IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Manage assets in the Process Center repository > Manage the Process Center repository > Applying governance

Create a governance process for installing a process application

Before governance can be applied to a process application, someone must design and create the governance process. The governance process defines the steps that are required before the process application snapshot can be installed on a process server.

IBM BPM includes the System Governance toolkit, which supplies the templates, services, and business objects that you need to create a governance process. This topic describes creating a process relating to the installation of a process application snapshot. You can also create a governance process relating to changing the status of a snapshot for a process application or a toolkit.

IBM BPM comes with a sample that you can use to understand governance processes. You can explore that sample to see how it works and copy it as a base for your governance process.

By default, when anyone tries to install a snapshot of a process application, an instance of the default Installation Requested BPD from the System Governance toolkit is started. That default business process definition just allows the installation to proceed. If you want to apply governance to that process application, you need to replace that default BPD with a governance process that is customized to your requirements.

You can use the governance process to notify people of the installation or you can set approvals in place so that no one can install it from IBM Process Center on a process server until those approvals have been completed. Governance can provide a way to ensure that proper testing is done and approvals are secured before a snapshot of a process application is installed.

A governance process created in IBM BPM V8.0.0 cannot be used in this version. You must use the process described here to create a governance process. You must build your governance BPD using a template from the System Governance toolkit.


Procedure

  1. In IBM Process Center, create a process application to use for governance. This process application will contain your installation governance process. (You cannot create a governance process in a toolkit. Only process applications can be used to create governance processes.)

  2. In Process Designer, add a dependency on the System Governance toolkit to your process application. The process application must have a direct dependency on the System Governance toolkit snapshot 8.0.1 to be able to create governance processes. Indirect dependencies are not supported.

  3. Create a BPD. In the New Business Process Definition window, give the BPD a name that will be meaningful to potential users, and click the Select button to open a window where you can choose which governance template you want to use. For this governance process, choose the Installation Requested template. Click Finish.

    The governance templates are only available for use with a process application when a dependency on the System Governance toolkit has been established. Once you save the BPD after making the governance template selection, the input variable, ProcessAppInstallationRequest, that has been set by the template cannot be changed.

  4. Using the template as a base, develop a BPD to meet your organization’s requirements. Add activities and email to customize the BPD to fit your governance requirements. See Enabling email for Process Portal notifications and the governance sample for IBM BPM V8.0.1 in the BPM Sample Exchange.


What to do next

When the governance process is complete, take a snapshot of the process application, label it, and set the status of the snapshot to "Released." Only a released snapshot can be applied to a process application by an administrator.

Apply the new BPD as the governance process for process applications that you want to govern. See the related link to instructions for that task.

When the governance BPD from a released snapshot is in use for governance, users cannot change the status of the snapshot of the governance process until one of the following conditions is met:

When an administrator changes the association of any governance BPD, process instances already running continue to run, unless an administrator terminates the instance.

Applying governance to a process application


Related tasks:
Applying a governance BPD to a process application or snapshot
Migrating a governance process from V8.0.0
Create a governance process for the status of a snapshot
Create a governance BPD that installs a snapshot when the status changes
Changing a governance application
Testing a governance process
Export and importing a process application that uses customized governance
Recovering if a process application under governance fails to install


Related reference:
Governance services