Signature

Multiple Instances With Prior Design-time Knowledge Pattern

Classification

Multi-instance Pattern

Intent

The number of concurrent threads is known in advance at design time, and concurrent thread synchronization must be performed.

Motivation

This pattern has a context associated with it, which will determine the number of tasks/activities/subprocess instances; the context will be supplied at design time and will be a static value. Instances can be executed in parallel/sequence and must be synchronized before completion. This pattern behaves as a parallel split of the instances...

Signature

Multiple Instances With Prior Runtime Knowledge Pattern

Classification

Multi-instance Pattern

Intent

The number of concurrent threads is not known in advance at design time and is calculated at runtime. However, it's calculated before the first instance is created. Concurrent thread synchronization must be performed.

Motivation

The determination of the number of instances will be performed at runtime...

Signature

Multiple Instances Without Prior Runtime Knowledge Pattern

Classification

Multi-instance Pattern

Intent

The number of concurrent threads is not known in advance at the design time and is calculated at runtime. However, the number of instances is not known until the last instance is executed. Concurrent thread synchronization must be performed.

Motivation

The determination of the number of instances will be performed at runtime; however, the determination of instances is deferred until the last instance gets executed. Instances can be executed in parallel/sequence and must be synchronized before completion.

Applicability

This refers to the multi-instance subprocess.

Implementation

The BPMN service engine runs a subprocess with a MultiInstance loop marker and will create a set of instances, one for...

Signature

Canceling Partial Join Pattern

Classification

Multi-instance Pattern

Intent

The number of concurrent threads is calculated at runtime when the first instance is created. When "n" out of "m" instances get executed, the subsequent task is initiated and the remaining m-n instances get cancelled.

Motivation

The determination of the number of instances is performed before the first instance gets executed. The process instance moves to subsequent activities when a given number of task instances have completed, rather than requiring all of them to finish; however, the remaining m-n instances get cancelled.

Applicability

The MultiInstance subprocess with the loop completion condition and loop cardinality.

Implementation

The BPMN service engine runs a subprocess with a multi-instance loop marker and will create a set of instances. The number of to-be instances...

Signature

Dynamic Partial Join Pattern

Classification

Multi-instance Pattern

Intent

The number of multiple instances to be created is not determined until the final instance of the multiple instances has been completed and all the instances then get synchronized. This pattern is an extension to the multiple instances without prior runtime knowledge pattern; however, in this pattern, a condition is evaluated that clogs further instances from being created.

Motivation

The determination of the number of instances is not performed until the final instance. A completion condition can be specified, which is evaluated each time an instance of the task completes. Once the completion condition evaluates to true, the next task in the process is triggered. Subsequent completions of the remaining task instances are cancelled and no new instances can be created.

Signature

Structured Loops Pattern

Classification

Iteration Patterns

Intent

The structured loop pattern exhibits the ability to repeat subprocesses. This looping structure comprises of a single entry and exit point where the iteration condition can be determined before a loop execution or after a loop execution.

Motivation

Loops are similar to any traditional programming language loop structure. If a condition is evaluated before an iteration starts, then it's a variant of while-do, and if the condition is evaluated after the first iteration gets completed, then it's a do-while execution.

Applicability

Multi-instance subprocesses with the loop characteristics property set as loop. Loop characteristics (while-do or do-while...

Signature

Arbitrary Cycle Pattern

Classification

Iteration Pattern

Intent

The arbitrary cycle pattern offers a looping construct that allows multiple entry and exit points in and out of the loop.

Motivation

This unstructured loop (iteration/cycle) pattern offers the flexibility to have multiple entry and exit points in the process. The arbitrary cycle pattern provides a mechanism to repeat the process parts in an unstructured way.

Applicability

Exclusive gateways can be used in nonblock structured process models.

Implementation

When a modeler is working on defining an "As-Is" process, there are requirements to shuffle from one activity to another. There are cases in which a task or an activity performed initially in the process needs to be changed/altered after reaching a certain stage in the process. This translates to the fact that one can work on the process in an...