IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Get started with IBM BPM > Key concepts > BPEL processes and human tasks
BPEL processes overview
A BPEL process is a business process defined using Web Services Business Process Execution Language, and comprises the following:
| Basic activities | Have no structure and do not contain other activities. For example, assign or invoke activities. |
| Structured activities | Contain other activities. For example, sequence or while activities. |
| Partner links | Interface partners or reference partners. Specify the interaction with external partners using WSDL interfaces. |
| Variables | Store the data exchanged with the process and passed between activities. |
| Correlation sets | Correlate service interactions with the BPEL process instance. Based on application data contained in messages exchanged with the process. |
| Fault handlers | Deal with exceptional situations that can occur when a process runs. |
| Event handlers | Receive and process unsolicited messages in parallel to the normal process execution. |
| Compensation handlers | Compensation logic for a single activity, a group of activities, or a scope. |
Business Process Choreographer also supports the IBM extensions to the BPEL language...
| Human task activities | For human interaction. These inline to-do tasks can be steps in the process that involve a person, for example, completing a form, approving a document, and so on. |
| Script activities | Run inline Java code. The Java code can access all of the variables, correlation properties, partner links, and process and activity contexts. |
| Information service activities | Directly access WebSphere Information Server or relational databases. |
| Timestamps | For process versioning. |
| Extensions | Manually set the transactional boundaries in a BPEL process. |
| Timeouts | For activity timeouts |
See
- Process templates
- Process instances
- Life cycle of BPEL processes
- Dynamic modification of BPEL process instances
- Invocation scenarios for BPEL processes
- Transactional behavior of BPEL processes
- Fault and compensation handling in BPEL processes
BPEL processes and human tasks
Related concepts:
Work with BPEL extensions in Integration Designer
Related information:
Business Process Execution Language for Web Services, Version 1.1
OASIS Web Services Business Process Execution Language, Version 2.0