BPMN Models
If you need to model the activity of a business, capturing the behavior and the information flows within the organization or system, you can do so using the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). BPMN is specifically targeted at the business modeling community and has a direct mapping to UML through BPMN Profiles integrated with the Enterprise Architect installer. Through use of these profiles, you can develop BPMN diagrams quickly and simply, including:
| • | Maintain existing diagrams created in BPMN 1.0 format, and create new diagrams in BPMN 1.0 |
| • | Create and maintain diagrams in the BPMN 1.1 and BPEL formats |
| • | Create and maintain diagrams in the BPMN 2.0 and BPEL formats |
| • | Migrate a BPMN 1.0 model (or part of a model) to BPMN 1.1, and a BPMN 1.1 model (or part of a model) to BPMN 2.0
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The Enterprise Architect installer for releases later than 8.0 provides you with separate versions of the MDG Technology for BPMN that support BPMN versions 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0, and BPEL.
Access BPMN facilities are provided in the form of:
| • | A BPMN diagram type, accessed through the New Diagram dialog |
| • | BPMN pages in the Toolbox |
| • | BPMN element and relationship entries in the Toolbox Shortcut menu and Quick Linker. |
Specifications of BPMN elements and relationships are defined by Tagged Values; for example, to define the Message, Timer and Default Path (/) symbols in this diagram:
BPMN 2.0 Diagram Orientation
On a BPMN 2.0 diagram, you can set the flow orientation to either horizontal or vertical, or not apply an orientation.
To set or clear the orientation, right click on the diagram background and click on the Set Diagram Flow Direction context menu option. Then click on either:
| • | None (the default, no specific orientation set) |
| • | Horizontal (diagram flow across the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full width of the diagram), or |
| • | Vertical (diagram flow down the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full height of the diagram)
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BPMN 2.0 Sequence Flow and Message Flow Rules
Rules concerning the use of Sequence Flows and Message Flows, as defined in the BPMN 2.0 Specification and described below, are implemented by the MDG Technology for BPMN 2.0.
The following rules apply to Sequence Flows in relation to Events (Start, Intermediate and End), Activities (Task and Sub-Process, for Processes), Choreography Activities (Choreography Task and Sub-Choreography, for Choreographies) and Gateways:
| • | A Sequence Flow cannot cross a Pool boundary |
| • | An End Event, unless edge-mounted, cannot be the source element for a Sequence Flow |
| • | A Start Event, unless edge-mounted, cannot be the target element for a Sequence Flow |
| • | An Intermediate Event, if edge mounted, cannot be the source element for a Sequence Flow; it cannot have incoming Sequence Flows |
| • | An Intermediate Event - if edge mounted and having the Tagged Value eventDefinition=Compensation, cannot be either the source or target element for a Sequence Flow |
| • | Objects within a Sub-Process cannot have a Sequence Flow relationship with objects outside the Sub-Process |
| • | A Sequence Flow cannot connect directly to a Pool
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The following rules apply to Message Flows in relation to Events (Start, Intermediate and End), Activities (Task and Sub-Process, for Processes), Choreography Activities (Choreography Task and Sub-Choreography, for Choreographies) and Pools:
| • | Message Flows can be created from objects in one Pool to objects in another Pool; Message Flows can connect directly to another Pool |
| • | A Message Flow can connect to Events (Start, Intermediate and End) only if they have the Tagged Value eventDefinition=Message |
| • | A Start Event cannot be the source element for a Message Flow |
| • | An End Event cannot be the target element for a Message Flow
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BPMN Toolbox Pages
You can access the BPMN Toolbox pages through the Diagram | Diagram Toolbox: More tools... option; select the BPMN 1.0, 1.1 or 2.0 options as appropriate.
You can also set BPMN as the active default technology to access the Toolbox pages directly.
Disable BPMN
If you prefer not to use BPMN in Enterprise Architect, you can disable it (and subsequently re-enable it) using the MDG Technologies dialog (Settings | MDG Technologies).
Learn more
Learning Center topics
| • | (Alt+F1) | Modeling Languages | Business | BPMN | Introduction |
| • | (Alt+F1) | Business Modeling | BPMN | Getting Started |
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