Basic concepts

Business logic

Understanding business logic as a series of tasks to be executed if certain conditions are met, sequentially or in parallel, or keep waiting for some event to resume execution.

BPM - Business Process Management

The set of these tasks is called business logic. The business process modelling is responsible for business processes and defines the workflow that governs its operation.

A workflow model graphically explains the relationships between different tasks.

Basic Workflow elements types

The basic workflow elements are:

• Nodes ( represented as a box )
• Transactions ( represented as arrows )
• Actions ( in nodes & transactions can be executed actions ).

Basic node types

Start node

All workflows start with only one start box. This is mandatory. There can not be more than one start box defined into one workflow. When the workflow starts executing, it flows across the connected transitions inmediatly.

Task node

When during the workflow process, a human interaction is needed, this is defined as a task. The Workflow will stop waiting for human intervention, after that is received, it will flow across other output transactions immediately.

Node node

Nodes are used usually for performing complex logic evaluations or actions. The purpose of adding nodes in a workflow is to add actions to be executed ( for example adding some register in DBMS, etc. ). When the workflow arrives to a node, it's executed immediately and flows across transaction to the next step inmediatly. Basically the workflow will never be stopped by a node waiting for external input, it will execute the logic assigned and will continue immediately to other nodes.

End node

At least there must be one end node, but could be several in the same workflow ( remember only one start node but we can have several end nodes in a workflow ). When the workflow arrives to an end node, the workflow will be automatically finished.

Transactions

A transaction is a connection between two boxes and is represented as an arrow. During a transaction execution an action can be executed. The Workflow do not stops during a transaction execution.

Action

Actions are parts of the logic implemented as a program. These programs can do several actions like connecting with third party applications to retrieve or store data, send mails, evaluate workflow variables and take some decision etc... To do that, java classes or scripting can be used.