Roles in Context Introduction to Roles

Modeling Business Processes with Oracle BPM 6-5

6.2.1.3 Using Multiple Start Events in a Process

You can define multiple start points in a BPMN process. Multiple start points enable you to specify multiple ways of creating a process instance, depending on which start event is used. Figure 6–2 shows an example process that contains both a message start and timer start event. Figure 6–2 Using Multiple Start Events within a Process This graphic shows a process with two start events. The first is a message start event labeled Start on Quote Message Receipt. From this message start event, a sequence flow extends to a script task labeled Initialize Quote. From the Initialize Quote task a sequence flow extends to a user task labeled Process Quote Upon Message. From the Process Quote Upon Message task, a sequence flow extends to an end event. The second message is a timer start event labeled Start on Timer. From this event a sequence flow extends to a script task labeled Initialize Quote. From the Initialize Quote task a sequence flow extends to a user task labeled Process Quote Timer. From the Process Quote Timer task, a sequence flow extends to the same end event mentioned earlier. This process can be started using a message event when called from another process or service. It can also be started based on a time interval if the process instance must be created automatically. Using multiple start events enables you to have multiple ways of starting a process without having to create two separate processes.

6.2.1.4 Using Multiple End Events in a Process

End events mark the end of a process path. When you have only one end event in your process and the token reaches the end event, the process is terminated when the end event is reached. When you are using multiple ends it is possible for different tokens to take different paths within a process. In normal cases, all parallel paths must reach an end event before the process is completed. However, in the following special cases, a process instance can be terminated before all process paths have completed: ■ Error end event: When an error end event is reached, all process activity is stopped. Like the error throw event, the error end event stops the flow of a