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Developing BPM Applications with Developer Studio

Developing BPM projects : Creating a BPM project : Creating a Business Process

Creating a Business Process

You can use the BPM Project wizard to create a Business Process.

To create a Business Process:

1. From the first page of the BPM Project wizard, select Process from the Process type configuration drop-down list.

2. Click Next to open the BPM Process page.

If you want to use an existing process as a template to design a new process, from the Template section, select one of the following options:

Use an existing file from file system as template , then click Browse to navigate to an existing file (of type SPT, XML, or XPDL) that you can use as a template for your new application. For more information on using a template to create an application, see Using a process file as a template.

We recommend using an existing SPT file as a template for creating the new process. The SPT file contains the process template and all associated forms. The XML file is a basic version that does not contain associated forms.

Use an existing process from workspace as template option, then click Browse to select an existing project that is available in the Project Explorer that you can use as a template for your new application. For information on using an existing project as a template, see Using a project as a template.

Use a Microsoft Project file as template option, then click Browse to navigate to a Microsoft Project file (*.mp*), which you can use as a process for your application.

You can also import existing projects or extract from an archive file using the Import functionality. For more information, see Importing a process file.

3. Click Next to open the BPM Process Properties page, in which you can modify the application name and enter the relevant process information in the respective boxes.

The following table describes the application information fields.

Table 13. Application properties
Name	Description
Label	(Optional) The label is the title of the application that users see in Business Process Portal. For example, it is listed in the Administration module under Applications > BP Server, and the Home module in Business Process Portal displays this name together with its Description in the installed applications listed under the Applications tab. If no label is entered, the entry in the Name box is shown in Business Process Portal.
Version	(Optional) Use this box to add (or edit) the version number of the application.
Manager	(Required) Displays @CREATOR as the default manager. You can specify another manager, if required. The manager, either a single user or a user group, serves as a back-up performer if the originally assigned workstep performer is not available. If an individual is entered in the Manager box, then any tasks assigned to an unavailable performer are assigned to that user. If a group is entered in the Manager box, then any tasks assigned to an invalid performer are made available to the members.
Group	(Optional) Indicate which group of users is allowed to view and execute this project. You can only specify one group.
Duration	(Required) To specify the length of time you estimate is required to complete the process, use the appropriate Duration boxes to specify the duration in terms of days, hours, minutes, and seconds. The specified duration is used to determine the due date. After the due date you specified is passed, the process instance becomes overdue.
Category	(Optional) Use this box to differentiate between different types of projects.
Subcategory	(Optional) Use this box to further differentiate between projects in the same category.
Author	(Optional) Identifies the application developer who created the process template.

4. Click Next to open the Add BPM Process module to Business Process Server(s) page of the BPM Project wizard. You can use this page (optional) to add the Business Process Servers and configure the publishing settings of the Business Process module. For more information regarding publishing project modules, see Using the Servers view.

a. To publish the Business Process as a module on any connected Business Process Server from the Servers view, select the server (if defined) from the Available Business Process Server(s) section.

b. In the Default Publishing Style section, select the default option for publishing the process module to the selected server. For more information, see Republishing project modules.

c. To publish the Business Process as a Web service, select the Publish as web service checkbox.

d. If you want to publish the Business Process with the user permissions you defined in the previous version of the same process, then select the Inherit ACL option.

5. Click Next to open the BPM Process Description page of the BPM Project wizard, in which you can enter the description of the Business Process. This is optional.

6. Click Finish to complete the creation of the Business Process.