IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Developing business processes > Work with business calendars
Business calendar types
The business calendar schema is flexible enough to allow multiple ways of creating calendars. In the flat model, all of the metadata is in one calendar file. In the hierarchical model, you can build small calendars that are complete on their own and then build a top level calendar that references other calendars. When authoring business calendars in IBM Integration Designer you do not need to explicitly decide whether the calendars must be flat or hierarchical. If all the intervals are in a single calendar, it will be flat and if the calendar includes or excludes other calendars then the calendar will be hierarchical.
Flat Calendars versus hierarchical calendars
If you have no use case for sharing or reusing calendars, a flat calendar will be sufficient. However, if you need to share or reuse calendars, then a hierarchical calendar can be assembled using smaller flat calendars.