Getting started with FileNet Business Activity Monitor

Once your system is properly installed and configured, you can import the basic FileNet Business Activity Monitor objects included with the system, then start exploring the FileNet Business Activity Monitor software.

Configure the data stream

The FileNet Business Activity Monitor (BAM) software retrieves its data from the Process Analyzer database, which, in turn, receives its data from the running workflows. Therefore, the following FileNet P8 modules must be running and communicating with each other:

To confirm that Process Analyzer is correctly retrieving data from the running workflows

  1. From Workplace, launch one or more workflows with at least one user step and a work queue step. (Do not complete the workflows since the BAM software works with active workflows and work items, not historical data.)
  2. Start Process Analyzer and check one of the workflow-related charts, such as Current Number of Workflows. If the values appear to be correct, you are ready to start exploring the FileNet BAM software.

    Otherwise, check Process Configuration Console to confirm a default event log.

Import the pre-configured Business Activity Monitor projects

FileNet Business Activity Monitor software provides optional pre-configured Business Activity Monitor objects to access the workflow and work item data stored on the Process Analyzer, as well as additional objects for more advanced activity. To use these objects, you must first import them into the FileNet Application Workbench, then you can use them as is or modify them.

Explore the FileNet Operational Dashboard

A Dashboard contains one or more charts or reports to graphically display selected data. If you have imported the optional Business Activity Monitor projects, you can view pre-defined dashboards and dashboard objects (charts) that display the data from the running workflows and work items. See Using FileNet BAM Dashboard for a detailed description of the FileNet Operational Dashboard.

Use the following steps to examine the various dashboard objects

  1. If you have not already done so, log on to the FileNet Application Workbench, then import the OOTBConfiguration project.

    We suggest that you import only the OOTBConfiguration project, leaving the Buckets and Thresholds projects until later.

  2. If you have not already done so, configure the JDBC Agent appropriate for your system.

    The JDBC Agent provides a connection to your Process Analyzer database to retrieve the data for the BAM events.

Explore the Dashboards specified in OOTBConfiguration

  1. Log on to the FileNet Operational Dashboard.
  2. In the Navigational Tree, open Dashboards and select Work Items to display the dashboard objects (charts) for the running work items.
  3. On the Number of active work items bar, click the menu button , then click Go to Detail View.

    At this point, we can modify the dimension for the X-axis, or specify a filter to display only items that meet specific criteria.

  4. Under Change Categories (X-Axis), click Select a New Dimension, then click User Dimension.
  5. Click Select a Dimension Level, then click User.
  6. Click the Change button to change the dashboard object to display the work items for each user.

Look at the Dashboard objects

  1. In the Navigational Tree, open Dashboard Objects.
  2. Note that Number of active work items is listed.

Explore the FileNet Application Workbench

The FileNet Application Workbench is where developers define the queries to retrieve data from the Process Analyzer database, define views of that data, and specify rules and alerts that provide the data for the dashboard objects. If you have imported the optional Business Activity Monitor projects, you can view how these objects are defined. See Using FileNet BAM Workbench or FileNet BAM Server Reference for a detailed description of the FileNet Application Workbench and the related BAM objects, respectively.

  1. Log on the FileNet Application Workbench
  2. In the Navigational tree, explore the events, contexts, views, dimensions, and cubes related to the pre-configured Business Activity Monitor projects.