IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

Content Platform Engine process services

The Content Platform Engine process services provide software services for managing all aspects of business processes (also called workflows), such as workflow execution, workflow routing, rules management, process simulation and modeling, and workflow analysis. You can use the workflow system components to create, modify, and manage workflows that are implemented by applications, enterprise users, or external users (such as partners and customers).

The following diagram provides a detailed view of the process services that are provided by Content Platform Engine.

Diagram of the workflow system architecture

The following services and components are included in Content Platform Engine process services:
Process service
The core of the business process management system. It provides workflow services on behalf of the workflow system.
Email notification
Enables automatic transmission of email to users when specified process-related events occur; email notification can also be used to track workflows.
Rules connectivity framework
Provides a framework for rules integration. A process designer or business analyst uses a third-party application to create business rules and associates the rules with the steps of a workflow. When a running workflow encounters a rule, the workflow system sends a request to the Rules Listener to execute a rule set. Rules Listener executes the rules in the rule set and returns the results to the workflow system. The rules engine provider must implement a specific API to integrate with the workflow system.
Case Analyzer services
Collect events from the Content Platform Engine audit and event logs and generate analytical data that is saved to a Case Analyzer store.
Workflow system
Contains the workflow system configuration information as well as running instances of workflows.
Component Integrator
Provides an extensible integration framework in which you can easily create connectors. Java™ adapters and Java Message Service (JMS) adapters are provided.

Component Integrator includes adapters, which are interfaces that communicate workflow events to external entities such as Java objects. Adapters interact with different types of components from a workflow step. FileNet® P8 provides a Java adapter and a Java Message Service (JMS) adapter that run on the Content Platform Engine server.

As shown in the following figure, a component queue is created and configured based on the component classes. The workflow author retrieves configuration information from the workflow system that can be used in the creation of workflow definitions. The workflow author creates a step and selects the registered component and method to invoke, specifying the workflow fields that are passed as parameters to the method at run time. The workflow definitions (requests for work) are then transferred to the workflow system.

Diagram that shows the configuration and deployment steps in the flow of control

Process Web Services
Provides a web services API to the workflow system.
Automatic workflow launch
Event-driven component that launches workflows in the workflow system. You can configure this component to launch a specific workflow in response to specific events. For example, filing a document in a folder might launch a review process in the workflow system.


Last updated: October 2015
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