[jboss-user] [jBPM] - Re: Integration with not Java application

[vchmakov]

vchmakov [https://community.jboss.org/people/vchmakov] created the discussion

"Re: Integration with not Java application"

To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/796050#796050

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Hi,

That is exactly what we do – we integrate non-Java system with Drool/jBPM application. In fact – we extend/enrich functionality of the old application server with powerful rule and workflow engine. Here is how:

Our main system is written in Delphi. It is a multi-tier system. Clients send and receive messages to/from the Application Server. The Application Server communicates with the Rule Service via ActiveMQ. At the moment the Rule Service is a Java SE application which we run as a Windows Service, but the new EE version is about to go into testing and it will be running under the JBoss AS 7. The frontend of the Task Manager is a JSF application under the JBoss AS 7. We present our own Task List to the users as we need to display a lot of custom information stored as a part (content) of each task. We develop our own approval forms as the complexity of the layout is much higher than any editor can allow to resolve. Approval pages are resolved by a JSF router based on the Task ID, i.e. each approval page bears the name of the task. Approve/Reject commands are sent to the Rule Service via Active MQ for processing.  The communication protocol between Rule Service, Task Manager and Delphi system is designed as a set of messages that are defined in XML. Delphi and Java classes and the serialization code is generated with Free Marker templates. This makes Delphi and Java understand each other perfectly and I’d say natively as both sides are working on the same set of commands/classes.
Here is just one example of the workflow we run.
1)      A client starts a process by pressing a button on a Delphi form. Business logic says that before the system would start the workflow, the data validation must be performed. A message is sent to the Rule Service which employs a set of the Drools rules to perform a validation. This makes the process flexible, extensible and adaptable. Validation results are then sent back to the client. Validation results are presented to the user and a decision is made if the approval process can actually start.
2)      If approval can start, then a message is sent to the Rule Service which accepts a command as a Drools event and starts the jBPM process, which creates a Human task. The user is then notified by e-mail that a task has been created for him/her.
3)      User opens a Delphi form which in fact encapsulates an instance of a web-browser and connects to the Task Server (JBoss AS 7) . The user is able to see only those tasks which are allowed by security rules. User selects a task and presses “Work On Task” button which routes him/her to an  approval page.

I can assure that nothing listed above is difficult. Drools/jBPM engine is extremely flexible, can be adapted easily and can run in both SE and EE environment. It is natural enough that it has certain flaws, but that is why we all are here: to make it perfect.

Have fun!

HTH

Vladimir
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