Creating a Provider Model in the Portal Modeling Perspective

In this tutorial, we create a model which can be referenced from other processes of the organization. Process Collect Customer Information is the common process which can be used across all segments. To achieve this, we define a process interface for the created process in the model.

You can create the tutorial models as described in the following sections, or import the completed example models ProviderWeb.xpdl and ConsumerWeb.xpdl provided by Stardust.

Creating the Model

Login to the Portal as administrator with motu/motu and switch to the Modeling perspective. Create a new model. For details on working in the Modeling perspective, please refer to the Business Process Modeling Handbook.

Preparing the Workflow

In the provider model prepare the following workflow:

  1. Create a new process Collect Customer Information
  2. Create a lane with participant Administrator
  3. Create a manual start event
  4. Create a manual activity named Collect Customer Information
  5. Create a structured type Customer Information and make sure that the Visibility Public option is selected. For more information, please refer to chapter Specifying Data of the Business Process Modeling Handbook.


    Figure: Customer Information

  6. Create a structured data CustomerData of the above type.
  7. Provide an in and out data mapping between the data and the manual activity.
  8. Similarly, create a structured data Email Address with two fields FromAddress and ToAddress and provide an out data mapping from the manual activity.

    Structured Type of Email Address Data
    Figure: Structured Type of Email Address Data

  9. Add a follow-up application activity named Send Notification Email

Creating an E-Mail Send/Receive Application

Now we create an E-Mail Send/Receive application, which will be implemented by the application activity:

  1. Create an E-Mail Send/Receive application named Send Notification Email. Please refer to chapter E-Mail Send/Receive Application of the Business Process Modeling Handbook for details on working with this type of application.
  2. In the Parameters tab of the mail application properties page, click Add .
  3. Create a parameter Customer with the following settings:

    Email Application Parameter
    Figure: Add Parameter

  4. In the Configuration tab of the mail application properties page, enter a mail server in the Mail Server field.

    Email Application Configuration
    Figure: Email application configuration

  5. In the E-Mail Template section enter the following content:
    Dear {{Customer.CustomerName}}, 
    
    here are the required details: 
    
    your ID: {{Customer.ID}} 
    
    Asset Salary: {{Customer.AssetSalary}} 
    
    Sincerely, Company ABC

    E-mail Content
    Figure: Enter E-mail content

Setting up the Application Activity

Now set up the application activity as follows:

  1. Go to the Implementation section of the Send Notification Email activity and select application Send Notification Email in the drop-down list.

    Select Email Application
    Figure: Select Email application

  2. Create an in data mapping from the Email Address data to the application activity.
  3. Open the properties pane of the data flow and add the connections:

    E-mail Data Flow
    Figure: E-mail data flow settings

  4. Add an in data mapping from data CustomerData to the application activity.
  5. Open the properties pane of the data flow and select input access point Customer.

    Customer Data Flow
    Figure: Customer data flow settings

The process workflow now looks similar as in the below screenshot:


Figure: Provider Model

Once the workflow is ready, you can define the process interface.

Defining the Process Interface

Let's define the process interface for our Collect Customer Information process. For the concept on using process interfaces, please refer to chapter Creating Models With Cross References in the Concepts part.

  1. Open the properties page of the Collect Customer Information process
  2. Open the Process Interface section

    Process Interface
    Figure: Open Process Interface properties

  3. Select Provides Process Interface in the drop-down list.

    Process Interface
    Figure: Select to provide process interface

  4. Click the Add icon to define a formal parameter of the process interface with the following settings:


    Figure: Define Process Interface

For details on setting process interface properties, please refer to section Process Interface of chapter Working with Process Definitions in the Business Process Modeling Handbook.

Now your workflow and the process interface definition is ready. Thus, the provider model is ready to be referenced in the consumer model. In the next chapter of the tutorial, we will see how to create the consumer model.