What is TIBCO iProcess Modeler?

• The TIBCO iProcess Modeler is used to analysis and document business processes as simple as possible, it is used for visual representation of your business process that is easy to follow and that can be enhanced or modify at any time.
• The TIBCO iProcess Modeler is automatically started by the TIBCO iProcess Client when you want to create or edit procedures. From the TIBCO iProcess Modeler you can access the Step Definer, which enables you to design the forms for each step in your procedure.
• Procedures are at the basics of Staffware operations and as a procedure/process definer .You are the one who will decide how to make manual procedures and paper documents into Staffware procedures and forms.

To know about Tibco iProcess Engine Architecture Click Here.

Read more...

Communication between TIBCO iProcess Client and Engine.

• The Tibco iprocess engine uses a client/server model for communication. Here we have two way communication path between each iprocess client and iprocess engine.
• The communication protocol used for this communication is called Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
• Any information updated/modified in client needs to be passed to iprocess engine for processing.

Read more...

Physical architecture of TIBCO iProcess engine

The TIBCO iProcess engine can be installed in two ways.

1. Installing the engine on  one server
2. Installing the engine on  multiple servers.

Installing the engine on  one server:

• Installing the tibco iprocess engine on one server is know as Tibco  iprocess engine node  architecture.

Installing the engine on  multiple servers:

• Installing the tibco iprocess engine on multiple servers that all use the same database instance is known as “nodecluster”architecture.

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: IAPJMS (IAPJMS) and RPC Background (RPCBG)

IAPJMS  (IAPJMS):

• If activity monitoring is enabled on your TIBCO iProcess Engine, the BG process sends out a message when any of the TIBCO iProcess Engine activities that you have configured to monitor occur. This process is responsible for receiving messages from the BG process and routing these to the JMS topic or queue.

RPC Background  (RPCBG):

• This process handles synchronous RPC calls from the Jump To and Case Suspend features in the TIBCO iProcess Client.

To know the processes operate in the background ClickHere
To know the processes operate in the foreground ClickHere

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: Database Queue Daemon(DBQD) and Deadline Manager (DLMGR)

Database Queue Daemon  (DBQD):

• This process is only currently used on the DB2 version of the TIBCO iProcess Engine.
• This process  processes RPC requests from the BG and WISMBD processes to dequeue messages from the database queue tables.

Deadline Manager  (DLMGR):

• This single process manages the deadlines that have been defined in a procedure using the iProcess Modeler.
• At defined intervals, the Deadline Manager checks the outstanding_adresse table for expired deadlines. If deadlines have expired,the Deadline Manager sends an Mbox instruction to the background Mbox set. so that the case instruction process can process the deadlines for the case.

To know the processes operate in the background ClickHere.

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: About Background (BG) processes

• This process retrieves messages from the Mbox sets and then processes the case instructions in the messages. 
• The number of Background processes is controlled by the Process Sentinels.
• Each message contains the case instructions from which the Background can determine what actions to take. The Background interprets the business rules defined in the procedure  and routes work items to the necessary work queues or external applications.
• The process makes decisions based upon the Staffware data and procedure definition instructions as to what happens in the business process next.

To know the processes operate in the background ClickHere.

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: Case Prediction (BGPREDICT):

• This process  receives messages from the Staffware Background processes.
• When a case instruction that results in a change to a case has been processed, the Staffware Background processes notify the Case Prediction processes so that the prediction data (stored in the database) can be updated. There can be multiple case prediction processes running concurrently.
• Each message contains information about the case that has changed and the procedure and instruction that caused the change.
• The process will read messages from the queue(s) and update the predict table so that it contains the latest prediction information about the case that the queued message was for.

To know the processes operate in the background ClickHere.

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: Background Processes

Background processes are responsible for processing message instructions received from the clients such as releasing a step or forwarding a step.

 And also monitor and process any deadlines that have been set up in the procedure and manage case prediction.

processes operate in the background:-

1. Background  (BG)
2. Case Prediction  (BGPREDICT)
3. Database Queue Daemon  (DBQD)
4. Deadline Manager  (DLMGR)
5. IAPJMS  (IAPJMS)
6. RPC Background  (RPCBG)

For detailed information on foreground processes CLICK HERE

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: Foreground Processes- Mbox Set

• The Mbox Sets are responsible for communicating information between the foreground and background processes. 
• The Mbox messaging system stores and processes messages from Tibco iProcess Client or Tibco iProcess Engine requests. 
• Mbox sets comprise of one or more message queues.

The messaging system used:-

In the UNIX Oracle and Windows Oracle versions, Oracle AQ. This is a transactional messaging system provided by the Oracle database.

In the UNIX DB2 and Windows SQL Server versions, Staff ware's own transactional messaging system, which uses database tables provided by the DB2 or Microsoft® SQL Server database.

For detailed information on other foreground processes CLICK HERE

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture(contd): Responsibilities of Foreground Processes

Work queue server(WQS):

The WQS is responsible for providing a complete list of work queues on the system, along with the RPC addresses (RPC number and machine name) of the WIS that handles each queue.

It contains the list of all the users and groups and controls who has access to each queue WIS Mbox Daemon  (WISMBD) RPC listeners  (RPC_TCP_LI and RPC_UDP_LI) RPC pool server  (RPC_POOL).

Work Item Server(WIS):

The WIS processes cache the contents of the work queues and provide lists of work items to TIBCO iProcess Clients.

The WIS processes concurrently produce messages (under transaction control) to be placed in the background Mbox set.

Each WIS process receives messages from the WISMBD. These will be stored temporarily in an in-memory buffer (per physical work queue) for later retrieval when the WIS performs an update from the in memory box.

WIS Mbox Daemon  (WISMBD):

It is  responsible for dequeuing/reading the messages from the WIS Mbox sets and passing them to the appropriate WIS that is handling the item.

RPC listeners:

For each user that logs into Staffware using the TIBCO iProcess Client, a connection to a swrpcsvr pool process is  allocated by the listener.

RPC pool server  (RPC_POOL):

These manage and allocate the RPC connections. For each user that logs into Staffware using the TIBCO iProcess Client, a connection to a swrpcsvr pool process is allocated by the listener. Each pool process maintains a pool of connections.

To know about foreground processes CLICK HERE

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture(contd): Foreground Processes

ForeGround processes are responsible for communicating with Tibco iProcess Clients and for passing any Tibco iProcess Client requests such as released work items to the background area for processing.

Processes that operate in the foreground:-    

• Work Queue Server ( WQS)
• Work Item Server(WIS)
• WIS Mbox Daemon  (WISMBD)
• RPC listeners  (RPC_TCP_LI and RPC_UDP_LI)
• RPC pool server  (RPC_POOL)

For detailed information on these foreground processes CLICK HERE

Read more...

Iprocess engine architecture: (Process Sentinels)

The iprocess engine can be split in to four major areas as shown below.

1. Process Sentinels.
2. Foreground.
3. Mbox set.
4. Background.

Process Sentinels:

• The Process Sentinels are responsible for controlling all the TIBCO iProcess Engine processes.
• Start processes during a Server start up or upon a system administrator request. It will control the order in which the processes are started. 
• Detect failed processes and restart them automatically. Shut down the processes when the system is shutdown or upon a system administrator request to stop the system 
• Monitor other Process Sentinels and restart them if they fail. Maintain the list of all active user logins.

Processes that are controlled by the Process Sentinels are listed below: 

                      1. Background (BG) 

                      2. Database Queue Daemon(DBQD) 

                      3. Deadline Manager(DLMGR) 

                      4. Introspection Activity Publication JMS (IAPJMS) 

                      5. Prediction (BGPREDICT) 

                      6. RPC Background  

                      7. RPC Pool Server(RPC_POOL) 

                      8. iProcess Objects Server 

                      9. WIS MBOX Daemon (WISMBD) 

                      10. Work Item Server (WIS) 

                      11. Work Queue Server (WQS)

For detailed information on these foreground processes CLICK HERE

Read more...

Business Process Management( BPM) and its activities

Business Process Management(BPM) is simply the management of your business processes. It is a simple yet a powerful concept that helps you increase the efficiency of your business processes. It is a combination of processes and technology. It improves the execution and monitoring of processes. These processes may involve the tasks between two persons, a person and an application or between two applications.

Activities of BPM:

First is the modeling of business processes. This is where you create a flow of your process. You analyze the sequence and model it based on your working environment. Next is the deployment of your created model. The business process model that you create will be deployed so that it will be ready for execution. After that is, the execution where the process is already being used. The process is in action and users can already interact with the application. The last one is the monitoring and maintenance of the application. Monitoring the output and maintaining the processes are essential to every application.

Read more...

Advantages of iProcess Suite

• It can accept any type of business process flow.
• Simplifies complex business processes.
• Offers full visibility of business flow across the entire enterprise.
• It reduces the time consumed in managing the processes.
• It increases the speed of execution of each process.

Another advantage of using this software is that humans and system tasks work hand in hand. For example, if a certain company orders a large amount of items that costs a large amount of money to an iProcess user company, it is a bit inappropriate for the system to comply with that order automatically, so an authentication of the manager or supervisor is needed first before the compliance of the order. It offers excellent flexibility to business changes. Rules and regulations of a business firm can change anytime. IProcess Suite can easily adjust to these new rules with ease.

Read more...

TIBCO iProcess Conductor

Business processes are prone to unavoidable circumstances that might change how a business process will flow. Because of this complexity, TIBCO iProcess™ Conductoris created. Business applications that are already deployed in the iProcess Engine can dynamically be modified using this tool. There might be inevitable changes that would happen during the runtime of the processes, which need to be taken into account immediately. In that case, this tool is the best choice to do the job.

Read more...

TIBCO iProcess Decisions and TIBCO iProcess Engine

TIBCO iProcess™ Decisions:

Every business is accompanied by business rules. These rules are important and should always be followed. At a certain time, rules in businesses can change. For the management to easily adapt to these new rules, TIBCO iProcess™ Decisions provides us with a spreadsheet user interface that handles these rules. This tool has a user friendly environment that even non-technical personnel can use to modify, test and analyze business rules. It has an excellent flexibility to respond to fast changing business rules.

TIBCO iProcess™ Engine:

TIBCO iProcess™ Engine is responsible for the execution of the business processes. All business models are deployed in this engine. It is the one that makes sure that the processes are running. Users and Administrators are connected to this engine. This engine is also responsible for the cases, tasks and instances created by the users and the administrators.

Experience increase in productivity, save cost and achieve efficient business flow. TIBCO iProcess Suite is a powerful business process management tool that will definitely benefit you and your company.

Read more...

About TIBCO iProcess Client

The TIBCO iProcess Client is the single focal point for defining and managing procedures.

The TIBCO iProcess Client consists of:

• The Work Queue Manager
• The Procedure Manager

The Work Queue Manager displays user's queues and work items and the Procedure Manager displays all of the procedures currently available.

From the Procedure Manager, you can:

• create and edit procedures. The TIBCO iProcess Modeler is started from theTIBCO iProcess Client.
• organize and manage your procedures as a hierarchical structure of procedure libraries, in the same way as, for example, you manage files and directories.

Read more...