An orchestration is a container for orchestration workflows and related components, such as Web services and event definitions. An orchestration workflow is a sequenced arrangement of Web service calls that you design in SBM Composer. It can be invoked by an event or an action on a transition or state in an application workflow. For example, suppose a software build product raises an event every time a build completes. This event invokes an orchestration workflow that updates an item in SBM.
In an application process app, right-click the process app name in App Explorer, point to Add New, and then select Orchestration. In an orchestration process app, an orchestration is already provided.
Right-click the Orchestration Workflows heading in App Explorer and then select Add New Workflow. Select the orchestration workflow in App Explorer, and then drag steps from the Step Palette to the orchestration workflow editor. Use the Property Editor to configure the steps.
A synchronous orchestration workflow is used when an immediate reply is required. It requires the application workflow to wait for a reply before it can continue. For example, suppose that certain data is needed before a user can transition to the next step in an application workflow, or that a Web service call is expected to return a quick reply such as a stock quote or a weather forecast. An asynchronous orchestration workflow is used when an immediate reply is not required. It runs independently from an application workflow. For example, suppose an orchestration workflow contains a long-running program, that the data that is returned by a Web service is needed in later in an application workflow, or that the orchestration workflow performs an independent task such as sending an e-mail message. An orchestration workflow that is invoked by an event must be asynchronous.
To invoke a synchronous orchestration workflow, create an action on a state or transition in an application workflow. To invoke an asynchronous orchestration workflow, either create an action on a transition in an application workflow, or create an event definition to handle an event from another process app or from an external product.
It is a specific format that lets SBM applications and external products declare the events they can raise. An event definition also lets receiving applications understand the events so they can respond to them. SBM Composer provides a convenient way to create event definitions.
Use the Message List to troubleshoot orchestration workflows before you publish and deploy the process app containing them. Use the Log Viewer to locate and interpret problems that occurred during runtime. The Log Viewer also contains diagnostic messages, such as notifications of when a Web service is invoked, or when the SBM Orchestration Engine, which executes orchestration workflows, is sending a message. The Message List and Log Viewer are displayed at the bottom of the SBM Composer window if the check boxes for them are selected in the Common Views area on the Home tab of the Ribbon at the top of the SBM Composer window.
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