IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Create processes in IBM Process Designer > Modeling processes > Modeling events > Modeling message events

Use intermediate message events and message end events to send messages

You can include an intermediate message event in your BPD when you want to model a message event that is sent during execution of a process, or a message end event when you want to send a message at an end of a path.

For example, you may want to call an external service or to send a message to be received by the start event in another process or processes. Message events can be included in the process flow, connected with sequence lines. Intermediate message events have both incoming and outgoing sequence flows, while message end events have only incoming sequence flows. When including message events in a BPD, you should be aware of the general information that applies to all types of message events covered in Modeling message events.

Procedure

1. Drag an intermediate or end event from the palette onto the BPD diagram.

2. In the text box that displays over the event, type a name for the event.

3. Use the Sequence Flow tool to connect the event as needed.

4. Select the event in the diagram and go to the Implementation tab of the Properties view. The default implementation for intermediate events that are included in the process flow is Message. If you are creating a message end event, select Message end event as the implementation type.

5. If you are creating an intermediate message event, select Sending from the available message types in the drop-down list. By default, all message end events are sending message end events.

6. In the Message Trigger section, click Select next to Attached UCA to select an existing undercover agent, or click New to create one.

   Ensure that the sender and receiver of the message both use the same undercover agent.

   For example, if the receiver of the message is an intermediate message event in another BPD, then select the same undercover agent for both the sending message event and the receiving intermediate message event in the other BPD.

   UCAs must have a schedule type of On Event to function as a message trigger. In addition, the service attached to the selected undercover agent must have one or more input variables so that it can pass and correlate information from the event.

7. Go to the Data Mapping tab in the Properties view.

8. In the Input section, click the variable selector icon on the right side of each field to map each undercover agent input variable to a local variable in the BPD. Click the Use default check box if you want to use a default value from the attached undercover agent for a particular variable. When you enable this check box, the variable selector icon is disabled.

Modeling message events

Related tasks:
Create an undercover agent for a message event