IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Developing business processes > Building BPEL processes > Business processes
Choose between long-running processes and microflows
To determine which type of process best suites your needs, you need to understand the basic differences between microflows and long-running processes.
To begin with, you need to understand the basic differences between microflows and long-running processes. While they are both considered business processes, a microflow is contained within a single transaction, however a long-running process can be multitransactional, and can run over an extended period of time (see the Business processes topic in the related links for more information). If your process requires more than one transaction, it must be a long-running process. If your process can be designed either way, then consider the following:
- If your process will need to stop at any point and wait for external input, either in the form of an event or a human task, then use a long-running process. Microflows are not interruptible.
- If you do not have IBM extensions enabled for this process, then you cannot use a microflow. A microflow is an IBM enhancement of the BPEL programming language, and so will not be an option if these extensions are disabled.
- If you have a short series of steps to model and want them executed very quickly in the runtime environment, then use a microflow.
- If you have elements in your process that you would like to run in parallel, use a long-running process. Each of the parallel paths must run within its own transaction, and its transactional behavior must be either commit before or requires own.
To change the type of your business process, click an empty area of the business process editor canvas, click the Details tab in the properties area, and click the Refactor to Microflow link.
Tip: The Refactor to Microflow link is not displayed on the Details tab of a long-running process if IBM extensions are disabled. Such a process must be long-running. However, you can enable the extensions by clearing the Disable IBM Process Server BPEL extensions check box on the Details tab of such a process. When you do so, you will be warned that this step cannot be undone.
If you proceed, then the Refactor to Microflow link is displayed on the Details tab and can be used to convert the process to a microflow.
Before you make any final decision on whether to use long-running processes or microflows, you should review the information in the topic Synchronous-over-asynchronous invocation.
Related concepts:
Business processes
Work with BPEL extensions
Best Practice: When to not use the BPEL extensions
Business processes
Related tasks:
Compensating activities in a long-running process
Compensating a microflow
Related reference:
Server tab: BPEL process editor