4.2. DMN decision requirements diagram (DRD) components

A decision requirements diagram (DRD) is a visual representation of your DMN model. A DRD can represent part or all of the overall decision requirements graph (DRG) for the DMN model. DRDs trace business decisions using decision nodes, business knowledge models, sources of business knowledge, input data, and decision services.

The following table summarizes the components in a DRD:

表4.1 DRD components

ComponentDescriptionNotation

Elements

Decision

Node where one or more input elements determine an output based on defined decision logic.

dmn decision node

Business knowledge model

Reusable function with one or more decision elements. Decisions that have the same logic but depend on different sub-input data or sub-decisions use business knowledge models to determine which procedure to follow.

dmn bkm node

Knowledge source

External authorities, documents, committees, or policies that regulate a decision or business knowledge model. Knowledge sources are references to real-world factors rather than executable business rules.

dmn knowledge source node

Input data

Information used in a decision node or a business knowledge model. Input data usually includes business-level concepts or objects relevant to the business, such as loan applicant data used in a lending strategy.

dmn input data node

Decision service

Top-level decision containing a set of reusable decisions published as a service for invocation. A decision service can be invoked from an external application or a BPMN business process.

dmn decision service node

Requirement connectors

Information requirement

Connection from an input data node or decision node to another decision node that requires the information.

dmn info connector

Knowledge requirement

Connection from a business knowledge model to a decision node or to another business knowledge model that invokes the decision logic.

dmn knowledge connector

Authority requirement

Connection from an input data node or a decision node to a dependent knowledge source or from a knowledge source to a decision node, business knowledge model, or another knowledge source.

dmn authority connector

Artifacts

Text annotation

Explanatory note associated with an input data node, decision node, business knowledge model, or knowledge source.

dmn annotation node

Association

Connection from an input data node, decision node, business knowledge model, or knowledge source to a text annotation.

dmn association connector

The following table summarizes the permitted connectors between DRD elements:

表4.2 DRD connector rules

Starts fromConnects toConnection typeExample

Decision

Decision

Information requirement

dmn decision to decision

Business knowledge model

Decision

Knowledge requirement

dmn bkm to decision

Business knowledge model

dmn bkm to bkm

Decision service

Decision

Knowledge requirement

dmn decision service to decision

Business knowledge model

dmn decision service to bkm

Input data

Decision

Information requirement

dmn input to decision

Knowledge source

Authority requirement

dmn input to knowledge source

Knowledge source

Decision

Authority requirement

dmn knowledge source to decision

Business knowledge model

dmn knowledge source to bkm

Knowledge source

dmn knowledge source to knowledge source

Decision

Text annotation

Association

dmn decision to annotation

Business knowledge model

dmn bkm to annotation

Knowledge source

dmn knowledge source to annotation

Input data

dmn input to annotation

The following example DRD illustrates some of these DMN components in practice:

図4.1 Example DRD: Loan prequalification

dmn example drd

The following example DRD illustrates DMN components that are part of a reusable decision service:

図4.2 Example DRD: Phone call handling as a decision service

dmn example drd3

In a DMN decision service node, the decision nodes in the bottom segment incorporate input data from outside of the decision service to arrive at a final decision in the top segment of the decision service node. The resulting top-level decisions from the decision service are then implemented in any subsequent decisions or business knowledge requirements of the DMN model. You can reuse DMN decision services in other DMN models to apply the same decision logic with different input data and different outgoing connections.