Chapter 2. Business Process Modeling and Notation Version 2.0
The Business Process Modeling and Notation Version 2.0 (BPMN2) specification is an Object Management Group (OMG) specification that defines standards for graphically representing a business process, defines execution semantics for the elements, and provides process definitions in XML format.
A process is defined or determined by its process definition. It exists in a knowledge base and is identified by its ID. A process is a container for a set of modeling elements. It contains elements that specify the execution workflow of a business process or its parts using flow objects and flows. Each process has its own BPMN2 diagram. Red Hat Process Automation Manager contains the legacy process designer and the new process designer for creating BPMN2 diagrams. The new process designer has an improved layout and feature set and continues to be developed. Until all features of the legacy process designer are completely implemented in the new process designer, both designers are available in Business Central for you to use.
2.1. Red Hat Process Automation Manager support for BPMN2
With Red Hat Process Automation Manager, you can model your business processes using the BPMN 2.0 standard. You can then use Red Hat Process Automation Manager to run, manage, and monitor these business processes. The full BPMN 2.0 specification also includes details on how to represent items such as choreographies and collaboration. However, Red Hat Process Automation Manager uses only the parts of the specification that you can use to specify executable processes. This includes almost all elements and attributes as defined in the Common Executable subclass of the BPMN2 specification, extended with some additional elements and attributes.
The following table contains a list of icons used to indicate whether a BPMN2 element is supported in the legacy process designer, the legacy and new process designer, or not supported.
Table 2.1. Support status icons
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
|
| Supported in the legacy and new process designer |
|
| Supported in the legacy process designer only |
|
| Not supported |
Elements that have no icon do not exist in the BPMN2 specification.
Table 2.2. BPMN2 catching events
| Element Name | Start | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|
| None |
| |
| Message |
|
|
| Timer |
|
|
| Error |
|
|
| Escalation |
|
|
| Cancel |
| |
| Compensation |
|
|
| Conditional |
|
|
| Link |
| |
| Signal |
|
|
| Multiple |
|
|
| Parallel Multiple |
|
|
Table 2.3. BPMN2 throwing and non-interrupting events
| Element Name | Throwing | Non-interrupting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End | Intermediate | Start | Intermediate | |
| None |
| |||
| Message |
|
|
|
|
| Timer |
|
| ||
| Error |
| |||
| Escalation |
|
|
|
|
| Cancel |
|
|
| |
| Compensation |
|
| ||
| Conditional |
|
| ||
| Link |
| |||
| Signal |
|
|
|
|
| Terminate |
| |||
| Multiple |
|
|
|
|
| Parallel Multiple |
|
|
Table 2.4. BPMN2 elements
| Element type | Element | Supported |
|---|---|---|
| Task | Business rule |
|
| Script |
| |
| User task |
| |
| Service task |
| |
| Subprocesses, including multiple instance subprocesses | Embedded |
|
| Ad hoc |
| |
| Reusable |
| |
| Event |
| |
| Gateways | Inclusive |
|
| Exclusive |
| |
| Parallel |
| |
| Event-based |
| |
| Complex |
| |
| Connecting objects | Sequence flows |
|
| Association flows |
| |
| Swimlanes | Swimlanes |
|
| Artifacts | Group |
|
| Text annotation |
|
For more information about the background and applications of BPMN2, see the OMG Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Version 2.0 specification.
