Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. About Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite

Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite is an open source business process management suite that combines Business Process Management and Business Rules Management and enables business and IT users to create, manage, validate, and deploy business processes and rules.

Red Hat JBoss BRMS and Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite use a centralized repository where all resources are stored. This ensures consistency, transparency, and the ability to audit across the business. Business users can modify business logic and business processes without requiring assistance from IT personnel.

To accommodate Business Rules component, Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite includes integrated Red Hat JBoss BRMS.

Business Resource Planner is included with this release.

Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite is supported for use with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (RHEL7).

1.2. Supported Platforms

Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite and Red Hat JBoss BRMS are fully supported and tested on the following platforms:

  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4.7
  • Red Hat JBoss Web Server 2.1, 3.0
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5
  • Oracle WebLogic Server 12.1.3 (12c)
  • Red Hat JBoss Fuse 6.2.x

1.3. Use Case: Process­-Based Solutions in Loan Industry

This section describes a use case of deploying Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite to automate business processes (such as loan approval process) at a retail bank. This use case is a typical process-based specific deployment that might be the first step in a wider adoption of Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite throughout an enterprise. It leverages features of both business rules and processes of Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite.

A retail bank offers several types of loan products each with varying terms and eligibility requirements. Customers requiring a loan must file a loan application with the bank. The bank then processes the application in several steps, such as verifying eligibility, determining terms, checking for fraudulent activity, and determining the most appropriate loan product. Once approved, the bank creates and funds a loan account for the applicant, who can then access funds. The bank must be sure to comply with all relevant banking regulations at each step of the process, and has to manage its loan portfolio to maximize profitability. Policies are in place to aid in decision making at each step, and those policies are actively managed to optimize outcomes for the bank.

Business analysts at the bank model the loan application processes using the BPMN2 authoring tools (Process Designer) in Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite. Here is the process flow:

Figure 1.1. High-Level Loan Application Process Flow

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Business rules are developed with the rule authoring tools in Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite to enforce policies and make decisions. Rules are linked with the process models to enforce the correct policies at each process step.

The bank’s IT organization deploys the Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite so that the entire loan application process can be automated.

Figure 1.2. Loan Application Process Automation

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The entire loan process and rules can be modified at any time by the bank’s business analysts. The bank is able to maintain constant compliance with changing regulations, and is able to quickly introduce new loan products and improve loan policies in order to compete effectively and drive profitability.

1.4. About IBM WebSphere Application Server

IBM WebSphere Application Server (hereinafter referred to as WAS) is a flexible and secure web application server that hosts Java-based web applications and provides Java EE-certified runtime environments. WAS 8.5.5 supports Java SE 8 and is fully compliant with Java EE 7 since version 8.5.5.6.

1.4.1. Getting Started with IBM WebSphere Application Server

Downloading and Installing WAS

In order to install IBM WebSphere Application Server, you need to download and install IBM Installation Manager first.

  1. Download IBM Installation Manager version 1.8.5 or later from the IBM Installation Manager and Packaging Utility download links page.

  2. Extract the downloaded archive, change to root, and run the following command in the new directory: 

    ./install

    IBM Installation Manager opens. The installer will guide you through the entire process of installing the manager.

  3. Open the installed manager, go to File → Preferences and click Add Repository.

    The Add Repository dialog window opens.

  4. Enter the repository URL for IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5. You can find all the repository URLs in the Online product repositories for WebSphere Application Server offerings page of the IBM Knowledge Center. For example: 

    http://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.APPCLIENT.v85
  5. Enter your IBM id credentials when prompted and after the Connection status turns green, click OK.
  6. Click Install.
  7. Choose the packages you want to install and click Next. If asked, install all the recommended fixes as well.
Creating Users and Installation Verification
  1. In the WebSphere Customization Toolbox 8.5, open the Profile Management Tool.
  2. Click Create…​ and create a user for the Application Server environment.
  3. In the WebSphere Application Server - First Steps window that opens, click Installation Verification and verify that your server was installed properly.
Starting Server
  1. Change into the bin directory of the installed application server (by default at /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer).

  2. Change to root and run ./startServer.sh APPLICATION_SERVER_NAME, for example: 

    ./startServer.sh server1

  3. Navigate to http://TARGET_SERVER:9060/ibm/console in your web browser and log in with the user credentials created in the previous procedure.

    The Integrated Solutions Console opens.

Note

Do not forget to stop the server after you are no longer using it. Log out of the console and run ./stopServer.sh APPLICATION_SERVER_NAME as root. For example: 

./stopServer.sh server1

For further information, see WebSphere Application Server, version 8.5.5 documentation.

1.5. About Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite for IBM WebSphere Application Server

Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite for IBM WebSphere Application Server is provided as three deployable web application archives: business-central.war, kie-server.war, and dashbuilder.war. It is then deployed and configured as any other web application.

Note

Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite 6.4 is supported on the version 8.5.5 of IBM WebSphere Application Server.

Installation of Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite on IBM WebSphere Application Server is supported since version 6.0.2 of Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite. This guide covers the installation and configuration of Red Hat JBoss BPM Suite on a full profile version of IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5.

Before installation, several configuration steps need to be performed to enable a successful setup. Follow the procedures in this guide to configure the server.

Before you proceed, ensure you have root access to IBM WebSphere Application Server and that you are able to successfully access the IBM WebSphere’s administrative console using a web browser (usually at http://TARGET_SERVER:9060/ibm/console).