Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Service repository and registry
Oracle has a service repository and registry product that is integrated with the SOA
Suite but separate from it. The repository acts as a central repository for all SOA
artifacts and can be used to support both developers and deployers in tracking
dependencies between components both deployed and in development. The
repository can publish SOA artifacts such as service definitions and locations to the
service registry. The Oracle Service registry may be used to categorize and index
services created. Users may then browse the registry to locate services. The service
registry may also be used as a runtime location service for service endpoints.
BPA Suite
The Oracle BPA Suite is targeted at business process analysts who want a powerful
repository-based tool to model their business processes. The BPA Suite is not an easy
product to learn, and like all modeling tools, there is a price to pay for the descriptive
power available. The fact of interest to SOA Suite developers is the ability for the
BPA Suite and SOA Suite to exchange process models. Processes created in the BPA
Suite may be exported to the SOA Suite for concrete implementation. Simulation of
processes in the BPA Suite may be used as a useful guide for process improvement.
Links between the BPA Suite and the SOA Suite are growing stronger over time,
and this provides a valuable bridge between business analysts and IT architects.
The BPM Suite
The Business Process Management Suite is focused on modeling and execution of
business processes. As mentioned, it includes BPEL process manager to provide
strong system-centric support for business processes, but the primary focus of the
Suite is on modeling and executing processes in the BPM designer and BPM server.
BPM server and BPEL process manager are converging on a single shared
service implementation.
Portals and WebCenter
The SOA Suite has no real end-user interface outside the human workflow service.
Frontends may be built using JDeveloper directly or they may be crafted as part of
Oracle Portal, Oracle WebCenter, or another Portal or frontend builder. A number of
portlets are provided to expose views of SOA Suite to end users through the portal.
These are principally related to human workflow, but also include some views onto
the BPEL process status. Portals can also take advantage of WSDL interfaces to
provide a user interface onto services exposed by the SOA Suite.
