Modeling and Implementation Guide for Oracle Business Process Management
View PDF

12 Using the Business Catalog

This chapter describes how to use the business catalog to store and organize the components needed to implement the processes in your BPM Project.

This chapter includes the following sections:

12.1 Introduction to the Business Catalog

The business catalog is a repository that stores the components you use to implement the some of the activities in BPMN processes.

Table 12-1 shows which flow objects use each of the components in the business catalog for their implementation.

Table 12-1

Component Flow Objects

Error

  • Start error event

  • Throw error event

  • Catch Error Event

  • End Error Event

Business Exception

  • Start error event

  • Throw error event

  • Catch Error Event

  • End Error Event

Event

  • Start signal event

  • Throw signal event

  • End signal event

Human Task

User Task

Business Rule

Business Rule Task

Service Adapter

  • Service Task

  • Message throw event

  • Message catch event

  • Message end event

Mediator

  • Service Task

  • Message throw event

  • Message catch event

  • Message end event

BPEL Process

  • Service Task

  • Message throw event

  • Message catch event

  • Message end event

Business Object

  • Service Task

  • Message throw event

  • Message catch event

  • Message end event


The business catalog stores the following types of components:

Depending on the type of component the business catalog retrieves the information about the component in one of the following ways:

The business catalog stores the information of the following components in an XML file:

The business catalog does not store any type of file for synthetized components. It generates the structure of synthetized components dynamically based on the XML or SOA composite they represent. :

You cannot modify synthetized components or move them to another module. Because these components are dynamically generated, they automatically reflect any change you make to the XML schema or SOA component they are based on.

The following components are synthetized:

12.1.1 Adding Components to the Business Catalog

The way you add a component to the business catalog varies according to the type of component.

12.1.2 Using Modules to Organize Business Components

You can organize the Business Objects in the business catalog into different groups using modules. Generally you group all the related components into a module.

In the Sales Quote example you can create a module named Quotes to store all the components used to manage the information about the quotes used in the process.

You can nest modules. Nesting modules enables you to create a hierarchical structure that reflects the organization of your components.

In the Sales Quote example you might want to group all the modules that handle the information in the project into a single module. To do this you can create a module named Data that contains modules like Quotes and Contracts.

Organizing components using modules has the following benefits:

You cannot add Business Objects in the root level of the business catalog. You must always create a module where you can store your Business Objects.

It is a good practice to name the modules using a descriptive identifier. This makes it easier to find a component and makes your project easier to understand for other developers.

12.1.2.1 Predefined Modules

The business catalog contains the following predefined modules:

  • Errors: Stores the errors that the operations in the services and references in your project define.

  • Events: Stores the Events that you add to the SOA Composite.

  • HumanTasks: Stores the Human Tasks that you add to your project.

  • References: Stores the interfaces you can use to define the interface of your BPMN process.

  • BusinessRules: Stores the Business Rules that you add to your project.

  • Services: Stores the components that you can use to implement the flow object in your BPMN process.

  • Types: Stores the types that Studio generates when you add a service or a reference that require arguments of types that do not exist in the business catalog.

These modules are a permanent part of the business catalog and you cannot remove or rename them. Studio does not allow you to create new top level modules with these names.

You cannot create new modules within these predefined modules. Because the components stored in them are synthetized you cannot rename them or move them to other modules.

Figure 12-1 Custom and Predefined Modules


12.2 Adding a New Module

The business catalog enables you to create new modules to store and organize the Business Objects in your project. You can add a module at the root level of the business catalog or within another module.

12.2.1 How to Add a New Module

To add a new module:

  1. In the Project Navigator window, right-click the business catalog node or on a user-defined existing module.

  2. Select New and then select Module.

  3. Enter a name to identify the module.

  4. Click OK.

12.2.2 What Happens When You Add a New Module

The new module appears in the business catalog. You can create new business objects, business exceptions and modules within the new module. You can also customize services and references

12.3 Deleting a Module

You can delete the custom modules in the business catalog. You cannot delete the predefined modules. When you delete a module, you also delete all the components within the module.

12.3.1 How to Delete a Module

To delete a module:

  1. In the Project Navigator window, right-click the module you want to remove.

  2. Select Delete.

    A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click OK.

12.3.2 What Happens When You Delete a Module

When you delete a module, the module and the components within the module are removed from the business catalog.

If there are any flow objects or components in your project that use any of the deleted components, then this causes errors when you build your BPM project.