OBE User Guide (Chinese Version)
Hongyun translation, CYGNET open source workflow group
2005-3-29
1 Introduction
OBE is an Open Business Engine, which is an open source Java workflow engine that supports WFMC workflow specification, including interface 1 (XPDL), interface 2/3 (WAPI), and interface 5 (review). Interface 4 In the development, it will be included in the final version.
OBE provides an environment that performs various activities in a controlled, integrated environment. OBE supports synchronization and asynchronous execution of workflows. The initial OBE implementation is based on J2EE, which is designed in the J2EE container, such as JBoss or WebLogic. Obe uses EJB Session Beans and EJB Entity Beans and Message Drive Beans, is a powerful workflow engine.
2 start
To start using OBE, you first install an Obeserver.ear file in the J2EE container. If you are not familiar with the J2EE container, then we recommend that you access JBoss.org and download JBoss Server. To be in JBoss
Install OBE in 3.0.4, copy the Obeserver.ear file and Obe-jbossmq-destinations-service.xml files to the Server / Default / Deploy directory.
You also need to use the castor.jar of Castor.jar under the OBE / LIB directory to replace the current Castor.jar file below the Server / Default / Lib Directory. Copy CaStor-
0.9.4.3-patched-xml.jar files to the server / default / lib directory and deletes the current Castor.jar file. Next, execute the Run script file in the bin directory to start JBoss.
If you are the first time Obe, you need to install your database table. If you are using the Hypersonic database included with JBoss, then you or copy the text in HSQLDB-DDL.SQL, attach it to Server / Default / DB / Hypersonic / Default.Script, or you execute the dbsetup command. Note that the exact location of the Default.Script file is determined by the version of JBoss you are using. The above path is only in JBoss
3.0.4 n.b. is correct. In the latest JBOSS version, this is characterized by a ClassLoader issue, which is not allowed to be configured.
Once OBE is installed into a J2EE server, you need to communicate with the server process with the ObeworkList tool. You can use the command java -jar ubeworklist.jar to launch the Obe command line Worklist tool. Once the command line tool runs, you need to convert the protocol to RMI, and enter the host name, username, and password. If you use JBoss on the same machine, the host name can be LocalHost, username, and password to sa.
Tip: If you want to list process definitions or process instances, you want to receive workflow error messages in time, then you have to confirm that you have configure your application server in accordance with the above steps. Your database is not created by the default.script file, which exists.
Once the server is connected, you need to enter a workflow definition in the XPDL format. An example of several workflow definitions in the OBE release versions, you can start from them, which can be found in the Examples directory.
After entering one or more workflow definitions, you need to create one or more workflow process instances and use the command line tool to launch these processes. Next you can use the command line tool to see each process, event, and work items.
2.1 xpdl
The definition of the OBE workflow uses the XPDL document. XPDL represents Extensible Process Definition Language, its implementation is an XML document. XPDL is defined in the WFMC interface 1 specification. Now you need to use a text editor or some other third-party tools to create an XPDL document. A graphic designer is being developed, but it is still not available. The topmost element in the OBE workflow is a package. In this package, you can define one or more workflow processes, as well as participants and applications used in these workflow processes. Workflow processes include activity and conversion. More information about the XPDL document structure is given in the discussion of the OBE kernel, the OBE core is part of the OBE, which provides XPDL parser and class level tool.
2.2 OBE kernel
The OBE kernel realized the interface 1 specification of WFMC. The OBE core assumes the analysis of the XPDL document and creates a Java object model that describes the workflow definition. The OBE kernel is also able to serialize the object model into an XPDL document so that you can output for other workflow engines.
Define the workflow process as an XPDL document, which can be done by editing the XPDL document by using a text editor, and can be done by a graphics tool that can design a graphic tool. The XPDL document is an XML document that is consistent with the standard (SHCEMA) designed with WFMC.
The OBE kernel provides the following features:
l A Java object that describes the workflow process, based on WFMC XPDL.
l Read and write the parser and sequencer interface of the XPDL document
l Obe used tools
2.2.1 package
Package is the topmost element in a workflow definition. Package define applications, participants, and data domains, which are references to any workflow process in definitions.
Package definitions include a header with a package itself describing information. For example, it can include the version information of the XPDL used in the package, the creation time of the package, the creation of the business tools used, and the description of the workflow described, and so on.
The package also includes the definition of applications, participants, and data types.
2.2.2 Application
The application element as a "package element" sub-element describes an interface to perform an application or a program. The application interface is defined as a set of regular parameters that define the name and type of the parameters passed to the application. These types are ultimately mapped to the actual parameter data in the activity definition (later described).
Application definitions are actually independent of implementation, and assign a ID that is mapped to the implementation at runtime. The mapping is performed by a persistent library that contains the ID mapped to the connector. OBE also provides a number of connectors described in the OBE engine document below.
2.2.3 Participants
Participants are organizational entities that can interact with the workflow engine (entity that can handle work items), including people, machines, and workflow engines themselves.
2.2.4 Type Declaration and Data Domain
Type Declaration Defines a set of types that can be used in workflow-related data. Data domains are used to create data instances in workflow related data.
2.2.5 Workflow Process
Each package contains one or more workflow processes. Each process includes information about the process similar to the header. This information includes process description, creating time, priority, and other information.
Each workflow process also defines the application and participant information applied to the workflow process. Each workflow also defines a variety of activities and conversions.
2.2.6 activities
A event means some things that will be made. The activity should be atomic. The activity can be automated or manually implemented. Activity often generates one or more work items that can be processed by the specified participant.
Activity definition defines input and output conversion, commonly known as transaction constraints. There are two constraint types: And and or. An AND constraint on the input conversion set refers to all conversions must be "true", the next activity can begin. The OR constraint on the input conversion set refers to only one conversion is "True", and the next activity can be executed. An AND constraint on the output conversion set refers to each path on the separation point. The OR constraint on the output conversion set refers to only one path can be executed.
2.2.7 conversion
Conversion refers to a connection from one activity to another. When a activity completed its output conversion is executed. The event has one or more input and output conversion. Conversion can limit the conversion constraint. The Obe core can be used as the foundation of your own workflow engine, and you need to do it provides a complete implementation of WFMC interface 1. We recommend that you use the OBE engine as most of the work foundation and is ready to apply in the enterprise.
2.3 OBE ENGINE
The OBE engine provides a runtime environment for the workflow definition of the execution. The OBE engine uses the OBE core to resolve and serialize the XPDL document. The engine is designed as a general implementation that is completely independent.
All interactions with the engine is performed by the workflow API, discussed below.
When an activity begins, it is placed in a moving stack. If there is no loop definition or the cycle condition is "false", the output transformation is executed.
OBE provides XPDL extensions to support loops. Obe currently supports full_blocked, loop_blocked, and non_blocked. The old version of XPDL defines the explicit loop structure, but there is no in the new version. We, as an OBE developer, think that the loop is a major function of the workflow, which only is expressed in XPDL to be implemented correctly. WFMC is discussing this.
2.3.1 connector
XPDL provides a tool for defining an abstract item. You provide acceptable parameters in the tool ID and XPDL, but the application or module is defined in a library. The default library is defined in the file basicoolRepository.xml, which can be found in the OBE engine module.
The BasicToolRepository.xml file contains an element called "Repository", which contains 0 or more repository-Entry elements. Each repository-entry has a key and meta-data. The Key element is a unique key in the library, which is used to identify tools in XPDL. The Meta-Data element contains the execution application and program information. Meta-Data includes several child elements that varies with Meta-Data types. Different Meta-Data types are defined in Org.obe.Client.Api.Repository, which can be found in the ObeclientAPI module.
The following is an example of Meta-Data:
XSI: type = "java: org.obe.client.Api.repository.debugapplicationmetata" xmlns: xsi = "http://www.w3.org/2001/xmlschema-instance"> The ID element must match the Key element in the repository-entry. The IMPL-Class element refers to a connector or program for activating tools at runtime. The Impl-Ctor-SIG element defines the type of structural device that implements the class. You can use a fully certified Java class name, such as java.lang.string, Java array identifier, such as java.lang.string; or initial Java type * i * b * l * s * f * d, etc. The Description element provides an artificial description that will be used by Tools in the future. 2.3.2 OBE server The OBE server provides a J2EE implementation that can perform a workflow process in a reliable and fault tolerant manner. When a workflow process is executed by WAPI, a WorkflowRunner (part of the OBE engine) is created and executed in the J2EE server in the form of session beans or Message Driven beans. All workflow related data is placed in an Entity EJB. The workflow process will perform until it reaches a stationary point. Static point refers to a point where the workflow is started or stopped. At stationary points, the current state of the workflow engine is maintained. Engine status includes workflow related data and processes, activities, conversion, and work items. If the engine is invalid, the status will roll back to the previous stationary point. 2.3.3 WAPI Workflow API is an interface that communicates with other workflow engines. Obe's developer has decided to define the WAPI interface as a separate package with Obe, called Org.WFMC.WAPI. The goal is to submit this interface as a Java WAPI interface so that it is adopted by WFMC as a standard. WAPI based on WFMC interface 2/3 specification. Since the initial API is based on the C-Style interface, there is already some changes, but all features defined in the specification will be provided. WAPI provides a way to connect with the server. Once connected, the customer can enter, update, and output the XPDL process definition. WAPI also provides an API to create, start, query, and change the process instance, activity instance, and status of the work item. The API also provides query properties, including methods of workflow data. Finally, WAPI provides means for performing applications. OBE provides a complete WAPI interface implementation that can be used through a series of transport protocols. 2.3.4 Obe Client API The Obe Client API provides a specific implementation of a WAPI interface and the implementation of the class of Meta-Data for Repository. 2.3.5 Obe Client The Obe Client provides several implementations of the transfer protocol, which can be used to communicate with the OBE engine. OBE currently supports local, local J2EE, RMI, and XML-PRC protocols. Local Communication Policy instances must run on the same machine. Local J2EE is the command to communicate via Session Bean. The RMI protocol applies RMI to communicate with remote EJBs. The XML-PRC protocol communicates through the XML-PRC. 2.3.6 ObeworkList The OBE worksheet is a command line tool that provides means for communicating with a WAPI interface with a workflow server. Worksheet tools can perform most of the functions provided by WAPI. 3 development The standard OBE version does not include files and structures that OBE needed from head. If you are interested in establishing Obe, you need to check all the code outside OBE public CVS. OBE uses CVS to decompose into multiple subprojects. Basic projects are simply referred to as OBE. This item includes Obecore, Obengine Obeserver, Obeclient, Obetest, and WFMC subprojects. The only sub-project that has not been discussed is Obtest. The Obtest project contains a set of test cases that pass through the WAPI test system. Another top item in OBE CVS is an OBE designer (Obedesigner in CVS). The OBE Designer is a desktop application written by Java, which provides a graphical interface to develop XPDL documents. The OBE designer is still in the early stage of development, so it is not recommended to use it, and developers who are engaged in this project or those who are interested in participating in this project can use it. Obe Admin is also a top-level project that eventually provides a GUI tool that enables command line tool management functions. 4 additional resources OBE section file type definition: · XPDL DTD More information about workflow can be found at The Workflow Management Coalition. 5 thank you This product contains some software developed by The Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/). 6 developer The following is two major developers who have contributed to OBE: Anthony Eden Anthony Eden is the founder of Obe. Anthony has been engaged in open source software for many years. Anthony's other items have JPublish, a web application and publishing framework, Formproc, a table processing library, and EdenCRM, a desktop CRM system. Adrian Price Adrian has 25 years of experience in the software industry, mainly in the workflow / BPM field. He has developed the world's first pure Java workflow engine (Canadian workflow automation). He then became the chief architect of BEA Systems' "WebLogic Integration" BPM Engine. He is currently zaplet (http://www.zaplet .COM) The technical director is engaged in the development of their Zaplet 3.0 Collaborative Business Process Management (CBPM). If you are willing to contribute to Obe, please join the OBE developer mailing list http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/obe-developer. 7 legal statement slightly
