flow direction is determined by evaluation of process data against conditions set for each branch, with a default branch if no conditions are met. Only one branch can execute. All flow connectors originating from this gateway are condition flow connectors by default.
	Data-based inclusive	The same as above, except more than one branch is allowed to execute, based on matching conditions.
	Event-based exclusive	Process flow direction is determined by the first event to execute on a flow connector originating from this gateway. For example, this gateway may have two branches, one with an activity awaiting a "Not Available" message, the other with an activity awaiting a "Quote" message. If the "Quote" message is received first, the process flow will continue along the flow of the activity that consumes it; the other flow will be ignored. All flow connectors originating from this gateway are sequence flow connectors by default.
	Parallel	The process flow follows every direction. All flow connectors originating from this gateway are sequence flow connectors by default.

 

Table 3: Gateway Properties

 

 

Property	Description
Label	Using this you can give the name for activity.
Documentation	You can use this field to add additional documentation about the selected activity.
Technical Name	You can give the technical name for the looping task
Activity Type	It will display the name of the activity type. Using this we can change the activity Type