Go to page:
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Next
Domains and Administration
BPEL Console can also be used for server administration. The BPEL administration can be accessed if we follow the Goto BPEL Admin link on the main logon page. We have to supply the administration password, which is initially oracle. The BPEL Admin has two major functions:
- Administration of server-related parameters and administration passwords
- Managing BPEL domains
(continued)The administration of server-related parameters includes three tabs, Config, Password, and Trace:
(Full Size Image)
Within Config we can modify various server parameters, including J2EE container platform (OC4J, JBoss, WebLogic), data sources, and BPEL SOAP server URL. We can also specify whether users need to supply a password when they log on to a BPEL domain and whether they can see a list of available domains.
This brings us to the BPEL domains. We have already mentioned that Oracle BPEL Server is organized into domains. Since domains enable us to logically organize business processes, using several domains is recommended in real-world scenarios. After installation, the default domain is created automatically. Additional domains can be created under the BPEL Domains tab.
If we follow the Create New BPEL Domain link we can create new domains. We have to specify the domain ID, password, and JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) addresses for regular and transactional data sources:
(Full Size Image)
With this we have concluded our review of the BPEL Console. In the next section we look at the BPEL Designer.
Graphical Development with BPEL Designer
Writing BPEL processes by hand as we have done in previous chapters can become time consuming. Therefore Oracle has developed the BPEL Designer, which enables graphical development of BPEL processes. Instead of writing BPEL code we can develop processes in a graphical environment where we can add activities using drag-and-drop. BPEL Designer simplifies development and makes it faster. In addition to drag-and-drop modeling it provides a browser through which we can locate web services. It also provides a copy assistant, an XPath editor, and the ability to compile and deploy a process on the BPEL Server with one mouse click.
Oracle BPEL Designer natively supports BPEL version 1.1, so we can also use it for developing BPEL processes that will be deployed on other BPEL servers. BPEL Designer supports Oraclespecific functions such as user tasks and Java embedding. However, using these limits portability.
The BPEL Designer has been developed as an Eclipse plug-in. Therefore we should get familiar with the basics of the Eclipse platform (http://www.eclipse.org/). BPEL Designer 1.0 requires that we install Eclipse 3.0. For detailed installation instructions please refer to Oracle tutorials, which can be downloaded from http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/ias/bpel/index.html.
The following screenshot shows the main BPEL Designer screen with the opened Travel process (the example used in this and previous chapters). It shows the overview of the process with partner links and global XML variables exposed:
(Full Size Image)
Here we can add partner links and variables to our process.
Partner Links and Web Services
To add a partner link to the process, we simply click Add Partner Link, located in the lower right corner of the main window. After entering the partner link name and WSDL location, the designer will help us in selecting the partner link types and roles. This is shown in the following screenshot:
(Full Size Image)
If we do not know the exact location of the WSDL, we can use the UDDI browser, through which we can locate and select the appropriate web service. The web service can be located on the local computer, or we can use a UDDI registry. Later we will discuss BPEL Server's built-in services. The following screenshot shows the view on the local services:
(Full Size Image)
Variables
By following the Add XML Variable link, we can add a global variable to the process. Variables in BPEL processes can be defined globally or within scopes. Adding them with BPEL Designer requires us to fill out the following form:
(Full Size Image)
We have to enter the variable name and type, which can be a message type, an element, or an XML Schema type.
Process Map
Let us now switch from the Overview to the Process Map view. BPEL Designer will show the graphical representation of the process, similar to what we have seen in the BPEL Console. In this view we can click on each activity to get the details (in the right-hand window). We can also add activities by dragging-and-dropping them on the required location in the process. As shown in the following figure, all standard BPEL and Oracle-specific activities are supported:
(Full Size Image)
We can also right-click on each activity and select the required option from the menu. If we select an <assign> activity, we can select the Add Copy Rule option. This opens the Copy Rule window where we can enter the details of a copy activity:
(Full Size Image)
To enter an expression we can open the BPEL Function Wizard by clicking on '...'. The wizard helps us to compose an XPath expression. In the first step we have to select a function from the list of available functions. Note that it also offers some Oracle-specific functions (those with oraprefix), which are discussed later in this chapter:
(Full Size Image)
After selecting the function, we have to fill in the required parameters. In our case we have selected the bpws:getVariableData() function. Therefore we have to enter the variable, part, and XPath query (optional):
(Full Size Image)
BPEL Designer also provides the source-code view where we can edit the BPEL code directly. Changes made in source view are reflected immediately in the BPEL Designer visual representation, and vice versa.
Go to page:
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Next
IE 7
Firefox 2.0
