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bpmn-server Overview#

bpmn-server provides a Workflow component based on Business Process Model and Notation that can be easily integrated into your application.

As workflow application can outlive Node.js applications, bpmn-server has out-of-the-box state presistence and variables, with concurrency across Node.js cluster and process instances to make them ideal platform to do long running business processes, durable services or scheduled backgound tasks.

bpmnServer has multiple packages working with bpmn-server

  • bpmn-web

A web application support all functions of a typical workflow application, in addition Modeling and Admin tools

  • bpmn-client

A light weight library to provide remote connections to a bpmn-server through API

Modeling#

bpmn-web provides a modeling tool based on bpmn.io with customized property panel, no need to edit bpmn files

bpmn models can also be imported from other tools.

Typically your application has multiple bpmn models, a model is represented in a bpmn definition (xml).

Each Model is made of various elements, an element can be a node in the diagram (events/tasks/gateway) or a flow

Models are saved by bpmn-server into MongoDB and can be queried see API.model

bpmn-server support all bpmn 2.0 elements see Modeling Support

Execution#

bpmn-server is primiraly an execution engine for bpmn models.

Execution is based on the model logic that is enhanced by various extensions that allow scripting and access to your application.

During Execution, Model Listeners and Application Listeners are invoked.

Everytime a model is executed (started), an instance is created, and for each element that is executed it creates an `item'

Datastore#

At various stages of execution, instance object with its parts is saved into a datastore (defaults to MongoDB)

Instances and Items can be queried through an API see API.data

For more details about data management

Invoking Execution Engine#

You can communicate with the the execution engine' through an API [see API.engine](api/interfaces/IAPIEngine.md) tostarta Workflow or tocontinue` executin of an Item, etc.

For more details about Invoking Execution Engine

Execution logic and scripting#

During Execution of the work bpmn-server can invoke custom scripts at various event or call back your business application

For more details about Execution behaviour

User Management and Security#

bpmn-server is relying on the front-end applicaton to authenticate users and to pass user information through the API.

  1. Model designer/developr can define assignee, candidateUsers, candidateUserGroups as static string or JavaScript expressions

  2. Application fron-end need to pass the implementation of `userService'

  3. bpmnServer will enforce security rules based on the current user passed by the application

bpmn-web Demo Application , provides a complete implementation of users management using Passport and MongoDB.

For more details about security

Demo Web Application#

A Demo Web application bpmn-web provides full front-end along with security features to demonstrate and test the capabilities of bpmn-server.

The web app provides: - Presistent Modeling tool, using bpmn.io - Model property panel supporting all features of bpmn-server , no need to edit bpmn file - Execution with input form for defined fields

  • List of outstanding/recent tasks and workflow
  • Viewing of instance details

  • View of Model specification

Full Demo Web Application#

We Provide a full demo @ https://bpmn.omniworkflow.com

Installation#

Local Install#

This package requires Node.js and an access to MongoDB () if you don't have MongoDB already installed you can create a free cloud account here or can be installed locally

  • 1 git clone 
     git clone https://github.com/bpmnServer/bpmn-web.git
 cd bpmn-web
  • 2 install packages 
     npm install
  • 3 setup the app 
     npm run setup
  • 4 Edit .env file to have MongoDB point to your server or free cloud account
# MongoDB Settings
MONGO_DB_URL=mongodb://0.0.0.0:27017/bpmn
#
  • 5 Run Setup again to create db objects
npm run setup

Your installation is now complete.

Starting the server#

 npm run start

Console will display:

bpmn-server WebApp.ts version 1.4.0
MongoDB URL mongodb://0.0.0.0:27017/bpmn
db connection open

App is running at http://localhost:3000 in development mode
  Press CTRL-C to stop

Use your browser to view the bpmn-server running

Command Line Interface#

bpmnServer provide some basic functionalities using CLI 
npm run cli

server started..
Commands:
        q       to quit
        s       start process
        lo      list outstanding items
        li      list items
        l       list instances for a process
        di      display Instance information
        i       Invoke Task
        sgl     Signal Task
        msg     Message Task
        d       delete instnaces
        lm      List of Models
        lme     List of Models
        ck      Check locked instnaces
        re      Recover hung processes
        lu      List Users
        spw     Set User Password
        ?       repeat this list
Enter Command, q to quit, or ? to list commands
>

Docker installation#

To install MongoDB, bpmn-server and bpmn-web in on a docker container #### 1. Create a folder , cd to folder #### 2. Create a `docker-compose.yml` as follows: 
version: "3.7"
name: bpmn-server
services:
 bpmn-web:
    image: ralphhanna/bpmn-web
    command: sh -c "
        npm run setup &&
        npm run start"
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
    volumes:
      - 'app:/app'      
    depends_on:
      - mongo      
 mongo:
   image: mongo
   ports:
     - 27017:27017
   volumes:
     - mongodb:/data/db
volumes:
  mongodb:
    driver: local
    driver_opts:
      type: 'none'
      o: 'bind'
      device: './mongodb_volume'    
  app:
    driver: local
    driver_opts:
      type: 'none'
      o: 'bind'
      device: './bpmn_server_volume'
#### 3. start the container `docker compose up -d`

Remote Client Install#

This is a light-weight package to allow remote access to bpmn-server

Postman#

Postman Collection to invoke bpmn-server API is available here

to update to latest release#

npm update bpmn-server

Documentation#

Guide BPMN Features
Invoking Workflows Service Task Error/Escalate Events
Execution Script Task Call Process
Scripting Conditional Flow Multi-instances(loop)
Security Scripts Listeners UserTask Assignment
Data Gateways Timers
API Summary Multiple Start Events SubProcess
API Summary Multiple Start Events Transactions
API Input Fields Ad Hoc SubProcess
Setup Throwing/Catching Messages
Application Integration Boundary Events

License#

This project is licensed under the terms of the MIT license.

Acknowledgments#

The bpmn-server resides upon the excellent library bpmn-io/bpmn-moddle developed by bpmn.io

The bpmn-server is inspired by the library bpmn-engine