Developing iteratively with IBM WebSphere Business Modeler

After you have imported a model from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler, you can make revisions to that model and use the synchronize wizards and window to identify changed artifacts and to bring the changes into your workspace. That function allows the business analyst to revise the model while you implement it into a working application.

In order to work iteratively, both the model and the application should be developed in version 7.0 or later or migrated to that version. The topics in this section presume that a model has previously been imported into IBM Integration Designer and that you are now working with changes to that model. You might also have made changes to the application in your workspace. The synchronization window identifies changes from both sides.

Important: Before you start, read these guidelines

Moving from a model to a fully implemented application is intricate work. Here are some basic guidelines that will help you succeed.

Start the iterative process with IBM WebSphere Business Modeler 7.0 or a later version and IBM Integration Designer 7.0.

Use the recommended export option to export a project from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler (see Project structure exported from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler). Try to maintain that project structure. Use IBM Integration Designer to enter the application details, not to restructure.

IBM WebSphere Business Modeler allows you to export specific elements instead of entire projects. However, you are advised to work with entire projects if you are using the compare functions of the Synchronize wizard. If you do not compare the entire set of projects from the model to the entire application in IBM Integration Designer, not all changes will be reported and the resulting merged artifacts might contain errors. For more information on exporting a model, refer to IBM WebSphere Business Modeler documentation, "Exporting files to IBM Integration Designer."

Communicate with the model owners. Feed development changes back to the model owners and encourage them to keep the model synchronized with your application.

Read the documentation so you are aware of the limitations in what the tools can do to help you. Not all artifacts can be automatically merged into your application (see Artifacts imported from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler).


Procedure

The procedure outlined below gives a high level view of the iterative development process. For details on lower-level tasks, see the child topics related to this topic.

  1. In the Business Integration view, right-click the workspace project that you want to compare to the model and select Synchronize with Modeler Export.
  2. Browse to find the project interchange file for the revised model.

  3. Use the Synchronize wizard to link projects from the model to projects in the workspace.

  4. If you had to do any manual linking of projects in the previous step, create additional associations at the artifact level.

    You can make those associations using the Custom Associations wizard, which you launch from the Synchronization window.

  5. When you have linked matching projects and artifacts, use the Synchronization window to compare the artifacts in the model to those in the application and to merge changes into the workspace application.
  6. Review the modeling changes in the Synchronization window. Non-conflicting changes are accepted by default. Conflicting changes are rejected by default. Select on any of the changes in the list to see them highlighted in the process model or in the assembly editor. You can overwrite the default behavior by right clicking on a specific change and accepting or rejecting it. If you decide to override the defaults (to reject a non-conflicting change or accept a conflicting one) then changes in the workspace which will be overwritten. When satisfied with the changes click Commit to update your business model or assembly diagram.

  7. Inform the model owner (business analyst) that the report is ready and where it is located.

  8. The model owner needs to make changes to the model to match the current application. Any changes that are not made in the model will be flagged in the next comparison that is done in IBM Integration Designer.
  9. Continue developing the model and the application and repeat the process when required. One early task that might be undertaken by the integration designer is to merge some of the components and interfaces that were accepted from the model to create a more logical structure for deployment.

  1. Phases of modeling for iterative development

    You can model a process and develop and test its implementation in parallel, using synchronization tools to keep the model and the application synchronized. Some of the work requires a good understanding of the artifacts used in the integration environment.

  2. Developing iteratively in a shared environment

    If one person works on the model and develops the application, that person can work with IBM WebSphere Business Modeler installed over IBM Integration Designer in a shell-sharing environment. Shell-sharing is the easiest way to move artifacts from the model to the integration workspace and back.

  3. Developing iteratively using the asset repository

    You can use the asset repository to retrieve projects or artifacts that were developed in IBM WebSphere Business Modeler and to pass back a report of the changes that were made in IBM Integration Designer.

  4. Selecting projects to be compared

    You need to link projects from the revised model with projects in your workspace before you can merge the revisions into your application.

  5. Associating artifacts to be compared
    Use the Custom Associations wizard to identify artifacts generated from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler that you want to compare to artifacts in your workspace. The more artifacts you can associate before the comparison, the less cleanup will be required after the changes are merged into the workspace.
  6. Merging changes from the model into the workspace
    Use the Synchronization window to generate a list of the differences between projects exported from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler and matching projects in your IBM Integration Designer workspace. The window provides a visual preview of the changes and helps you merge resources into your workspace to update the application.
  7. Synchronizing human tasks in iterative development
    Human tasks present some special circumstances that distinguish them from automated tasks in the way they are handled in iterative development.

Developing an application from a model


Related concepts:
Scenario: Business process management


Related tasks:
Importing projects from IBM WebSphere Business Modeler