Generating a BPEL Model from an Analysis Model

You can generate from an analysis to a BPEL model in order to model the implementation of the processes. For example, once the Analysis team has designed the analysis model, the model can be submitted to the Development team for implementation. You can propagate subsequent changes made to the source model by repeating the generation and selecting the Update Existing Model option.

  1. Select Tools > Generate Business Process Model (Ctrl+Shift+B) to open the BPM Generation Options dialog:
  2. On the General tab, select a radio button to generate a new or update an existing model, and complete the appropriate options.

    For detailed information about the options available on the various tabs of the Generation window, see Core Features Guide > Linking and Synchronizing Models > Generating Models and Model Objects.

  3. [optional] Click the Detail tab and set any appropriate options. We recommend that you select the Check model option to check the model for errors and warnings before generation (see Checking a BPM).
  4. [optional] Click the Target Models tab and specify the target models for any generated shortcuts.
  5. [optional] Click the Selection tab and select the objects to generate. By default, all objects are generated.
  6. Click OK to begin the generation.
    The following transformations are executed to make the model compliant with BPEL and logged in the Output window:
    • Top-level processes - When a graph of activities is defined under a package or a model, a top-level process is created and the whole graph of activities is moved under it. A top-level process is created for each unrelated set of activities. An activity (start, end, process, decision, and synchronization) is related to another one if a flow exists between them or if they are displayed in the same diagram. The diagrams are also moved under the composite process and their contents are preserved.
    • Starts - If multiple starts appear in a diagram, they are merged into one.
    • Shortcuts - Can be used in analysis BPMs to reuse processes, but are replaced in the orchestration BPM with a copy of the target object. For orchestration languages that do not support process reusability, the call of a reusable process is replaced with a duplication of the process. If the reusable process is an unloaded external shortcut, the activity process that calls the shortcut is preserved and detached from the shortcut.
    • Flow message formats - The association of message formats with flows are not supported, as the exchange of information is not managed by flows, and so message formats are detached from flows.
    • Flow types - The analysis Timeout, Technical Error, and Business Error flow types are replaced with event objects with Timer or Fault stereotypes, and the events are associated with the flows to define event handlers.
    • Data - Data objects are replaced with variables, and any data attachments to flows or message formats is lost.