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Moving business processes from WebSphere Business Modeler to Process Designer

You can import business processes from WebSphere Business Modeler to Process Designer.

You can do this by importing the BPMN models that you exported earlier from WebSphere Business Modeler BPMN 2.0 file archive (.zip) files. You can import your models into the IBM Process Center. You can then use the IBM Process Designer to open the resulting Process App or Toolkit, if you want to see the details of what was imported or to make changes to the imported models.


Procedure

To import BPMN models into the IBM Process Center complete the following steps:

  1. Start the IBM Process Designer from your Windows desktop or using the URL for the Process Center in a browser. The first time you start the IBM Process Designer it opens to the Process Center Console.

    You can trigger the import of the models in two ways. You can either click Import Process App (on the Process App tab), or Import Toolkit (on the Toolkit tab). Either of these actions will result in an import window.

  2. Click Import Process App. The Import Process App window displays.

  3. Click Browse to select the BPMN 2.0 archive (.zip) file that you exported from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler and click Next.

  4. In the Import Process App window, a name and acronym have been specified based on information in the file you selected.

    You can edit the name and acronym and add a description. If you are using IBM BPM Advanced, you will see radio buttons that you can use to choose what will be generated for unimplemented services. Select either Advanced Integration Services or Integration Services and then click Next.

    Advanced integration services are only available for unimplemented services. Integration services are always generated for implemented services. Both radio buttons display only in IBM BPM Advanced. See Building an Integration service and Building an Advanced Integration service.

    A Summary of the import results pane opens containing any generated error, warning and information messages. A new process application or a toolkit is created, containing the content from the BPMN 2.0 archive.

    It will include integration services if the model contained web service bindings and advanced integration services if the model contained unimplemented advanced integration services. All Blueworks Live artifacts will also be integrated with a BPMN import if milestones and other BPMN 2 extensions were in the model.

    A snapshot of the process application is automatically created in the Process Center, for your use as a baseline, in the future, if necessary.

  5. You can filter the messages by clicking Errors or Warnings. Click Save and specify a location if you want to save the messages. All the messages will be saved as a text file even if a filter has been applied. Click Close.


What to do next

You have now imported your BPMN models successfully into the Process Center. The following procedure helps you identify the step-by-step actions you will take after a successful import. However these steps will vary depending on the contents of your model and how you intend to make use of these models in the future. If you had seen warning messages at the end of your import it is likely that you may need to take some remedial action. Warnings usually indicate an unsupported construct or invalid input model. For each warning, examine the contents of what was generated and take additional action as required.

Authoring scenarios


Next Steps after importing BPMN Models


Procedure

  1. Open the Process App or Toolkit created
  2. Open every single generated artifact and ensure that its contents appear as expected.
  3. Replace any of the default generated logic with the intended logic wherever necessary.

  4. Complete the following steps for each of the following artifact:

    Services: Enter the service flow details

    1. Human services: Customize the default generated coach
    2. Rule services: Enter the rule details
    Participant Groups: Specify the group members


    Processes:

    1. Private Variables: Provide default values for any variables that are not initialized.
    2. XOR and IOR Gateways: Enter the conditional logic
    3. Javascript Activities: Enter the javascript logic

    4. Adjust the process layout to minimize connection crossing.
  5. Check for validation messages and fix them as necessary.