IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Create processes in IBM Process Designer > Modeling processes > Create a business process definition (BPD) > Subprocess types
Modeling non-reusable subprocesses
A subprocess is a logical collection of activities that exists only within its parent process. Grouping together related process elements in a subprocess simplifies the view of the process, by hiding the complexity of individual step details until the subprocess activity is expanded.
Subprocess activities are represented in the process diagram by an activity element with an expandable subprocess marker:
Procedure
- Open the parent business process definition (BPD) in the Process Designer.
- Drag an activity from the palette onto the diagram area, and enter the name of the activity in the highlighted box.
- In the Implementation tab of the Properties view, select Subprocess. The visualization of the activity in the diagram is updated to reflect the subprocess activity type.
- Double-click the subprocess activity to add elements to the subprocess. The subprocess expands in the editor. By
default, your new subprocess contains a start event and an end event.
Subprocesses must contain at least one start event with an implementation
type of None.
- Drag elements from the palette onto the canvas. Names
of activities created in your subprocess must be different from the names of activities in the top-level process or any subprocess
or event subprocess under the same top-level process.
Swimlanes or milestones that you add to your subprocess are independent from the swimlanes and milestones that are contained in the parent BPD.
- Like other business process activities, you can configure your subprocess to run the subprocess steps multiple times, by selecting the subprocess activity in the parent process and setting the looping behavior in the General tab of the Properties view.
- Subprocesses have access to all of the variables defined in the parent process. Data mapping is not required to pass data into or out of the subprocess. However, you can define private variables that are only available to the subprocess (and any subprocesses it contains).
What to do next
To return to the parent BPD, use the navigation in the upper left of the canvas.