uCosminexus Application Server Overview

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8.2.1 Support for System Development in a Visual Environment

The service platform allows you to use windows to visually develop various definitions in system development. These definitions include definitions for service adapters (used for calling services), for business processes, and for data transformation methods, and other definitions necessary for a system.

As an example, suppose that the structure of the data (request message) used to request execution of a service component differs from the structure of data used by the actual service component. In this case, you need to define how to transform the data of individual elements in the structure. The service platform provides a window in which you can bind data elements (mapping) by using a line when you define a transformation method between data items with different structures.

As another example, suppose you need to define a business process by using BPEL, which is a work flow description language based on XML. The service platform allows you to define a business process by placing, in a window, the elements (activities) that compose a business process, and binding them. You can create BPEL from a business process defined in this way.

Also, a BPEL definition created in an upper process by using an upstream design tool based on BPMN can be imported into the development environment (Service Architect) of the service platform. The imported BPEL definition is converted to a business process definition. The converted business process definition, for which activities are set, is displayed in the development environment window. For the converted business process definition, check the processing flow and activity settings, and modify the definition as necessary.

In this way, by importing BPEL definitions created in an upper process, you can reuse existing assets. This can save time and avoid problems when redefining in the development environment of the service platform.

The following figure shows example windows used for system development that uses the service platform.

Figure 8-2 Example of windows used for system development

[Figure]

In addition, by opening dialog boxes from a window whenever necessary, you can define detailed parameters for data transformation, business processes, and service adapters (such as the SOAP adapter used to call service components of Web services, and the DB adapter used for operations on databases).

The following figure shows example of dialog boxes used for system development and which are used in the service platform.

Figure 8-3 Example of dialog boxes used to set detailed definitions

[Figure]

Thus, the service platform allows you to develop systems in a visual environment. This reduces the time and effort of system developers in programming jobs. Improving development speed allows you to promptly handle changes in the business environment, and to reduce the costs required for system configuration.