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Concept or Term
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Description
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Business Process
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A business process involves multiple worksteps in the form of operations, interactions, and notifications performed by a human user or group of users; an external adapter or a script; or other processes.
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Business Process Server Application
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A Business Process Server application is an installed, executable business process template that automates a business flow.
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Process Template
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A process template is a model of business flow that includes worksteps, connections, and dataslots. The process template describes the information and data flow of a business process. Process template files are stored in SPT, SWT or XML format. After being published and installed, the process template files are available as Business Process Server applications.
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Business Logic
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The control and information flow among worksteps that define a business process.
 Control Flow - The sequences of worksteps and workstep conditions, as defined in the process template.
Information Flow - The definition of process dataslots and the addition of information from dataslots of a workstep.
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Process Instance
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A running instance of a Business Process or a Web application. A process instance is created every time you run an application. A process instance has the following characteristics:
Each instance is a self-contained unit and can be modified dynamically at runtime without modifying the process template.
Each instance is uniquely identified by a name within the system.
Note: Multiple instances of the same application are created by running the application several times.
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Subprocess
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A process template referenced in a parent process template. Any process template can be included as a subprocess within another process template by using a Subprocess workstep.
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Workstep
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A step in a business process that can have human or computer performers; or it can be a subprocess. Worksteps in BPM Designer include Start, Activity, Adapter, Subprocess, and End worksteps.
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Connector (or Link)
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A connection between two worksteps used to describe the control flow of a process.
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Performer
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An entity that executes a workstep. Depending on the workstep type, the performer can be a User (a human performer or a group of human performers), an Adapter (an external application or system), or a Subprocess.
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Dataslot
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A data placeholder that persists through the entire process, used to define the information flow of the business process. Dataslots are associated with processes, where they can add information into (input) or out of (output) worksteps.
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Adapter
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A Java class that integrates remote, third-party classes and actions with Business Process Server. An adapter can automate certain functions or tasks performed by a remote server or an external system.
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