DSF Process Plugin Tutorial

Implementing BPMN Processes as DSF Process-Plugins

This repositoryopen in new window contains exercises to learn how to implement process plugins for the Data Sharing Framework (DSF)open in new window. The tutorial is divided into several exercises that build on each other. For each exercise, a sample solution is provided in a separate branch.
This tutorial was first executed at the GMDS / TMF 2022open in new window conference. A recording of the opening remarks by H. Hund and R. Wettstein can be found on YouTubeopen in new window. The slides of the opening remarks are available as a PDF downloadopen in new window.

Prerequisites

In order to be able to solve the exercises described in this tutorial a software development environment with git, Java 11, Maven 3.8, Docker, docker-compose, a Java IDE like Eclipse or IntelliJ, a BPMN Editor like the Camunda Modeler and a minimum 16GB of RAM is needed. For more details see the detailed prerequisites document.

Exercise 1 - Simple Process

The first exercise focuses on setting up the testing environment used in this tutorial and shows how to implement and execute a simple BPMN process. For more details see the exercise 1 description.

Exercise 1.1 - Process Debugging

Exercise 1.1 looks at how to use the Java debugger of your IDE to remote debug the execution of a process plugin. For more details see the exercise 1.1 description.

Exercise 2 - Input Parameters

In order to configure processes that are packaged as process plugins, we will take a look at two possibilities on how to pass parameters to a process. For more details see the exercise 2 description.

Exercise 3 - Message Events

Communication between organizations is modeled using message flow in BPMN processes. The third exercise shows how a process at one organization can trigger a process at another organization. For more details see the exercise 3 description.

Exercise 4 - Exclusive Gateways

Different execution paths in a process based on the state of process variables can be achieved using Exclusive Gateways. In Exercise 4 we will examine how this can be implemented. For more details see the exercise 4 description.

Exercise 5 - Event Based Gateways and Intermediate Events

In the final exercise we will look at message flow between three organizations as well as how to continue a waiting process if no return message arrives. For more details see the exercise 5 description.