OpenText MBPM offers a comprehensive suite of capabilities to provide integration with applications on a wide variety of different platforms. Processes are usually best defined by business analysts, but integration tends to require more technical skills. OpenText MBPM’s integration capabilities allow developers to create integration points that business analysts can then use like native OpenText MBPM resources. Business analysts are shielded from the integration tasks and provided with the data they need in a format that fits their expectations.
Expression Builder
OpenText MBPM Version 9 uses a .NET based expression language. The expression language provides significant business benefits including:
- Standard Technology: The new expression layer is built on standard .NET technology that is widely used by the majority of businesses.
- Easier to Learn: Because of the standardization and closer similarities to other environments, new users will be more familiar to the new concepts and will more easily learn OpenText MBPM.
- Easier to Use: The expression language makes extensive use of Intellisense, providing the ability to see members of object, auto completion, and information about formula and parameters.
- Extensible: The expression language has been designed for extensibility. It is easy to extend the out-of-the-box formula by “promoting” custom script functions into the expression layer.
- Improved Validation: All expressions are immediately validated in place as the expressions are typed in ensuring correct syntax and data type usage.
- Faster Execution Times: The expression language is a fully compiled language and is therefore executed significantly faster than an interpreted language.
OpenText MBPM Business Objects (MBOs)
Version 9 has a feature called Business Objects that abstracts the reading and writing of data into a technology independent layer allowing forms and processes to natively access and bind to data from
disparate sources. Business Objects provide parameterized invocation and expose a defined interface of data attributes that can be bound directly to form fields.
Version 9 provides three out-of-the-box types of Business Objects:
- Table: This provides read/write access to one or more rows of data contained within a single table.
- Query: This provides read only access to any database query. Query Business Objects support Server-Side paging capabilities to provide significant performance and scalability improvements. A new query builder is available to graphically design complex queries with a drag and drop paradigm.
LDAP Query: This provides read only access to an LDAP query. A directory browser is provided to select the base starting point for the query. Queries may be performed on the root node, one level deep beyond the root node, or on the entire sub tree of the node.
Web Services
OpenText MBPM Version 9 includes out-of-the-box support for web services via the Web Service Connection type. The Web Service Connection allows the process designer to browse for and reference web services. A Web Service Connection definition includes a tab “Methods and Parameters” which allows the process designer to automatically indicate which service methods should be displayed as custom formulae in the Expression Builder or activities within the Visual Scripting environment (see below).
The Process Activator enables process specific web services to be generated using the ECL for Web Services for easy integration from other processes or 3rd party applications.
Visual Scripting Environment
Version 9 features a Visual Scripting environment. Visual scripts provide a simple, easy to learn, and easy to use environment for business oriented users to graphically create powerful programmatic constructs using a simple drag and drop paradigm without having to resort to code.
The building blocks of each script are Activities that can be dragged and dropped from a toolbox onto attachment points in the main pane to create a sequence of executable steps. Activities provide standard programmatic control structures (such as IF/ELSE, WHILE loops, and FOR EACH loops) as well as core functionality such as sending emails, managing databases, files, and editing User and Role settings.
Scripting
For technically oriented users of OpenText MBPM there are number of features available:
Support for Microsoft .NET C#
Version 9 provides native support for Microsoft .NET C#. C# has experienced rapid market growth since its introduction and has been adopted as the standard .NET technology within most Microsoft centric IT organizations. C# is the default language in Version 9 for Server-Side scripts and provides tight integration with OpenText MBPM’s expression language.
Create New Activities and Formulas
Version 9 features a concept called “Promotion” that allows for methods within C# Server-Side scripts to easily be marked for promotion using custom attributes. Items can be promoted to either Visual Script Activities and/or Formula within the expression layer. This powerful capability allows an organization’s more technical users to become providers of enterprise ready business artifacts. Once promoted, the formula and activities appear indistinguishable to the business user from the core Metastorm BPM capabilities.
Built in Script Editor
Version 9 includes scripting environments for both Client-Side and Server-Side scripts. The scripting environment provides features including:
- Intellisense
- Syntax highlighting
- Collapsible/Expandable code regions
- Line modification marking
- Bracket highlighting
- Line number margin
- Non-editable rendering for Read-Only mode
OpenText MBPM Enterprise Component Libraries (ECL)
The OpenText MBPM ECL provides the public interface into the OpenText MBPM Process Engine. Using this interface, Independent software vendors (ISVs) and developers can create integration into
OpenText MBPM in order to initiate processes, update processes and tasks, and access process data. The ECL consists of:
- Client Assemblies/Libraries for .NET and Java
- Code samples for the .NET, Java, and Web Service ECL
- Documentation and API reference for the .NET, Java, and Web Service ECL
Enterprise Directories
OpenText MBPM integrates with corporate directories via direct LDAP connection. This is configured and utilised in the OpenText MBPM Designer. This allows OpenText MBPM to dynamically make use of User and Role information which is held and centrally administered in corporate directories.
OpenText Integration Manager (MIM)
MIM is an advanced integration tool for managing and controlling system-based processes. MIM allows OpenText MBPM to manage the system integration-based tasks required by most processes on a separate SOA tier. Together OpenText MBPM and MIM provide rich support for both human- and system-centric activities. MIM provides SOA-based integration for a wide range of hosts, UNIX, and Windows platforms, providing access to databases; flat files, VSAM and other host file types, message queues, CICS, and other business data and business function services.
Third Party Integration Products
Metastorm BPM supports integration with legacy system integration tools such as Micrososft Biztalk, WebLogic’s Integrator, Software AG’s EntireX, and the entire suite of iWay adapters.
Business Rules Engines
Complex shared business rules stored in industry standard business rules environments such as Blaze Advisor or Microsoft BizTalk can be tightly integrated into Metastorm BPM business processes.
