Architecture

The Workpoint Stack

The graphical depiction below represents Workpoint's flexible, component-based architecture.

Business Process Data Repository

Workpoint requires a database environment for its repository. Workpoint is platform- and repository- independent, supporting all of the major operating systems and database vendors.

Processing Engine

Workpoint's run-time engine is the workhorse of the system, and is offered in both the Microsoft® and Java™ version. Organizations that maintain disparate systems and applications embrace Workpoint's Java and .NET engine interoperability, scalability and common UI architecture.

Robust APIs

Workpoint's application program interface (API) layer sits on top of the run-time engine. Functions available through Workpoint are not withheld from the API, enabling organizations to completely embed Workpoint within any enterprise application. This functionality also enables organizations to reduce application complexity, improve flexibility and automate process instance tracking.

Web Services

Many of the Workpoint API functions are also implemented as Web services. Workpoint allows users to interact with other systems and applications through various service-oriented architecture (SOA) methods including, but not limited to the following:

Graphical Process Modeler

Workpoint's graphical process modeler communicates with the run-time engine via the API layer. Workpoint's graphical components give developers complete access to all of the integration controls provided by the Workpoint API. Furthermore, both technical and non-technical users can share a common overview of process models.

XML-Based Archiving

Workpoint offers an archiving process that migrates business process definitions to different environments (i.e. from the test environment to the QA and production environments). Any Workpoint object can be exported from one environment and imported into another.

Gateway

The Workpoint gateway is a browser-based workflow portal. The gateway allows users to quickly create custom work queues without having to write custom applications.

Management Console

Workpoint provides a Web-based console to view and alter real-time server statistics and configuration parameters. It also provides a convenient way to access Workpoint documentation and reports from remote locations on the network.

Extensive Sample Applications

Workpoint provides a variety of samples for the specific version of the run-time engine an organization implements. Microsoft engine samples include ASP, VB and .NET components. Java engine samples include Java Server Page (JSP), Java applications and EJB.

.NET Architecture

Client-API Configuration to the Workpoint Server

Workpoint requires a data store for process definitions and process instances. The data store can be any ADO .NET data provider compliant database, including Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. Workpoint's runtime engine requires a container, and the .NET engine is deployed within the .NET framework environment. Workpoint offers application components, alerts, notifications, events and triggers. These components can be intermixed to scale and meet an organization's specific requirements. Furthermore, Workpoint's components are deployed as .NET assemblies, which can be clustered horizontally in multiple servers. The components access the runtime engine via a server API, which is stateless. The client API connects to the runtime engine via the server API, which is stateful. The client API creates process instances, obtain work queues and performs work. Since Workpoint's graphical process development interface (the designer) creates and manages process templates and process instances, any external application has the ability to use the same client API to create and manage processes. This configuration enables any enterprise application to embed Workpoint functions via a .NET assembly, a VB.NET DLL, an ASP.NET or any other type of Microsoft application.

J2EE Architecture

Client-API Configuration to the Workpoint Server

Workpoint requires a data store for process definitions and process instances. The data store can be any JDBC-compliant database, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and/or DB2. Workpoint can be deployed in any EJB 2.0 compliant application server. Sample configurations include WebLogic, WebSphere and JBoss.

Workpoint offers application components, alerts, notifications, events and triggers. All of these components can be intermixed to scale applications and meet an enterprise's specific requirements. Workpoint's components are deployed as stateless session beans, which can be clustered horizontally or vertically. The components are also wrapped with a server API, which is stateless. The client API connects to the runtime engine via the server API, which is stateful.

Organizations use the client API to create a process instance, obtain work queues and perform work. Since Workpoint's graphical process development interface (the designer) uses the client API to create and manage process templates and process instances, any external application has the ability to use the same client API to create and manage processes. This configuration enables any enterprise application to embed Workpoint functions via a Java method access or bean-to-bean access.