01 Business Process Engine Overview.pdf

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Business Process Engine Overview& Runtime Cache

Andrea Schmieden


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© SAP AG 2004, BPM@BSGs / Andrea Schmieden / Monitoring & Troubleshooting/Business Process Engine Overview and Runtime Cache

Lesson Objectives

After completing this session you will be able to:

Understand the relationship between integration processes in XIand workflows in SAP Business Workflow

Check the runt ime version of an integration process in the XI

runtime cache

Perform process and message monitoring

Perform basic troubleshooting


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Agenda

Business Process Engine Overview

Runtime Cache

Process Execution Monitoring

Message Monitoring

Message Monitoring Examples

Event Trace

Troubleshooting


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The Business Process Engine provides runtime support Integration (Business)

Processes defined in the Integration Builder.

The Business Process Engine is part of the Integration Server. You monitor the

execution of integration (business) processes by using the monitoring functions of

the Integration Engine.


Business Process Engine (BPE)

Provides runtime support for XI Integration Processes

Uses the WAS 6.40 Business Workflow runtime engine

Supports all Integration Processes defined in the Integration

Builder

What is the Business Process Engine?


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The Business Process Engine is the same as the Workflow Engine. The XI

version of workflow works just the same as the normal workflow component in

WAS 6.40.

However, in XI there are unique step types that are not normally apart of the

workflow definition environment. Even though the design layer of workflow has

unique features for XI, the runtime layer is the same as the normal workflow

runtime layer.

Most XI workflows are triggered by events (which is the way most workflows start,

via an event). When a workflow starts from an event, WF-BATCH logs in to startthe workflow. So, if you have a workflow that could start 5,000 times a day, then

you will have 5,000 logons by WF-BATCH. If the workflow will start 5,000 times a

minute, then you will have 5,000 logins by WF-BATCH in a minute. In this lesson

we will discuss some tuning and performance considerations for WF-BATCH.

IMPORTANT: When designing an integration (business) process in the

Integration Repository, you should try to determine approximately how often the

process will run.

Most of the generated workflows have start conditions associated with them. Start

conditions ensure a workflow only executes if it really should execute. They are

very common in workflow and improve performance.


Both ccBPM and business workflow use the same engine

Al l integration processes defined in XI generate workf lows

There are unique step types in XI that do not exist in the

normal workflow definition environment (Transform, Send)

Most of these unique step types use ABAP Classes at

execution time

The XI workf lows are triggered by events (user WF-BATCH

logs in)

Most of the workflows are generated with start conditions

tied to the integration process

Business Process Engine vs. Business Workflow


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This graphic shows an example of an Integration (Business) Process defined in

the Integration Repository.

The first “start” step becomes the triggering event.

The second “receive” step enables us to wait for a specific message to arrive.

The third “mapping” enables us to transform from one message to another.

The fourth “send” step enables us to send the message out.

This process is built in the Integration Repository and generates a workflow.


Integration (Business) Process defined in IntegrationRepository


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This is the workflow generated from the Integration (Business) Process shown on

the previous slide.

The actual generated workflow can be seen in transaction code SWDD. This

transaction code is used in the exercises for this lesson.

When a workflow gets created it is stored on the database as WS (workflow

template) and a number. For example, WS74900023. In the configuration section

we will discuss required configuration for the number ranges.

You can see that some icons are the same as in the Integration Repository;others are different.

The first “start” step becomes the triggering event step.

The second “receive” step becomes a wait for event step.

The third “mapping” step becomes an activity step. This is the most common type

of step in a workflow. Behind this step type is normally a call to a business object

or an ABAP class.

The fourth “send” step calls another workflow.


Workflow Generated from the Integration Process

Triggering Event

Wait for Event

Activi ty (Task)

Step that calls

another

workflow

Transaction code: SWDD


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Agenda

Business Process Engine Overview

Runtime Cache

Process Execution Monitoring

Message Monitoring

Message Monitoring Examples

Event Trace

Troubleshooting


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You can display and analyze the runtime version of an integration process in theruntime cache. This can be useful in an error situation, for example, when anintegration process could not be started. If you want to analyze the runtimeversion, you can display it either as an XML representation or in the ProcessBuilder.

The runtime version of an integration process is created automatically from thedefinition of the integration process in the Integration Repository and the entriesfor service and party in the Integration Directory. The runtime version is created assoon as you have activated the change list in the Integration Directory. If the

runtime version was created without errors, it is processed by the BusinessProcess Engine.

In the user menu, choose Exchange Infrastructure → Configuration → XI CacheRefresh (transaction SXI_CACHE).

If the contents of the cache is currently being updated (amber status traffic light),wait until the cache update is complete. If you do not, you may accidentally lock abusiness process.

Prerequisites

Automatic Customizing of the Business Process Engine (transactionSWF_XI_CUSTOMIZING) was executed without errors. This normally takes placeduring installation.


Access Runtime Cache

Only proceed when

the green status traffic

light is displayed

(cache content is up-

to-date)If status is

green, doubleclick

Transaction code: SXI_CACHE


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Integration in Monitoring Infrastructure

Process Engine ‘is-alive’-check

Alerts in CCMS


Runtime cache viewer knows

integration processes

Business Workflow tools in a

special profile

Workflow Builder uses same

look and feel as the Process

Builder in IB (tiles and other

concepts)

Runtime Cache Overview

Display


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Double-click on Business Processes (remember, this screen could say Integration

Process since the name is being changed at the time of writing this unit).

You will then see all the workflows that have been generated. Workflows are

generated whenever the change lists are activated in the Integration Directory

(Configuration).

Notice that you can see the actual WS number that is assigned to the new

workflow.


Find the Workflow Number in Runtime Cache

Generated

workflow


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In the Integration Repository the Integration (Business) Process is created. The

changes are then activated.

Afterwards the Integration (Business) Process is used in the Integration Directory.

Once these changes are activated, then the workflow is generated.

The workflow is then updated anytime the Integration (Business) Process is

changed in the Integration Repository. The workflow could be updated, or a new

version may be generated.

A new version is always generated after the current version is migrated toproduction.


IR Activation Updates Runtime Cache

Integration Builder: Design (Integration Repository)

Integration Builder: Configuration (Integration Directory)


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The screen area on the right displays the following information for each runtime

version:

Partner and service from the Integration Directory

Workflow task: During processing by the Business Process Engine, the runtime

version of the integration process is represented by a Workflow task. You do not

normally need to know the number of the task. However, you can use the number

to search for a task, for example.

Release: SAP Web AS release that was being used when the cache was updated.

Return Code: Return code for the creation of the runtime version:

0: The runtime version was created without errors.

Not equal to 0: Errors occurred. You can update the runtime version and then analyze the error

messages. When you do so, the system displays detailed messages about the problems that

occurred. You can also save the XML output as a file, which you can then pass on to SAP

Support for further analysis.

Date and time of last update

XML: XML representation of the runtime version of the business process. To

display the XML representation in a clearer, more structured way, double-click aline.


Runtime Cache Information

Return code 0:

runtime

version was

created

without errors

Other return

code: Errors

occurred.You can update

the runtime

version and

then analyze the

error messages


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To display the process definition, select the runtime version and click the icon with

the quick info Display Active Version.

The process definition is displayed in the Process Builder. The Process Builder

has a similar structure to the SAP Business Workflow Workflow Builder; however it

is specially designed for displaying business processes. You cannot make any

changes to the process definition in the Process Builder.

To display the process definition graphically, in the menu in the title line of the

screen area on the right, choose Graphical Modeling.


Display Process Definition in the Process Builder


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Whenever you have a bad return code, such as the return code of 99 in thegraphic, you can do a syntax check on the generated workflow.

In the workflow definition, there is a Syntax check icon. You can also check thesyntax by selecting the menu path Workflow->Check Syntax from transaction codeSWDD.

After the syntax check you will receive any existing errors.

In the example on the graphic, there is an error on a condition statement. The twovalues cannot be compared. This is an error related to the actual definition of theworkflow. Since this workflow was created in the Integration Repository, the error

must be fixed by the developer in the IR. You cannot make changes to workflowsthat are generated from the Integration Builder activities.

Once the change is fixed in the IR and the changes are activated, the workflowshould no longer have syntax errors and transaction code SXI_CACHE should nolonger have a bad return code.

The workflow is not generated when the integration (business) process is createdin the Integration Repository. The workflow is generated when it is used in theIntegration Directory. That means the workflow is physically generated after theintegration (business) process has been built. That means the developer may nothave errors at the time the process was built in the IR, but there could still bedefinition errors when the workflow is generated.

The developer should check the contents of SXI_CACHE after activating changesin the Integration Directory. They should then verify that the workflow wasgenerated without problems.


Runtime Cache Error and Syntax Check

1. Check return code

2. Display the workflow defin ition

3. Do a syntax

check in the

workflow

definition

4. Analyze the errors


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To update the runtime version, click Activate.

You can save the XML output as a file, which you can then pass on to SAP

Support for further analysis. To export the XML representation as a file, click the

icon with the quick info Save XML Document.

To display the process definition for the current runtime version in the Process

Builder, click the icon with the quick info Start Process Builder .

When you delete a runtime version, the corresponding Workflow task is also

deleted. Problems will occur if you delete a runtime version of a process instancefor a task that is running. The system does not perform any checks.

You must not delete any runt ime versions in a productive system. Even in a

test system, only delete a runtime version if there are no process instances

running at the time.


Process Activation Results

To export XML

representation as

file

Messages:

S: Success message after a step has

been created

I: Information, e. g. about default settings

used

W: Warning, ind icates logical errors and

problemsE: Error which stops a functional runtime

version from being created

To display

process definitionfor current

runtime version in

Process Builder

To delete runtime

version

Don‘t delete in a

productive

system!


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Error Analysis

If error code is displayed in the Runtime Cache, check the following

in the Integration Repository:

Conditions

Are the def ined conditions val id?

At present, the condi tion edi tor cannot ensure that a condi tion does not

contain invalid comparisons, for example:

Comparisons between different data types, for example xsd:date and xsd:time

Comparisons between single and multipl e expressions

Correlations

Is every activated correlation actually used?

Customizing

Incomplete customizing (transaction SWF_XI_CUSTOMIZING)

Every customizing item must have status green

01 Business Process Engine Overview.pdf

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