SAMPLE EXCHANGE : Monitor your first BPD

This page last changed on Dec 05, 2011 by psl@de.ibm.com.

Software prerequisites Download Sample developer(s) In this article

IBM BPM 7.5.1 MonitorSample_-_GettingStarted1.twx Roland Peisl Introduction Download Overview Build it yourself Run the sample References

Introduction
IBM BPM comes with some built-in monitoring capability wherein it writes the values for elements that have been selected for tracking to the Performance Data Warehouse (PDW). The Performance Data Warehouse only receives data from the Business Process Definition (BPD) and allows for monitoring business process instance execution, worker and team performance, as well as process variables. The big advantage of monitoring a BPD this way is that you do not have to do much to get some instant monitoring information to understand the execution of your business process instances in more detail. In the Build it yourself section you will learn what to define to allow for business process monitoring (and there is not much to do). In the Run the sample section you will start and complete a few process instances, and you will look at the processes performance from IBM Process Portal.

Download
1. Download the sample file to your disk. 2. Import the sample file into IBM Process Designer V7.5.1. Sample File Repository^MonitorSample_-_GettingStarted1.twx

Overview
This sample extends the sample named 'BPMN 2.0 - Working with the Event Gateway'. You may be able to better understand the processes used when looking at it. On the other hand, the sample is not too complicated, therefore you may decide to quickly move on to the Build it yourself section to make your first steps direction monitoring.

Build it yourself
Open IBM Process Designer, and import the Process Application provided in the Reference section named 'MonitorSample_-_GettingStarted.twx'. Once imported, open the Process Application named 'BPMN20 Event Gateway' in Process Designer. Under 'Processes', open the EditAndFileOrder process.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 1

Switch to the Tracking tab to verify that the Auotracking flag is switched on.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 2

With that, default monitoring is available. Now select the task named 'Edit Order', select the KPIs tab on the properties section, and select the 'Total Time' KPI to see its default specification.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 3

Next we want to monitor some of the process variables. To do so, click the 'Variables' of the process, and select 'Track this field' flag for the following variables: Order ID OrderAmount OrderItemName OrderNumberOfPieces

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 4

Accept the 'Tracked short name' added when checking the 'Track this field' checkbox. (Simply the variable's name is reused for tracking'. Save your changes. In order to send data to the Process Data Warehouse (PDW) we must expose the data. This will allow the data to be seen in to Process Portal once the BPDs are executed. Click the Overview tab of the EditAndFileOrder process and look at the 'Exposing' section on the right hand side.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 5

Now click for each entry on the 'Select...' button to select for all the Participant group: All users.

When done, save your work. We will now generate and deploy these definitions and enable the Process Data Warehouse to receive the data we have flagged. From the File Menu select Update Tracking Definitions. This may run for several minutes. It is doing a lot in the background while preparing the Process Data Warehouse.

Once completed, click OK on the Definition Sent message box.

That's all we need to do to allow some initial monitoring. You are now ready to run some process instances.

Run the sample

Before having a look at the performance warehouse, we need to have a few running instances. Therefore start at least five different EditAndFileOrder processes, simply by clicking the run botton 5 times, then complete the first task named 'Edit Order', and perform some more navigation for some of the instances. When asked for a userID and password to accept tasks during process execution, work with tw_admin for userID and password.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 6

Only one thing is important: Be sure to have a different OrderID of each process instance, and if you want to experience the event gateway, remember this OrderID as it is required to modify or cancel the order via the second process of the Process Application, named 'ModifyOrder'. Repeat this to finally have at least 5 instances running in various states. When done, in Inspector you will have a lost like that:

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 7

Now logon to Process Portal at http://localhost:9080/portal (use tw_admin for userID and password) to investigate the process instance execution performance:

Let's take a quick tour on Process Portal:

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 8

First, on the left hand side, your Inbox is shown presenting all active process instances and their currently made ready task, which you could select and run. If you want to run a task, simply click on the green run button presented in the most right column. Second, click on the History link on the left hand side. Here you do not only see the active process instance, but the already completed instances as well. Now before we have a look at the process performance - accept to run a task from your Inbox. Switch back to the inbox, and for example select a process instance which waits for the completion of the 'File Order' task. Click the run button, accept the task assignment, and click OK:

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 9

Complete the task by clicking on the File Order button.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 10

This was the last task of this process instance, and the process instance will now be completed. If you switch back to the History tab, you will see the first EditAndFileOrder process instance to be completed, whereas all the others are still active, and therefore running. Now - click on a process instance listed in the 'Instance Name' tab in the History view. More details about the process instance is displayed. In the Tasks section, click on the right hand side to list details for all tasks. Be it for completed instances or instances that are still running, you can add comments and document to further detail out the process instance history. Now, open the process instance diagram by clicking on the little diagram icon at the top.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 11

Now - let's have a look at the performance tabs. And remember: The data you see may be a little bit different compared to the images published here in the sample. Click on the 'My Performance' link on the left hand side to see your performance (which is the performance of the logged on user):

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 12

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 13

If the user is a member of a team then performance metrics are available for the team. We have not set things up in this lab to show team data in the My Team reports. As time continues, and more and more process instances are started, worked on and then completed, the statistics here will change in a real production environment. (In this sample you are the only user working with the process instances....) Now have a look at the Process Performance:

You will see how many processes instances are overdue, at risk or on track, based on the settings of your Process Applications. Now, click on the yellow part of the pie chart indicating the percentage of process instances at risk to get some more details about this. The process instance overview report is shown presenting more details. However as you do not have many instances, and all were started today, there is not much surprise.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 14

Nevertheless, click on the 'View all' button to get more information for each single process instance:

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 15

This shows per process instance start and due date, and how much time is left for completion. Some process instances are flagged to be at risked because the system anticipates to miss the process instance due date because some or only one of its tasks are overdue. Now, click again on Process Performance on the left hand side, then click on the blue part of the pie chart, and scroll down to look at the Activity Analysis:

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 16

This analysis shows the average task completion per task, and how many tasks of each type were executed. However over the colored areas of the activities listed in the Activity Task Count diagram, and if you have an area in red, click on it, otherwise click on any other area.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 17

All tasks of the selected state are listed. You can select a task, and change its priority indicating that the task should be completed with higher priority than other tasks. Similar to this, the task can be assigned to other users or user groups.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 18

Finally, let's create some custom report looking at the process variables. To do so, click on the Ad Hoc Reports link on the left hand side. Now you can create a customized report based on the process variables you have selected for tracking.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 19

Click on 'New ad hoc report', then on the next panel select the 'EditAndFileOrder' process. After this, a new panel is presented allowing you to specify what variables should be included in your report. Click at all the drop down boxes to finally have selected what you see here:

When done, click on 'Refresh chart'

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 20

This chart shows you the average total order price per order item ordered. (You only get this chart if you have created a number of process instances with different order items used). You can now save the report, run more instances, and then rerun the ad hoc report then with new data extracted from newly executed and most likely completed process instances. With that this sample completes. You should remember from this sample that basic process instances monitoring is almost immediately available simply by defining that process execution should be tracked, and this basic monitoring includes custom process variables that can be gathered during business process execution. PS - Monitoring this makes more fun when you are creating / executing and completing a number of process instances over a couple of days. The you will have a longer timeline to be monitored, and you can see how the process instances behave over that timeline, and how the monitor is presenting process instance execution data. So - if you can afford - keep the sample, and return to the sample from time to time.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 21

References
Provide any references related to this sample.

Document generated by Confluence on Aug 27, 2013 03:00

Page 22