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Process Mapping designed the BPM Interwoven
Automation solution to seamlessly automate the creation
and maintenance of Interwoven WorkSpaces and custom
attributes using fully configurable Web Service Calls and
fully re-usable Metastorm BPM Map Segments. Special
connectors are added directly to the Web Service Calls
through our Metastorm Interwoven Library that enables the
deployment of generic Web Services with user defined
data extraction from XML files.
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The solution
The solution is based on our Create WorkSpace and Maintain WorkSpace fully reusable Map
Segments that can be implemented without coding. These Map Segments act as the WorkSpace
configuration metadata and have been designed to suit any Interwoven WorkSpace creation and
maintenance requirement.
The Create WorkSpace map segment validates the WorkSpace metadata initially, creates the
WorkSpace, sets owner attributes, creates the relevant Templates and finally copies all
associated documents and files to the WorkSpace.
Some of the major features include: |
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The system receives an asynchronous trigger web service call that invokes the required action in
Metastorm BPM in a fault tolerant manner which avoids the need for fault handling functionality
from the calling application. Metastorm BPM then calls the set web service call together with
any reference data supplied by the trigger and extracts the required data. All this is configurable
directly through Metastorm BPM forms and no coding is required.
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Innovative design approach
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Based on fully re-usable Metastorm BPM Map Segments that can be
applied to any WorkSpace creation and management requirement
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User defined Interwoven
custom attributes
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Users can define and update WorkSpace custom attributes as required
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WorkSpace template
selection
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Appropriate templates are created automatically based on values extracted
from corporate system data
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Solution transparency
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The solution is totally transparent to both the host corporate system and
Interwoven
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Security
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Implements Role based administration
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Maintainability
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The solution is configured and maintained directly through the Metastorm
BPM Client
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Functional perspective
From a functional perspective the major steps involved in creating the
WorkSpace include:
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Calling the Web Service
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Extracting the data
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Assigning the extracted data to a Metastorm BPM variable
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Writing to the database
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Creating the Interwoven WorkSpace
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As native Web Service integration is inflexible and not configurable, our design approach is based
on a runtime configurable specification that provides a method of configuring Web Service calls
directly from an XML data source based on a specification that deploys the method. By utilising
this method there is no need to update the code in order to use the Web Service or subsequently
get data from a different element based on the Web Service response. The Connectors are
added to Interwoven via the “Metastorm Interwoven Library” and the solution is totally
transparent to both Interwoven and the corporate system from which the data is being passed.
Web Services are the preferred interface between systems nowadays; however if the interface
is changed the systems employing it are broken. Automating the production of a hard-coded
interface is also vulnerable if the interface changes in any way which would require a rebuild and
therefore add unnecessary overheads on system maintenance. Using this approach no system
changes or development is required to either modify or add to the Web Services called by the
Metastorm system. Configuration is managed by a simple Metastorm BPM process, and all
settings can be updated by users with the appropriate access rights. |
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All reference data (‘Alias’ tables in Interwoven parlance) are inserted or updated as required in
order to maintain the correct referential integrity which avoids the need for costly and typically
error prone maintenance of duplicate sets of data. |
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All workspace and document security settings may be set; you may even use ACL from Active
Directory to set access rights. This avoids costly manual maintenance or potential risks. |
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All integration is managed on the server side. There are no tricky (and potentially risky) updates
to the Metastorm database by Interwoven, or vice versa. All access is through strictly support
APIs. Using this approach is particularly robust and future-proof. It also allows full population of
Word documents with metadata if required. This can make a huge saving in a high volume
system. |
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Error handling is addressed through each process step - administrative staff are notified via email. |
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All settings such as web service calls and database access details are configured through
Metastorm BPM Forms with sensitive information such as passwords suitably encoded. |
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1. Metastorm BPM Developer's Guid...
