jbpm bpel - first steps

i am looking for someway to deploy my bpel processes on jboss app server. i do not want to use jpdl which is not a standart, so i stuck to bpel.

This seems to be a solution: http://www.jboss.org/jbossjbpm/bpel/

As such, it can execute processes authored with the Eclipse BPEL designer or any other editor that produces standard BPEL documents.

Bpel designers generally generate some extra xml and so, it may be possible that you can not open your bpel process designed with Activos Designer with Eclipse Bpel Designer,or vice versa. (correct if i am wrong:)) However, OpenESB allows me to produce clean, standart bpel file without adding any extra xml. (When you design a process with Open Esb (Netbeans) Bpel designer, you will notice that the location for the elements are fixed in the GUI, you can not put anything you like at anywhere in the designer, you have to choose from some predefined locations.. i think that is why Netbeans designer's bpel is so clean:) since it does not require to keep the location info, no extensions to standard bpel is needed..) Therefore, the above sentence about jbpm bpel (in italic) is important to me.. This means, i may develop my bpel process with OpenEsb designer and deploy to jbpm bpel.. This post is to note down that experience..

The steps are as follows:

• in order to make use of the examples coming with the jbpm bpel package, the following must be already installed:
  

- ant

- jboss app server (4.x.x is required according to https://jira.jboss.org/jira/secure/attachment/12311453/jbpm.bpel.guide.pdf)

- java 1.5 (i do not know why, but i could not make jwsdp accept jdk 6, during installation, that is why i need jdk 1.5, more specifically jdk1.5.0_19 is ok)

- java web services developer pack (the examples use wscompile etc. ant tasks from here, so using metro instead is expensive, i gave up on the way half.. ) jwsdp is needed just for running the given examples, not part of the actual solution. in actual case, metro web service stack will be used instead..

• download jbpm bpel from http://www.jboss.org/jbossjbpm/bpel_downloads/ and extract.
  

this package includes many bpel samples. however, in order to run these samples properly, the following modifications may be needed:

(also http://docs.jboss.com/jbpm/bpel/v1.1/userguide/ may be helpful.)

• In jbpm-bpel-1.1.1/examples/common/build.properties file, modify the following properties accordingly:




jboss.version=4.2.3.GA (i am using this already, but any 4.x.x is said to be ok)

jboss.home=${software.installation.dir}/jboss-${jboss.version} (if different)

jwsdp.home=${software.installation.dir}/jwsdp-1.6

javac.source=1.4 (modify as 1.5)

javac.target=1.4 (modify as 1.5)

• start jboss, (starting from port 8080 may be required, not sure. if something goes wrong, check that..)
• execute command ant inside jbpm-bpel-1.1.1/examples, it should execute with success..

• lets see if wsdl s are available:

http://127.0.0.1:8080/account/accountSystem?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/invoice/invoiceService?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/scheduling/schedulingProcess?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/shipping/shippingService?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/task/taskManager?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/ticket/ticketIssuer?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/translator/document?wsdl

http://127.0.0.1:8080/translator/text?wsdl

i got the addresses for the wsdl s from ${JBOSS_HOME}/server/default/data/wsdl

now it is time to dive into https://jira.jboss.org/jira/secure/attachment/12311453/jbpm.bpel.guide.pdf deeper, but it can wait :)

i do not want to ruin my sunday afternoon with that :)

Edit on 6/7/2009, 12.04: Sorry, i have forgotten to deploy jbpm-bpel itself on jboss.. So, at anytime you like, execute command ant deploy.ear inside /jbpm-bpel/jbpm-bpel-1.1.1/deploy and jbpm-bpel will be deployed on jboss. try to see jbpm bpel console from http://localhost:8080/jbpm-bpel/

Edit on 7/7/2009, 10.55: Yeah, OpenESB designer produces standard bpel files. However, unfortunately this does not mean that it could open every standard bpel file in its designer..