Chapter 1 About This Book

Subject

This book describes the PowerDesigner Business Process Model environment. It shows you how to do the following:

Build the three views of the Business Process Model (BPM): Analysis, Collaborative and Executable using the BPM diagrams
Create and use business rules and other modeling objects
Simulate a BPM
Verify the model, merge and compare models
Open V6 PAM models
Generate a Business Process Model from the BPM
Generate an executable BPM from an analysis, a collaborative or an executable BPM
Reverse engineer ebXML BPSS files, BPEL4WS files, Sybase Unwired Orchestrator files, and WS-BPEL files
Generate ebXML BPSS and CPA files, BPEL4WS files, Sybase Unwired Orchestrator files, Sybase WorkSpace Business Process files, and WS-BPEL files

Audience

This book is for anyone who will be designing or building a BPM with PowerDesigner. It requires an understanding of process modeling. Some experience with programming languages might also be helpful but not required. For more information, see the Bibliography section at the end of this chapter.

Documentation primer

The PowerDesigner modeling environment supports several types of models:

Conceptual Data Model (CDM) to model the overall logical structure of a data application, independent from any software or data storage structure considerations
Physical Data Model (PDM) to model the overall physical structure of a database, taking into account DBMS software or data storage structure considerations
Object Oriented Model (OOM) to model a software system using an object-oriented approach for Java or other object languages
Business Process Model (BPM) to model the means by which one or more processes are accomplished in operating business practices
XML Model (XSM) to model the structure of an XML file using a DTD or an XML schema
Requirements Model (RQM) to list and document the customer needs that must be satisfied during a development process
Information Liquidity Model (ILM) to model the replication of information from a source database to one or several remote databases using replication engines
Free Model (FEM) to create any kind of chart diagram, in a context-free environment

This book only explains how to use the BPM. For information on other models or aspects of PowerDesigner, consult the following books:

General Features Guide To get familiar with the PowerDesigner interface before learning how to use any of the models.

Conceptual Data Model User's Guide To work with the CDM.

Physical Data Model User's Guide To work with the PDM.

Object Oriented Model User's Guide To work with the OOM.

XML Model User's Guide To work with the XSM.

Requirements Model User's Guide To work with the RQM.

Information Liquidity Model User's Guide To work with the ILM.

Reports User's Guide To create reports for any or all models.

Repository User's Guide To work in a multi-user environment using a central repository.

Typographic conventions

PowerDesigner documentation uses specific typefaces to help you readily identify specific items:

monospace text (normal and bold)

Used for: Code samples, commands, compiled functions and files, references to variables.

Example: declare user_defined..., the BeforeInsertTrigger template.
bold text

Any new term.

Example: A shortcut has a target object.
small caps

Any key name.

Example: Press the enter key.

Bibliography

The Workflow reference Model - http://www.wfmc.org.

Business Process Model Language Specification - http://www.bpmi.org/.

Document: Business Process Specification Schema - http://www.ebxml.org/.

Alan Kotok, David R. Webber, David RR Webber - ebXML: The New Global Standard for Doing Business on the Internet - New Riders Publishing, 2001.

Business Process Execution Language for Web Services Specification –
http://www- 106.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-bpel/.