BusinessFlowManagerService interface

IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Programming IBM BPM > Developing client applications for BPEL processes and tasks > Developing EJB client applications > Developing applications for BPEL processes
BusinessFlowManagerService interface

The BusinessFlowManagerService interface exposes business-process functions that can be called by a client application.

The methods that can be called by the BusinessFlowManagerService interface depend on the state of the process or the activity and the authorization of the person that uses the application containing the method. The main methods for manipulating BPEL process objects are listed here. For more information about these methods and the other methods that are available in the BusinessFlowManagerService interface, see the Javadoc in the com.ibm.bpe.api package.

Process templates

A process template is a versioned, deployed, and installed process model that contains the specification of a BPEL process. It can be instantiated and started by issuing appropriate requests, for example, sendMessage(). The execution of the process instance is driven automatically by the server.

API methods for process templates
Method Description
getProcessTemplate Retrieves the specified process template.
queryProcessTemplates Retrieves process templates that are stored in the database.

Process instances

The following API methods are related to starting process instances.

API methods that are related to starting process instances
Method Description
call Creates and runs a microflow.
callWithReplyContext Creates and runs a microflow with a unique starting service or a long-running process with a unique starting service from the specified process template. The call waits asynchronously for the result.
callWithUISettings Creates and runs a microflow and returns the output message and the client user interface (UI) settings.
initiate Creates a process instance and initiates processing of the process instance. Use this method for long-running processes.
You can also use this method for microflows that you want to fire and forget.
initiateAndSuspend Creates a process instance but immediately suspends the further processing of the process instance.
initiateAndClaimFirst Creates a process instance and claims the first inline human task.
sendMessage Sends the specified message to the specified activity service and process instance. If a process instance with the same correlation set values does not exist, it is created. The process can have either unique or non-unique starting services.
getStartActivities Returns information about the activities that can start a process instance from the specified process template.
getActivityServiceTemplate Retrieves the specified activity service template.

API methods for controlling the lifecycle of process instances
Method Description
suspend Suspends the execution of a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the running or failing state.
resume Resumes the execution of a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the suspended state.
restart Restarts a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the finished, failed, or terminated state.
forceTerminate Terminates the specified top-level process instance, its subprocesses with child autonomy, and its running, claimed, or waiting activities.
delete Deletes the specified top-level process instance and its subprocesses with child autonomy.
query Retrieves the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
queryEntities Uses query tables to retrieve the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
getWaitingActivities Returns information about the activities that are waiting for a message so that the processing of these activities can continue.
migrate Migrates a process instance to the specified newer version of its process model.

Activities

For invoke activities, you can specify in the process model that these activities continue in error situations. If the continueOnError flag is set to false and an unhandled error occurs, the activity is put into the stopped state. A process administrator can then repair the activity. The continueOnError flag and the associated repair functions can, for example, be used in a long-running process where an invoke activity fails occasionally, but the effort required to model compensation and fault handling is too high.
The following methods are available for working with and repairing activities.

API methods for controlling the lifecycle of activity instances
Method Description
claim Claims a ready activity instance for a user to work on the activity.
cancelClaim Cancels the claim of the activity instance.
complete Completes the activity instance.
completeAndClaimSuccessor Completes the activity instance and claims the next one in the same process instance for the logged-on person.
forceComplete Forces the completion of the following:

An activity instance that is in the running or stopped state.
A human task activity that is in the state ready or claimed.
A wait activity in state waiting.

forceRetry Forces the repetition of the following:

An activity instance that is in the running or stopped state.
A human task activity that is in the state ready or claimed.

forceNavigate, forceForEach, forceLoop, forceJoin These methods force the navigation of a stopped activity.
skip Skips processing of the activity.
jump Jumps from one activity to the other.
query Retrieves the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
queryEntities Uses query tables to retrieve the properties from the database that match the search criteria.

Variables and custom properties

The interface provides a get and a set method to retrieve and set values for variables.
You can also associate named properties with, and retrieve named properties from, process and activity instances. Custom property names and values must be of the java.lang.String type.

API methods for variables and custom properties
Method Description
getVariable Retrieves the specified variable.
setVariable Sets the specified variable.
getCustomProperty Retrieves the named custom property of the specified activity or process instance.
getCustomProperties Retrieves the custom properties of the specified activity or process instance.
getCustomPropertyNames Retrieves the names of the custom properties for the specified activity or process instance.
setCustomProperty Stores custom-specific values for the specified activity or process instance.

Developing applications for BPEL processes

Related information:
Deprecated features

Method	Description
getProcessTemplate	Retrieves the specified process template.
queryProcessTemplates	Retrieves process templates that are stored in the database.

Method	Description
call	Creates and runs a microflow.
callWithReplyContext	Creates and runs a microflow with a unique starting service or a long-running process with a unique starting service from the specified process template. The call waits asynchronously for the result.
callWithUISettings	Creates and runs a microflow and returns the output message and the client user interface (UI) settings.
initiate	Creates a process instance and initiates processing of the process instance. Use this method for long-running processes. You can also use this method for microflows that you want to fire and forget.
initiateAndSuspend	Creates a process instance but immediately suspends the further processing of the process instance.
initiateAndClaimFirst	Creates a process instance and claims the first inline human task.
sendMessage	Sends the specified message to the specified activity service and process instance. If a process instance with the same correlation set values does not exist, it is created. The process can have either unique or non-unique starting services.
getStartActivities	Returns information about the activities that can start a process instance from the specified process template.
getActivityServiceTemplate	Retrieves the specified activity service template.

Method	Description
suspend	Suspends the execution of a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the running or failing state.
resume	Resumes the execution of a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the suspended state.
restart	Restarts a long-running, top-level process instance that is in the finished, failed, or terminated state.
forceTerminate	Terminates the specified top-level process instance, its subprocesses with child autonomy, and its running, claimed, or waiting activities.
delete	Deletes the specified top-level process instance and its subprocesses with child autonomy.
query	Retrieves the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
queryEntities	Uses query tables to retrieve the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
getWaitingActivities	Returns information about the activities that are waiting for a message so that the processing of these activities can continue.
migrate	Migrates a process instance to the specified newer version of its process model.

Method	Description
claim	Claims a ready activity instance for a user to work on the activity.
cancelClaim	Cancels the claim of the activity instance.
complete	Completes the activity instance.
completeAndClaimSuccessor	Completes the activity instance and claims the next one in the same process instance for the logged-on person.
forceComplete	Forces the completion of the following: An activity instance that is in the running or stopped state. A human task activity that is in the state ready or claimed. A wait activity in state waiting.
forceRetry	Forces the repetition of the following: An activity instance that is in the running or stopped state. A human task activity that is in the state ready or claimed.
forceNavigate, forceForEach, forceLoop, forceJoin	These methods force the navigation of a stopped activity.
skip	Skips processing of the activity.
jump	Jumps from one activity to the other.
query	Retrieves the properties from the database that match the search criteria.
queryEntities	Uses query tables to retrieve the properties from the database that match the search criteria.

Method	Description
getVariable	Retrieves the specified variable.
setVariable	Sets the specified variable.
getCustomProperty	Retrieves the named custom property of the specified activity or process instance.
getCustomProperties	Retrieves the custom properties of the specified activity or process instance.
getCustomPropertyNames	Retrieves the names of the custom properties for the specified activity or process instance.
setCustomProperty	Stores custom-specific values for the specified activity or process instance.