A parallel flow is implemented by creating a <flow> element.

An asynchronous flow is implemented by creating an <invoke> activity element with a WS-Addressing header to use the Web service. The WS-Addressing header, which contains a correlation ID, enables the Web Service to callback the invoking process. The callback is used by the Web service to return a response to the invoking process, which waits for a response by using a <receive> activity.

To build and deploy the UnitedLoan service, enter the following commands at the command prompt. (Use the drive letter corresponding with the location in which you installed Oracle BPEL Process Manager.)

cd D:\orabpel\samples\utils\AsyncLoanService
obant

Note: Oracle BPEL PM Server should be running. The Ant build script builds and deploys both the UnitedLoan and StarLoan services, and some other Web services that are not used in this lesson.

In Oracle BPEL Designer, right-click MyLoanFlow.bpel, and select Open to display the BPEL file in Overview mode.

Add a <partnerLink> element for the UnitedLoan service by clicking Add Partner Link.

In the New partnerLink Wizard, to populate the wsdlLocation field, enter the URL http://localhost:9700/orabpel/default/UnitedLoan/UnitedLoan?wsdl, or click the icon to display the UDDI Browser, and click the UnitedLoan link.

Note: The UDDI Browser window is closed when you select a link to populate the field.

In the New partnerLink Wizard, enter the following values for the remaining fields:

	name: unitedLoan
	partnerLinkType: services:LoanService
	partnerRole: LoanServiceProvider
	myRole: LoanServiceRequester

Note: Field values, except for name, can be set by using the drop-down list in each field.

Click Done.

Note: The partnerRole and myRole fields are needed when invoking an asynchronous service, which performs a callback operation on your BPEL process.

Confirm that the unitedLoan partnerlink has been added by viewing the new partner link box in Overview mode in the BPEL Designer tab.

To invoke the UnitedLoan service, click Process Map in the BPEL Designer tab, and drag an invoke activity from the BPEL Palette to the flow before the onResult (client) activity.

To configure the invoke activity to initiate the unitedLoan service partnerLink, click the invoke activity and enter the following values in the BPEL Inspector fields.

	In name, enter invokeUnitedLoan
	In parterLink, select unitedLoan from the drop-down list
	In operation, select initiate from the drop-down list
	Leave outputVariable empty
	To set inputVaraible to the value loanApplication, click its drop-down list and select Create Global Variable.

In the New variable Wizard, set the field values:

	name: loanApplication
	messageType: services:LoanServiceRequestMessage

Click Done. The final properties of the invoke activity are:

Note: The outputVariable field is empty because the initiate operation is one way, that is, it does not have an output message.

To ensure that the unitedLoan service receives the loan application, add an assign activity before the initiate (unitedLoan) activity in BPEL Designer, and set the name property to setLoanApplication in the BPEL Inspector.

Right-click the setLoanApplication assign activity icon in the Process Map, and select Add Copy Rule.

In the Copy Rule window, click the Variable option button in the From section, and select the values for the following fields by using the drop-down lists.

	Variable: input
	Part: payload

In the To section, select the following field values:

	Variable: loanApplication
	Part: payload

Note: The XPATH Query fields in the Copy Rule window are optional. If the XPATH Query value is omitted, the entire message from the input variable is copied to the output variable.

Click Done.

To configure the BPEL process to receive the UnitedLoan service's result from a callback operation, drag a receive activity from the BPEL Palette to Process Map after the initiate (unitedLoan) activity.

11.

Select the receive activity in Process Map, and set the variable property by clicking its icon. Select Create Global Variable in the New variable Wizard. Enter the following field values:

	name: loanOffer1
	messageType: services:LoanServiceResultMessage

Click Done.

In the BPEL Inspector, set the other <receive> activity property values.

	name: getLoanOffer1 (Enter this value.)
	createInstance: no
	partnerLink: unitedLoan (Select from the drop-down list.)
	operation: onResult (Select from the drop-down list.)

12.

To obtain the first loan offer from the UnitedLoan service, drag an assign activity from the BPEL Palette to the region after the onResult (unitedLoan) activity, and set the name property to copyLoanOffer1.

13.

To copy the loanOffer1 variable to selectedLoanOffer variable, right-click the copyloanOffer1 assign activity and select Add Copy Rule. In the From section of the Copy Rule window, select the first option button and enter the following values.

	Variable: getLoanOffer1
	Part: payload

In the To section, set the following field values:

	Variable: selectedLoanOffer
	Part: payload

Note: The XPATH Query field is empty in both cases. This copies the entire document from one variable to another.

Click Done.

14.

To compile and deploy the updated MyLoanFlow BPEL process to Oracle BPEL PM Server, click BPEL > Build and Deploy BPEL Project. The results of the build and deployment processes are shown in the Console log.

Note: Correct any errors before proceeding with the next task of testing the asynchronous UnitedLoan service BPEL process flow. That is, ensure that you see "BUILD SUCCESSFUL" appear in the Console log window.

Start and log in to Oracle BPEL Console by clicking Start > Programs > Oracle BPEL Process Manager 2.0 > BPEL Console. Enter bpel in the Password field.

In Dashboard, the MyLoanFlow, UnitedLoan, and StarLoan with other services should appear under the Deployed BPEL Processes column. Click the MyLoanFlow link.

Initiate the MyLoanFlow process to test the asynchronous UnitedLoan service by entering 123456789 in the SSN field. Click Post XML Message.

Note: This initiates the MyLoanFlow process, which can be monitored using the Visual Flow or Audit Instance links displayed in the response page.

To verify that the asynchronous BPEL process is working click the Audit Instance link to display the process step in the Audit subtab of the Instances tab.

Note: The creditRatingService is examined in the OBE titled "Invoking a Synchronous Business Process using BPEL."

To examine the loan application document sent to the UnitedLoan service, scroll down the Audit subtab window until the unitedloan (intiate) activity is visible and then click the More link.

Note: The inner <loanApplication> element contains the loan application details returned from the CreditRatingService in the payload part of the loanApplication variable.

To examine the loan offer document returned by the UnitedLoan service, scroll down the Audit tab window until the unitedLoan (onResult) receive activity is visible. To view the contents of the loanOffer1, click the More link.

Note: The payload part of the loanOffer1 variable contains a <loanOffer> XML fragment containing the service <providerName> element value of United Loan, and <APR> element value of 5.7, which is calculated and returned by the UnitedLoan service.

Note: If you click the More link for the copyLoanOffer1 and client (onResult) activities, you can see that the loanOffer1 payload is copied to the selectedLoanOffer variable, which is returned to the client application that submitted the loan application.

To create a scope container for the parallel flow activities in BPEL Designer, drag a scope activity from the More Activities list in the BPEL Palette to the region between the getCreditRating scope and the setLoanApplication assign activity in the Process Map.

To set the name for the new scope activity, click scope-1 in the Process Map and set the name property to collectOffers in the BPEL Inspector.

Expand the collectOffers scope by clicking to the top left of the scope.

Drag the setLoanApplication assign activity to the "Drop activity here" text inside the collectOffers scope box.

To add the parallel <flow> activity into the collectOffers scope, drag flow from More Activities in the BPEL Palette to the region after setLoanApplication in the collectOffers scope.

Drag the initiate (unitedLoan) and onResult(unitedLoan) activities sequentially to the left branch of the flow activity.

Note: The next section adds the StarLoan service into the right branch of the parallel flow activity.

To save your changes to the MyLoanFlow BPEL process, select File > Save.

To create a new partnerLink for the StarLoan service, in BPEL Designer click Overview to view the MyLoanFlow process in overview mode and click Add Partner Link.

In the New partnerLink Wizard, enter the following values in the fields:

Click Done.

To invoke the starLoan service in BPEL Designer, click Process Map to view the process map, then drag an invoke activity from the BPEL Palette to the right branch of the flow activity.

Select the invoke activity in the BPEL Inspector. Enter the following property values:

	name: invokeStarLoan
	partnerLink: starLoan
	operation: initiate
	inputVariable: loanApplication

Note: The outputVariable property is empty as the asynchronous service does not return its result with this activity. You can select these property values from drop-down list in each field.

To receive the loan offer from the StarLoan service, drag a receive activity from the BPEL Palette to the region after the initiate (starLoan) activity in the right branch of the flow:

Select the receive activity and in the BPEL Inspector, enter the following property values:

	name: getLoanOffer2
	partnerLink: starLoan
	operation: onResult
	To set the variable property, select Create Global Variable from the property drop-down list.

In the New variable Wizard for the variable property, enter the following field values:

	name: loanOffer2
	messageType: services:LoanServiceResultMessage

Note: The messageType field is already populated with the correct value.

Click Done.

Note: In the BPEL Palette, the property values for the getLoanOffer2 receive activity should be:

In the Process Map of the BPEL Designer, drag a switch activity from the list under More Activities in the BPEL Palette to the region after the flow activity.

Note: By default, the switch activity initially provides two branches:

	An <<empty>> branch, which is processed if the branch condition is true. Note: Each branch, except the <otherwise> branch, specifies a condition.
	An <otherwise> branch, which is processed if all the other branch conditions evaluated are false.

Drag the copyLoanOffer1 assign activity below the switch activity to the <<empty>> branch of the switch activity. In the BPEL Inspector, change the assign activity name property to selectUnitedLoan.

To enable selection of the StarLoan offer, drag a new assign activity from the BPEL Palette to the <otherwise> branch of the switch activity. Using the BPEL Inspector, set the name property to selectStarLoan.

Right-click the selectStarLoan assign activity, and select Add Copy Rule to copy the payload part from loanOffer2 to the payload part of the selectedLoanOffer variable.

Click Done.

To add the conditional test for the first branch of the switch activity, select the shaded box labeled <<empty>>, which contains the selectUnitedLoan assign activity. In the condition property in the BPEL Inspector, enter the following text:

bpws:getVariableData('loanOffer1','payload','/autoloan:loanOffer/autoloan:APR') < 
bpws:getVariableData('loanOffer2','payload','/autoloan:loanOffer/autoloan:APR')

Note: The condition compares the text value in the <APR> element of loanOffer1 with loanOffer2. If the <APR> value for loanOffer1 is less than loanOffer2, then the UnitedLoan offer is copied to selectedLoanOffer. Otherwise, the StarLoan offer is copied to selectedLoanOffer. If you enter the condition text in the BPEL Source tab, then use the character sequence &lt; for the '<' character.

To deploy the completed BPEL process flow, click BPEL > Build and Deploy BPEL Project and observe the results in the BPEL Designer Console tab.

By using the BPEL Console to delete process instances in the BPEL PM Server, click the Instances tab (even if the Instance tab is displayed). Click Purge All Instances.

In the delete all instances confirmation page, click Delete all instances.

To return to the console, click Back to Console.

Note: This returns you to the Dashboard page of the BPEL Console.

To start the test of MyLoanFlow, in Dashboard, click the MyLoanFlow link in the Deployed BPEL Processes column.

In the Initiating a test instance HTML Form page, enter 123456789 in the SSN field, and click Post XML Message.

In the BPEL Processes page, which shows that the test instance has been initiated, click the Visual Flow link.

Click the Instances tab to look at the flow. Scroll down until you see the parallel flow containing the initiate and receive activities for StarLoan and UnitedLoan services.

Note: The unitedLoan (onResult) activity has completed. However, the starLoan (onResult) has not completed, which is indicated by the color highlight surrounding the activity waiting for completion.

If you click the Audit subtab and scroll down until you can see the activities contained in the <flow> section, then you can notice that the starLoan (onResult) activity is in a pending state waiting for the asynchronous callback from the StarLoan service.

To manually complete the StarLoan process, start a new Web browser window, and enter the following URL to access the StarLoan UI to display the loan application for processing:

http://localhost:9700/StarLoanUI

Note: The Web page shows that StarLoan has a loan application waiting for review.

To begin the loan application approval process, click the Assign APR Task link.

Note: A Web form page is displayed containing the details, such as the SSN of the customer submitting the loan application, and a text field for the APR value with a default of 7.4.

To approve the loan application and complete the StarLoan service task, accept the default APR value and click Approve.

Note: Approving or rejecting the loan application manually completes the StarLoan processing, and initiates an asynchronous callback to the MyLoanFlow BPEL process.

To view the updated flow for the MyLoanFlow BPEL process, in the Audit subtab of the Instances tab in the Oracle BPEL Console, click the Refresh View link and scroll down to the starLoan (onResult) activity.

Note: The starLoan (onResult) activity has completed after receiving the "onResult" callback from the StarLoan partner link.

To view the loan offer document returned by the StarLoan service, click the More link at the end of the line stating Received "onResult" callback from partner "starLoan."

Note: The <APR> element in the loan offer contains the 7.4 value entered when approving the loan application by using the StarLoan UI Web application.

To view the <APR> value returned in the loan offer from the UnitedLoan service, in the Audit subtab of the Instances tab, scroll down to the unitedLoan (onResult) activity, and click the More link:

Note: The <APR> element in the UnitedLoan offer contains the value 5.7, which is less than the StarLoan offer.

To see the activities processed by the <switch> conditional branching activity, in the Audit subtab of the Instances tab, scroll down until you see the <switch> element:

Note: The selectUnitedLoan assign activity was processed, indicating the condition in the switch successfully chose the best loan offer, that is the loan offer with a smaller <APR> value. Click the More link to confirm that the selected loan offer is from United Loan.

Note: The loan offer selected can also be viewed by clicking the More link for the client (onResult) activity. You can also click the Instances > Flow tab to view the MyLoanFlow BPEL process steps, which shows that the selectUnitedLoan assign activity is processed by the switch after the activities in parallel flow have completed.

To check if the conditional branching selects the StarLoan offer when it has an <APR> element value less than the UnitedLoan value of 5.7, click the Dashboard tab and click the MyLoanFlow link to initiate a new test instance of the BPEL process.

Note: The In-Flight BPEL Processes column is split with the bottom section showing the Recently Completed BPEL Process Instances.

To initiate a new loan application, in the Initiate subtab of the BPEL Processes tab enter 987654321 in the SSN field, and click Post XML Message.

Open a new Web browser window, and manually approve the loan application with the StarLoanUI by entering the following URL:

http://localhost:9700/StarLoanUI

Note: The StarLoan UI lists another task waiting approval.

In the StarLoan UI, click the Assign APR Task link.

Note: The loan application being approved is for a customer with a SSN value of 987654321.

To approve the StarLoan offer, enter 1.1 in the APR field, and click Approve.

Note: The StarLoanUI Web page confirms the approval process has completed.

Close the browser containing the StarLoanUI confirmation page.

To confirm that the StarLoan is selected by the MyLoanFlow BPEL process, return to the browser displaying the Initiate subtab in the BPEL Processes tab. Click the Visual Flow link, and scroll until you see the switch activity.

Note: The selectStarLoan assign activity should appear below the switch activity. This confirms that the conditional branch successfully selected the StarLoan offer, which contains the lowest APR value.

To verify that the StarLoan offer selected contains the value 1.1 in the <APR> element, click Audit subtab in the Instances tab window, scroll down to the selectedStarLoan activity, and click the More link.

Note: The selected loan offer is from Star Loan and contains a value 1.1 in the <APR> element.

Invoke asynchronous business services by using BPEL invoke activity

Receive a callback from an asynchronous business service by using a BPEL receive activity

Create a parallel flow containing two asynchronous BPEL processes