XML.gov Working Group

1
Introduction to Business Process Modeling
Language/Notation (BPML/BPMN)
Sharon L. Hanger Booz Allen Hamilton
XML.gov Working Group Washington, DC February
18, 2004
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Overview

• Introduction
• BPML and BPMN
• Questions

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Introduction
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BPML provides an abstract model and XML syntax
for expressing executable business processes and
supporting entities

• Processes include but are not limited to, the
  definition of enterprise business processes, the
  definition of complex Web services, and the
  definition of multi-party collaborations.
• A fully compliant implementation of BPML 1.0 must
  support the following features
• The BPML specification was originally authored by
  BPMI.org
• The most current public version is Version
  (November 2002) which can be downloaded from
  http//www.Bpmi.org

Source BPML Specification, BPMI.org
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The following XML example represents an inventory
checking process
Source BPMI.org 2002
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BPMN is a draft specification for the graphical
notation of BPML and BPEL4WS
Source BPMI.org 2003
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BPML has unique features for modeling complex
business processes

• End-to-End Flow Modeling
• Flow-Control/Data-Flow Separate
• Product Consume Messaging
• Dynamic Control Flow
• Transparent Persistence
• Embedded Business Rules
• Nested Processes
• Distributed Transactions
• Process Oriented Exception Handling
• Underlying Mathematical Model Pi Calculus

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While BPML and BPEL4WS have many similarities,
they also have distinct differences

• Some facts about BPML and BPEL4WS
• BPML is a strict superset of BPEL4WS
• BPML and BPEL4WS share an identical set of idioms
  and similar syntaxes as the basis of convergence
• BPML provides a rich and mature language for
  expressing both simple and complex business
  processes
• BPML and BPEL4WS are both block-structured
  languages, with the addition of nested processes
  in BPML
• BPML is based on a logical process model that can
  fully express concurrent, repeating, and dynamic
  tasks
• BPML builds on the foundation of WSCI for
  expressing public interfaces and choreographies

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Contact Information

• Sharon L. Hanger
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• McLean, VA
• [phone]
• Hanger_sharon_at_bah.com