Zenflow Overview

Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1.             Zenflow Overview. 1

1.1   Features   1

1.2   Limitations 1

1.3   Tutorials   2

Chapter 2.             Installing Zenflow. 3

2.1   Zenflow Eclipse Plug-in Installation. 3

2.2   Zenflow Standalone Installation. 3

Chapter 3.             Starting Zenflow. 5

3.1   Starting the Zenflow Eclipse Plug-in. 5

3.2   Starting the Zenflow Standalone Application. 5

 


Preface

This document provides an overview of Zenflow features and information about installing and starting Zenflow.



Chapter 1.      Zenflow Overview

 

Zenflow is a design/edit tool for the BPEL language. This tool provides help with creating, updating, and visualizing BPEL processes.  BPEL is an XML language proposed by the Oasis Consortium.  This tool facilitates designing BPEL processes and generating the corresponding BPEL code.

 

1.1                       Features

Zenflow provides the following features:

·           Syntax enforcement

Zenflow prevents creation of invalid BPEL by controlling which statements can be added to an existing complex statement.

·           Activity/Statement reordering

Zenflow allows for a statement to be easily moved within the process by drag and drop operations.

·           Data type assistance

Where possible, Zenflow provides a selection list of valid items that can be used in a given context, preventing subsequent runtime errors due to incorrect data types.

·           Multiple views

Zenflow provides different views for the BPEL process, including a graphic view, a tree oriented view, and a raw source file view.

·           Reduce/collapse activity nodes

in the graphics and tree views, any complex node can be "collapsed" to hide its internal activities, thus allowing for better manipulation of large processes.

 

1.2                       Limitations

In this version of the tool, you will only be able to generate BPEL files. This means that the WSDL file for the process must be created by hand. The generation of the process WSDL will be added in a future version.

 


1.3                       Tutorials

There are several tutorials and guides available to assist in getting started with Zenflow:

1.        Quickstart Tutorial - View an Existing BPEL File – This tutorial uses Zenflow to examine an existing BPEL file and, in the process, covers most of the Zenflow features.

2.        Quickstart Tutorial - Create a New BPEL File – This tutorial walks the user through the process of building a new BPEL file from scratch and running it in the Bull Orchestra environment.

3.        Zenflow Weather2 Tutorial – This tutorial uses Zenflow to examine an existing BPEL process, concentrating on examining the data flow within the process.

4.        Zenflow Plug-in User Guide – This a comprehensive user guide for the Eclipse plug-in version of Zenflow.

 

 

 


Chapter 2.      Installing Zenflow

Zenflow is available as either a standalone application, or as an Eclipse plug-in.

 

2.1                       Zenflow Eclipse Plug-in Installation

The Zenflow eclipse plug-in is normally delivered and installed as part of NovaStudio.  Refer to NovaStudio documentation for installation instructions.

In some cases, the Zenflow plug-in may be available as a separate zip file.  In this case, install it as any other eclipse plug-in by expanding the zip file under the "Eclipse/plugins" directory.

 

2.2                       Zenflow Standalone Installation

The standalone Zenflow is delivered as part of the Orchestra package.  Refer to the Orchestra documentation for installation instructions.

 

 

 


Chapter 3.      Starting Zenflow

3.1                       Starting the Zenflow Eclipse Plug-in

The functions of the Zenflow Eclipse plug-in are available within the Eclipse IDE. The plug-in provides new graphical editors and views for BPEL files, as well as a toolbar and menu.

Note:

As with any plug-in, these items may not be visible until they are first referenced or used.

 

3.2                       Starting the Zenflow Standalone Application

The standalone Zenflow can be starting by using a launching script.

1.        CD to the “BSOA_Orchestra_version” directory.

2.        Run the following:

On Linux:

./zenflow.sh

On Windows:

zenflow.bat