WebSphere Business Modeler certification exam992 prep, Part 2: Model business processesSkill Level: Intermediate

Lori Small (lsmall@nc.rr.com)Senior Business AnalystKforce Technology, Inc.

11 Nov 2008

Prepare for the IBM Certification Test 992, IBM WebSphere Business ModelerAdvanced V6.1, Business Analysis and Design. In this tutorial, you'll learn aboutmodeling business processes, the various data models supported by WebSphere®Business Modeler, and process flow control logic and process layout. Finally, you'lllearn about sharing processes using configuration management tools as well asimport and export functions.

Section 1. Before you start

About this series

IBM WebSphere Business Modeler is the IBM business process developmentplatform that enables you to quickly perform organization and resource modeling,analyze and simulate processes, create reports, and build business measures toaddress productivity and performance management. This series of six tutorials helpsyou prepare to take the IBM certification Test 992, IBM WebSphere BusinessModeler Advanced V6.1, Business Analysis and Design to become an IBM CertifiedBusiness Process Analyst.

This certification targets intermediate-level business analysts who have developedskills in Business Process Management (BPM), including process design,organization and resource modeling, process analysis and simulation, identificationof business measures to address productivity and performance management and

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generate reports. It is expected that they will be able to perform the tasks involved inthe role independently, with limited assistance from peers, product documentationand vendor support services.

About this tutorial

This tutorial is the second in the series designed to help you prepare for the IBMCertification Test 992: IBM WebSphere Business Modeler Advanced V6.1, BusinessAnalysis and Design. This tutorial focuses on modeling business processes thatrepresent your company’s day-to-day operations. After you complete this tutorial,continue with the third tutorial, which provides an overview of process modelsimulation using the WebSphere Business Modeler (hereafter called Modeler).

Prerequisites

This tutorial is written for analysts whose skills and experience are at anintermediate to advanced level. You should have a general familiarity with using anintegrated development environment.

System requirements

To run the examples in this tutorial, you need to install WebSphere BusinessModeler V6.1. Download a free trial version of Modeler if you don't already have acopy of it. The hardware and software requirements for this software can be locatedat WebSphere Business Modeler Advanced: System Requirements.

Section 2. Building process models

There is a difference between simply modeling a process flow and actually capturingthe business process. The latter requires that the analyst record all the key aspectsof the process, including:

• What is the process flow?

• What are the resources used in the process?

• What business items are acted upon by the process?

• What organizations and locations are involved?

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In addition, as the analyst studies the process and gathers data, he or she recordsthe following:

• Activity inputs and outputs

• Task variations and when those variations occur

• Alternative tasks

• Complete task descriptions

• Roles associated with tasks

WebSphere Business Modeler enables you to systematically model each of theelements relevant to the business. These include business items (such asdocuments, work products, or commodities), notifications (such as alarms) andresources (such as people, equipment, and materials). You can also define roles,which act as additional characteristics for resources, as well as timetables, whichmodel the availability of resources or roles.

Furthermore, you can create a model of each organizational entity (such asenterprises, companies, departments, and teams) and location (such as geographicareas, offices, factories, and sales regions) that exists in a business. You can thenassociate these models with elements in your process diagrams or use them tocreate structure diagrams to model the organizational relationships between yourmodel elements.

In summary, the multidimensional business models involved in a robust processdefinition include:

• Process models - Pictorial representations of a process.

• Resource models - The resources types and instances associated with aprocess.

• Information models - The data (or business items) used in a process.

• Organization models - The definition and structure of the associatedresources.

• Analysis models - Key process values in static analysis and processsimulation result in dynamic analysis.

• Collaboration models - Support collaboration on a process model atmodel and deployment time.

• Business measures models - Key performance indicators (KPIs) andbusiness metrics.

Modeler V6.1 now supports business item state definitions that can be used to

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visually represent the state of the data as it flows through the process. Refer to theWebSphere Business Modeler V6.1 Information Center for more details on how tomodel organizations, business items and resource elements. For a detailed casestudy, refer to the IBM Redbook Business Process Management: Modeling throughMonitoring Using WebSphere V6.0.2 Products. Additional resources are provided inthe Resources section.

Section 3. Modeling the process flow

Processes are representations of real-time business procedures. They arecomposed of individual steps or activities, the conditions that dictate when thesesteps and activities occur, and the resources required for the performance orexecution of the process.

Both processes and tasks represent activities that are performed in a business.Processes are more complex than tasks, however, and can be represented as asequence of activities that are linked by flows of control and data. This sequence asa whole is known as a process flow. By contrast, tasks are atomic activities thatrepresent the lowest level of work in the process.

Global and local elements

There are two types of processes: global and local. Global processes are displayedin the project tree and can be used across multiple processes within the project.Local processes (or subprocesses) are displayed only in the process diagram oftheir parent process. Similarly, tasks can be global or local. In fact, local tasks andprocesses can be converted at any time to global entities. So, if the usage scopechanges for a particular element, it can be promoted according to the relationshipsdefined in Table 1. Services are used to represent activities in a process that areperformed by an external entity. In contrast to tasks and processes, services areonly global in scope since they are external.

Table 1. Element scope conversion relationshipsInitial element scope Supported scope conversions

Local generic task Local processLocal human taskLocal business rules taskGlobal generic taskGlobal processGlobal service

Local human task Global human task

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Local business rules task Global business rules task

Local process Local generic taskGlobal generic taskGlobal processGlobal service

The following model elements are supported locally for processes:

• Processes

• Tasks

• Repositories

• Start, stop, and end nodes

• Connections

• Decisions

• Forks

• Joins

• Loops

• Maps

• Merges

• Notification broadcasters

• Notification receivers

• Observers

• Timers

• Annotations

Tasks

In addition to generic tasks, Modeler V6.1 supports two new specialized task types:

• Business rules represent activities to which business policies andpractices apply.

• Human represent activities that must be performed by a human resource.

Business rule tasks support the basic if-then rule definition using the expressionbuilder to define the condition and its corresponding action. Additionally, the productsupports generation of parameterized rule templates that can be used to change rule

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implementation at run-time. You can also define how the business rules for aparticular activity relate to each other by scheduling when each business ruleapplies. By defining the logic of your business rules in Modeler, you can bothtransfer the business view of the business rules to IT and simplify applicationdevelopment.

Hint: When using scheduled business rules, it is recommended that you set adefault business rule that applies when other scheduled business rules do not.

Because human tasks represent manual user activities, each requires a primaryowner designation. Additional resources can be defined using the resource tab in asimilar manner to generic tasks. The human task element also supports escalationsrules and contact channels. Finally, human tasks support forms as the task input oroutput or both, can even be generated directly from a form.

Refer to the WebSphere Business Modeler V6.1 Information Center for more detailson how to model organizations, business items and resource elements. For adetailed case study, refer to the IBM Redbook Business Process Management:Modeling through Monitoring Using WebSphere V6.0.2 Products. Additionalresources are provided in the Resources section.

Refer to the WebSphere Business Modeler V6.1 Information Center for more detailson how to model business rule and human tasks. For information on modelinghuman tasks, refer to Modeling human tasks with WebSphere Business Modeler.

Repositories

Repositories are storage areas for data, and every repository has a name and anassociated business item. A repository can hold only a single type of object (such asinvoices, customer records, or problem reports). By default, it holds an unlimitednumber of instances, but you can set a maximum capacity. There are two types ofrepositories: local (specific to the process) and global (reusable within a project).

Flow control logic (Control vs Data)

A control perspective includes multiple tasks that can be performed at the same timeon the same data. In contrast, a data perspective contains multiple tasks that can beperformed at the same time, but require different data. Flow constructs, such asdecisions, forks, joins, and merges, are used to show control of flow, not to create orconverge different flows with different data or information. Therefore, the input oroutput branches for the flow constructs in the product must use the same businessitems on each path, as illustrated in Figure 1. See a larger version of Figure 1.

Figure 1. Alternate path flow construct

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If you require multiple, distinct data, use the task and process inputs or outputsdirectly, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Data perspective flow construct

In general, decisions and forks are used to divide one process path into multiplepaths. To recombine multiple paths, merges and joins are used. Merges are usedwith decisions to represent alternate paths, while joins are typically used with forksto illustrate concurrent processing paths. In other words, a decision is a processelement that routes an input to one of several alternative outgoing paths, dependingon its condition. In contrast, a fork makes copies of its input and forwards them alongseveral processing paths in parallel. A merge element is typically paired with adecision because it acts as a logical OR condition and, therefore, requires only asingle input to resume process execution (see Figure 1). For convergence ofconcurrent execution paths, a join is the appropriate element to use because it waitsto receive all inputs before continuing, as shown in Figure 3. See a larger version ofFigure 3.

bFigure 3. Parallel processing path flow construct

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Decisions

Again, the decision element allows the process to be executed in a number ofdifferent ways, depending on the outcome of the output branches, where eachpossible path of execution is known as a case. Simple decisions support only asingle input and two outputs (“Yes” and “No”). On the other hand, multiple choicedecisions support multiple configurable output branches and may be exclusive orinclusive. Exclusive choices are used when only a single path at a time is relevantand this behavior is supported by simple and multiple choice decision elements.When one or more choices are required (that is, conditional parallel processingpaths), an inclusive multiple decision element should be used. Note that when usingan inclusive decision, the probabilities do not need to add up to 100% as they do foran exclusive decision. In addition, the conditional switch logic can be defined inseveral ways: Based on an expression, Randomly to multiple paths or Based onprobabilities to multiple paths.

Following are some tips to consider when using decisions:

• Avoid using more than two decisions in direct sequence.

• Use multiple decisions rather than a series of simple decisions, ifpossible.

• Use exclusive rather than inclusive decisions wherever possible tosimplify the model for simulation and allow isolation of combined paths.

• Consider adding an exception branch to a multiple decision element forpossible unknown outcomes.

See Common modeling patterns in the Modeler V6.1 Information Center for moreinformation on process flow conventions.

Defining input and output logic

Inputs define the data that an element needs before it can execute. You define theinputs differently for a global element and than for a local element. In theIntermediate or Advanced mode, you can group inputs to form a set of inputs knownas an input criterion. Each input criterion defines a particular combination of inputsthat can start a process, task, or other element. If you add more than one inputcriterion, selection arrow icons are shown in the process diagram. Clicking thearrows shows each of the input criteria in turn, by applying a darker background tothe inputs that are in the selected input criterion, as shown in Figure 4. Note that theProcess order task requires two distinct inputs to start: a Contract and a CreditRating. The contract may either be a new one or an addendum to an existing one,which is represented as two distinct business states.

Figure 4. Complex task input behavior

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You can specify preconditions that apply to an element rather than to an inputcriterion for the element. A precondition documents assumptions that must be true totrigger the element. Therefore, preconditions are used to document irrecoverableconditions in the model. If you want to model a flow that can recover from aparticular condition, you should explicitly model the condition (for example, thedecision).

In the Advanced mode, you can also define constraints that limit the input criteria. Ifan input criterion constraint is not true, the element will not run. Finally, you canstipulate a correlation condition, which defines an association between an inputcriterion of an element and a particular instance of that element in a runtimeenvironment. A correlation indicator icon ) is displayed in the process diagramwhen you add a correlation condition.

In summary, you can use input criteria as an alternative to the merge and join nodesto accommodate multiple input types as well as to simplify your diagram. However, itis recommended that flow constructs be used to visualize conditions explicitly, ifpossible.

Outputs support similar attribute definitions to inputs, including basic output criterionlogic and advanced expression-based output logic. However, post conditions aresupported for outputs instead of preconditions.

Start and stop nodes

Nodes are visual markers for the open or close of a process, and there are three

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types supported in a process diagram: start, end and stop. A process can start witheither a start node or a connection from the edge of the process to the first task. Inaddition, a single process can have multiple start nodes. If the process requires inputto initiate, you should associate input to your process by connecting directly to theborder of the diagram. Similarly, you should connect to the right-hand border ifprocess output is expected. You can use stop nodes in your diagram to indicate thatthe process is finished for specific decision flows, and end nodes to represent whena particular path in the process completes. Node usage has a direct influence onsimulation behavior and will be described in more detail in Part 3 of this series.

For details on common errors or anti-patterns, refer to the WebSphere DeveloperTechnical Journal series "Process anti-patterns: How to avoid the common traps ofbusiness process modeling, Parts 1 and 2" in the Resources section.

Process presentation elements

This section describes the presentation elements of the business process model.

Labels

You can display labels for all processes in a diagram in order to emphasize certaincharacteristics at a glance. You can specify up to two labels for each element, oneabove and one below, and can choose from the following content:

• Description

• Processing cost

• Startup cost

• Revenue

• Processing time

• Organization units

• Locations

• Classifier values

To further enhance the diagram, you can apply annotations, which act asexplanatory notes.

Layout

There are two process layouts available: swimlane and free-form. Swimlane layoutenables you to display your process activities according to particular attributes,helping you to visually identify activities with certain characteristics, such as

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resource definition, role, or location. After you have created a number of elements inyour diagram, it can become difficult to recall particular attributes of those elementswithout selecting each element individually and examining its attributes. Theswimlane layout lets you adjust attributes by moving activities to different swimlanerows. In contrast, free-form allows you to place elements anywhere on the editorsurface.

Classifiers

Classifiers enable you to categorize elements that share a common characteristicand then assign a color to better evaluate elements for decision-making or processoptimization. There are several predefined classifiers (quality control, value added,and workflow) or you can define your own classifiers and classifier values. You canalso display each classifier value in a different row using swimlanes.

Naming conventions

It's good practice to define a set of standards in order to maintain consistent processmodels. Process modeling standards provide a common language for the team,which enhances project efficiency and reduces the occurrence ofmisunderstandings. In particular, you should standardize element names and thelevel of process detail to use. But, most importantly, ensure that the model isrelevant to the business context -- choose names and model relationships as theyappear in business operations. Keep in mind that the model represents the businessanalyst's view so that it can be measured against the business goals. Thus, themodel should be agnostic of the IT implementation.

Process and tasks should follow a verb object naming convention such as CreateSales Order, and should be concise. Processes and tasks should not be named forwho performs them or for their inputs and outputs; this information is held in theattributes of the process elements. Decisions and choices can simplify the processdiagram and they should be stated as a question such as Loan Approved? Finally,scoping is critical to the success of a business process model. You should documentthe project objectives and goals, identify the relevant stakeholders and ensure theyare on board. In addition, you should clearly define the project schedule and plan tomonitor and track regular progress.

Section 4. Importing and exporting project elements

Importing model artifacts

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Modeler allows you to import information from a variety of sources to enable you tobuild business process models quickly. The information used by Modeler mayalready exist in another application, tool, or file format, or in another copy ofModeler. Modeler provides a wizard to help you import this information into a new orexisting project.

The wizard supports the following types of imports:

• Modeler project (mar, zip)

• WebSphere MQ Workflow (fdl)

• WebSphere Business Monitor results (xml)

• Modeler XML (xml)

• WebSphere Business Integration Workbench V4.2.4 (org)

• Lotus Forms (xfdl, xfd)

• Rational Data Architect (xsd)

• Microsoft Visio (vdx)

• Business services and service objects (wsdl, xsd)

• XML schema (xml)

• Delimited text (csv, txt)

Once you complete the import wizard, the import process starts. The import processchecks whether an imported element has the same name as an existing element. Ifthere is a duplicate name, the import process renames the imported element.However, when you are doing a Modeler project import, you can overwrite theexisting elements. If you choose not to overwrite, the import process does not importelements with duplicate names.

The import process also validates the content. If it finds a problem such as an illegalcharacter, the validation process fixes the problem so it can continue the import.When the import process completes, the problems encountered and fixed arereported to the user and Modeler further verifies the new content.

Exporting model artifacts

After modeling business processes, you can use Modeler to export information toanother application to, for example, implement the business processes. You canalso export a project so that another person can import it to view or work on it.

Modeler provides a wizard to help you export this information in a format that the

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other application can read.

The wizard supports the following types of exports:

• Modeler project (mar, zip)

• WebSphere Integration Developer

• WebSphere MQ Workflow (fdl)

• Modeler Development Toolkit (mm)

• Modeler XML (xml)

• WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition

• FileNet Business Process Manager (xpdl)

• Rational Data Architect

• UML Business Modeling Profile

• Delimited text (csv, txt)

Important:b Models created in Modeler are not guaranteed to work correctly in theother tools. When you're converting files, you should be aware of the following:

• If you plan to export FDL, BPEL, or SCA artifacts, you should first ensureyou are working in the appropriate mode (WebSphere MQ Workflow,WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation, or WebSphereProcess Server respectively) and that your model has no errors. Thesemodes enforce restrictions on the Modeler models to ensure that themodel can be imported into the other applications and function properly.

• Based on what is specified in the model, it may not be possible togenerate a complete process definition. For example, if the decisionbranches in the model have no formal expressions associated with them,no BPEL or FDL transition conditions will be generated.

• No deployment-related information is generated when you export the files.This information is generated when you import the files into WebSphereStudio Application Developer Integration Edition, WebSphere IntegrationDeveloper, or WebSphere MQ Workflow.

Figure 5 summarizes the integration between WebSphere Business Modeler andWebSphere Business Monitor in support of continuous business processimprovement.

Figure 5. Import/Export roadmapRefer to the Information Center for information on the results of exporting

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organizations, roles and processes to WebSphere Process Server, WebSphere MQWorkflow, and WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation.

Section 5. Using Modeler in a team environment

Publishing models

The Modeler Publishing Server provides the ability to review and annotate models ina collaborative, web-based team environment. The server provides a way for peoplewho do not have Modeler installed to view and comment on business processmodels. Model publishing involves sending a consistent, integrated model to thepublishing server where it displays the models in a Web browser using a set ofportlets. The portlets correspond to the four panes used by Modeler.

The recommended way to publish a project is to separate the publishing task fromthe modeling tasks. Therefore, publishing a project should involve the followinghigh-level steps:

1. Modeling - A team of modelers combine to create a model.

2. Integrating - An individual builds a consistent model from the contentsprovided by the modeling team.

3. Publishing - The person acting as the publisher sends the finalizedmodel to the publishing server.

For more information on publishing models, refer to the Modeler Publishing ServerInformation Center.

Sharing and versioning models

To support collaborative business modeling, project versioning allows teammembers to work from a common source and track changes to a model as itevolves. The version control system acts as a centralized repository and stores eachmodification of a model element such as a process, resource, or catalog as a distinctversion of the original item in a repository. The Repository view in Business Modelersupports either Concurrent Versions System (CVS) or IBM Rational® ClearCase®.

To enable project versioning, you must configure the workspace for repository

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access by providing the relevant server location and access control values. Oncethis is done, versioning is accessible in the Business Modeling perspective under theVersion context menu, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Version context menu

Project versioning enables you to view the history of a project element'smodifications, as shown in Figure 7, and compare versions to see specifically whathas changed, as shown in Figure 8. In addition, the model history allows you torecover previous version content.

Figure 7. Element version history

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See a larger version of Figure 8.

Figure 8. Version comparison

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CVS terminology

CVS is an open source version control system. ClearCase is a fully supportedproduct with advanced features, such as locking support for model elements. Thefollowing terms and symbols are used with CVS integration, but are also relevantwith ClearCase:

• Commit - when the local workspace contains a newer version than whatis stored in the repository ( ) for a particular project and the user pushesthe changes out to repository.

• Conflict – when the contents for a particular project element in the localworkspace and repository versions have both changed ( ). Aftersynchronization, the user is prompted to overwrite and commit thechanges from the local project to the repository or overwrite and updatethe local project with the contents of the repository. The rename or moveconflict ( ) indicates either a project element name change or that it wasmoved to a different catalog.

• History – the change history associated with a project element stored inthe repository.

• Repository location – the server parameters you enter to connect toCVS/ClearCase via Modeler (server name, path, user name andpassword).

• Synchronize – when a user compares the local project contents withthose in the repository. The results are displayed in the Synchronization

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view of Modeler and are partitioned according to whether they areupdates, commits or conflicts.

• Update – when the local workspace contains an older version than whatis stored in the repository ( ) for a particular project and the userdownloads the changes from repository to the local workspace.

Throughout the modeling process, the user periodically synchronizes the local andrepository models to determine the differences. Table 2 provides more details on thesymbols used in the Synchronization view.

Table 2. Synchronization symbolsIcon Description

Indicates an element has been added to the localworkspace that has not been committed to therepository.

Indicates an element exists in the repository thatdoes not exist in the local workspace.

Indicates an element has been deleted from thelocal workspace, but still exists in the repository.

Indicates an element has been deleted from therepository, but still exists in the local workspace.

Indicates an element has been changed in thelocal workspace compared to the version in therepository.

Indicates an element has been changed in therepository compared to the version in the localworkspace.

Indicates an element name has been changed orhas been moved to a different local catalog.

Indicates an element name has been changed orhas been moved to a different catalog in therepository.

Indicates an element name has been changedboth locally and in the repository resulting in aconflict.

Project versioning scope

Some of the actions you can perform from the project Version context menu applyto a project itself, while others are relevant to individual model elements. Table 3summarizes the actions and their scope.

Table 3. Project versioning scope summaryAction Scope

Share Projects

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Disconnect Projects

Commit to Repository Projects, catalogs, and model elements

Check Out Project Projects

Update from Repository Projects, catalogs, and model elements

Synchronize Projects, catalogs, and model elements

Show History Projects and model elementsNote: Performing Show History on a projectdisplays the history of the project's referencegroup. It does not show changes to the elementswithin the project.

For more information on how to configure Modeler to use CVS as a source controlrepository, refer to IBM WebSphere Developer Technical Journal: Sharing businessprocesses in a team environment using WebSphere Business Modeler and CVS.

The limitations and restrictions of change management

Conflicts can occur when any changes are made, especially when team membersare making changes to the same version of the project simultaneously. In otherwords, elements with both incoming and outgoing changes may result in a conflict.Users can explicitly overwrite changes when a conflict occurs, but, first, they musttake care to review the changes carefully to ensure the model is consistent.

In other words, using a shared repository does not guarantee a consistent integratedmodel. The repository contains different versions of model elements that may haveinterdependencies. Therefore, the key for establishing a successful teamenvironment is discipline, while balancing the need for a common repository againstthe cost for managing and controlling changes.

Using import and export to share projects

You can also use import and export to share projects among team members. Thissharing allows multiple people to contribute to the development of the models, butdoes not provide the coordination features supported by a centralized repository thatare required to manage consistency.

When sharing projects using import and export, the following procedure isrecommended:

1. Create a project to be used as a consolidated project. If possible, createall catalogs at this time.

2. Export the project for everyone to work on. The Modeler project is therecommended export format. Each team member imports the project into

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his or her workspace.

3. Team members work on the project and add their elements, observing thefollowing rules:

• Give each new element or catalog a unique name (to avoid namecollisions).

• Do not rename the catalog or elements exported from theconsolidated project (to avoid identification information collisions).

4. After each team member completes a phase of additions, he or sheexports the models. Other team members and the owner of theconsolidated project import those models.

5. At each stable phase, back up the consolidated project.

Section 6. Modeling hints and tips

Changing input and output order

Modeling input and outputs in a consistent manner can be difficult when multiplebusiness items are required. In order to change the order of a particular element,select the entire input or output set and select Modify Input/Output Order from thecontext menu, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Changing input/output order

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This feature is very useful for repairing crossing connectors and other display issues.In addition, it can be used for global elements in a process diagram if the defaultorder doesn't meet the current process layout requirements. Finally, if you needadditional input/output sources without associated data, you can add them to globalelements as needed to clean up the general process flow, as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Adding local generic inputs to global elements

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Straightening lines

To manually straighten lines, it is helpful to increase the diagram view size to 300%or more to provide improved control with enhanced granularity. as shown in Figure11.

Figure 11. Increasing diagram view size

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Navigating around the process diagram

The outline pane in the lower left corner of the default four-pane view is a useful wayto navigate around larger process diagrams. The thumbnail view is the default,which displays the diagram as a visual map with a navigation block to highlight thecurrent position. To quickly locate a specific element, you can use the structure viewshown in Figure 12.

Figure 12. Structure outline view

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This view groups the process diagram elements by type and alphabetically withineach set. This view is also useful for navigating through errors because it showswhich elements correspond to each error designated with red X marks.

Setting the workspace location

If you opt to designate a default workspace in the Workspace Launcher dialog, asshown in Figure 13, you'll no longer be prompted to choose a workspace locationand the default value will be used at application start-up.

Figure 13. Setting a default workspace location

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If you need to remove this default setting, modify the application shortcut by addingthe –setworkspace flag to the start-up options, as shown below:

eclipse.exe -product com.ibm.btools.modeler.ide -showlocation -setworkspace

Changing swimlane order

You can configure the swimlane display order as you add each lane by adding anew lane before or after the selected swimlane. You can also change the swimlaneorder by right-clicking on an empty space in the diagram and selecting ChangeSwimlane Order. The Modify Order dialog displays, in which you can change theswimlane order as well as specify whether to apply auto-layout in the revisedconfiguration, as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14. Modifying swimlane order

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Printing tips

Modeler supports the following print formats for process diagrams: pdf, svg and jpg.If you want to print the process model as a continuous flow (for example, on aplotter), use the following process to determine the necessary page layout values:

1. Export the diagram as a JPG to determine the aspect ratio. The jpgformat will automatically size the diagram as a single page. Use theheight and width values to determine the aspect ratio that works with yourpaper size. For example, if the paper is 24 inches wide, the height of yourdiagram in landscape mode should be 24, with the width calculated usingthe ratio as seen your image viewer, as shown in Figure 15.

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Figure 15. Determining the diagram aspect ratio

2. Export the diagram to PDF using the calculated ratio, or print directly fromthe diagram setting the page setting, as shown in Figure 16, and theprinter setting to Fit to page, as shown in Figure 17, in the VisualAttributes tab of the process editorFigure 16. Diagram page settings

Figure 17. Diagram print settings

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3. In the print dialog, select the plotter as the target printer, and select printerProperties.

4. In the Properties dialog, shown in Figure 18, select Custom under PaperOptions.Figure 18. Configuring the printer properties

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5. In the Custom Paper Sizes dialog, shown in Figure 19, define a custompaper size using the calculated ratio.Figure 19. Defining a custom paper size

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6. Preview the results, if available, then print.

Section 7. Summary

You've now seen what's involved in building robust business process models, andlearned about the various data models supported by Modeler. You learned about theprocess flow control logic and layouts. You also learned about how you can shareprocesses using configuration management tools as well as import and exportfunctions. In Part 3, you'll learn about the dynamic aspects of your process modelsusing the Modeler's simulation environment.

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Resources

Learn

• Test 992, IBM WebSphere Business Modeler Advanced V6.1, BusinessAnalysis and Design: Become an IBM-Certified Business Process Analyst.Check out the objectives, sample assessment tests, and training resources forTest 992.

• IBM WebSphere Business Process Management Information Center: Getcomplete documentation on the Version 6.1 IBM WebSphere Business ProcessManagement products.

• The developerWorks WebSphere business process management zone: Get thelatest technical resources for WebSphere BPM solutions, including articles,tutorials, events, downloads, and more.

• Business Process Management: Modeling through Monitoring UsingWebSphere V6.0.2 Products: This IBM Redbook introduces the concepts ofbusiness process management, the IBM products that support businessprocess management, and examines a detailed case study.

• Why model business processes? (developerWorks 2007): This article comparesseveral common BPM approaches, showing the advantages of building aprocess model.

• Discover and model your business processes with WebSphere BusinessModeler (developerWorks 2008): Learn how using WebSphere BusinessModeler for business process discovery and modeling can get your businessprocess management projects off and running.

• Modeling human tasks with WebSphere Business Modeler (developerWorks2008): This article documents how to consolidate human tasks in WebSphereBusiness Modeler that minimizes changes for implementation in WebSphereIntegration Developer.

• Process anti-patterns: How to avoid the common traps of business processmodeling, Part 1 (developerWorks 2007): This article describes typical modelingerrors or anti-patterns that cover two scenarios around the modeling of controlflow along with recommended solutions.

• Process anti-patterns: How to avoid the common traps of business processmodeling, Part 2 (developerWorks 2007): This article is the second in a seriesdescribing typical modeling errors or anti-patterns. This installment addressesthe modeling of data flow, events and triggers, the correct termination of aprocess, and the reuse of activities in hierarchical process models.

• Sharing business processes in a team environment using WebSphere BusinessModeler and CVS (developerWorks 2007): This article illustrates how to use the

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team environment capabilities in Business Modeler to configure and use CVSas a source control tool to enable the sharing of business processes.

• IBM Training: Check out this site for more information on training opportunitiesfor IBM products and technologies.

Get products and technologies

• WebSphere Business Modeler Advanced Version 6.1: Download a free trialversion.

• Downloads: Build your next development project with IBM trial software,available for download directly from developerWorks.

Discuss

• WebSphere Business Modeler forum: Ask questions and talk to other Modelerusers in this developerWorks forum.

• Forums and community: Participate in developerWorks blogs and get involvedin the developerWorks community.

About the author

Lori SmallLori Small is a Senior Business Analyst consulting at Verizon Business. Previously,Lori worked at IBM for 10 years in WebSphere Portal Content Managementdevelopment, the SMB Emerging Technologies group, Tivoli event management andas a solution architect for the IBM Software Group On Demand Solution Center(ODSC). You can reach Lori at lsmall@nc.rr.com.

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