What is new in IBM Business Process Manager V8.6.0

Introduction

IBM BPM V8.6.0 provides numerous new product features and various enhancements and improvements to existing product capabilities. See the complete list of new product features and enhanced capabilities for IBM BPM V8.6.0. IBM BPM extends the capabilities that are found in previous versions of WebSphere® Integration Developer, WebSphere Lombardi Edition, IBM Business Process Manager, WebSphere Process Server, WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus, and other IBM business process management products.

New in IBM BPM 8.6.0

Benefit from a single edition of IBM BPM

This release, the product name changed from IBM Business Process Manager to IBM Business Process Manager Server as a result of simplifying the package, combining IBM BPM Advanced and IBM BPM Standard into a single edition. IBM Business Process Manager Server includes all the same server profiles (IBM Process Center, IBM Process Server, IBM BPM Advanced, IBM BPM Advanced only, IBM BPM Standard, and IBM Process Federation Server) as separately employable components of IBM BPM Server.

Use Java 8 on WebSphere® Application Server

IBM BPM V8.6.0 (IBM BPM Server) now uses the newest Java version supported on WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5.x. IBM BPM Server now supports Java 8 as the only Java version.

Build a custom deployment service flow

When you create a process application, a deployment service flow is created that is used when you install a snapshot. You can customize the deployment service flow to handle actions in your target environment, such as creating or updating database tables, updating environment variables, and determining which snapshots are already installed.

Convert your coach-based UIs to use the state-of-the-art coach views from the BPM UI toolkit

You can now convert the deprecated coach views in your coach-based user interfaces into BPM UI coach views. The conversion ensures that every deprecated coach view has at least one replacement in the BPM UI toolkit. For more information about converting deprecated user interface functions

Author and edit user attribute definitions in the web Process Designer

You can author and edit user attribute definitions by using the new User Attribute Definition editor. A user attribute definition enables you associate unique capabilities or qualities with one or more users. Using the User Attribute Definition editor, you can edit user attribute definitions that were originally authored in the desktop Process Designer.

Author and edit exposed process values (EPVs) in the web Process Designer

You can use the new Exposed Process Value (EPV) editor to author and edit EPVs. Using an EPV, you can define a set of variables that you want to expose to specific users. Using the EPV editor, you can edit EPVs that were originally authored in the desktop Process Designer.

Author and edit governance processes in the web Process Designer

You can now author and edit custom governance processes. These processes are used to control the installation of process applications or to notify users whenever a snapshot is installed or changes status.

Call Advanced Integration Services from a process or service flow in the web Process Designer

Using the web Process Designer, you can now call an Advanced Integration Service from a process or a service flow. This way, you can call services that were developed in IBM Integration Designer.

Easily identify possible problems by using new metrics with IBM Cloud Product Insights

New metrics are available for failed and terminated process instances and BPEL instances. Using these metrics, you can more easily identify processes that might have problems.

Integrate with external services by using IBM App Connect

New examples show how you can use IBM App Connect to integrate external services across hybrid cloud environments. This integration with IBM App Connect supports both outbound invocations and event-driven inbound invocations from and to your IBM BPM processes.

Claim tasks that were implemented by using an external user interface

With recent changes to IBM Process Portal and IBM Heritage Process Portal, you will find working across all task lists in the Work, Team, and Performance, Process Instance dashboards more similar. Specifically, you can now claim tasks that were implemented as an external user interface if the com.ibm.bpm.portal.doNotClaimExternalUI mashup configuration property is set to false, which is the default setting.

Experience improved performance in Process Portal when you have access to a large number of saved searches

To improve performance when you have access to a large number of saved searches, the list of saved searches is now displayed only when you click Show more. If the list is very long, only 25 saved searches are displayed at a time; to see the next 25 saved searches. In addition, the Quick search field filters through visible items only. Administrators can change the default behavior of these configuration properties.

Configure custom JDBC driver paths

Custom Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver paths are now supported in the following scenarios:

Ø  Performing a typical installation

Ø  Using the BPMConfig command to create a deployment environment

Ø  Using the IBM BPM Configuration editor and the Deployment Environment wizard

These driver paths must be used for Oracle and SQL Server databases because the Oracle and SQL Server JDBC drivers that previously came with IBM BPM have been removed. For a silent installation, you set two new configuration file properties, bpm.dmgr.jdbcDriverPath and bpm.de.node.#.jdbcDriverPath, to point to your JDBC driver path.

Migrate process instances individually by using the new JavaScript API

A new JavaScript API named TWProcessInstance#migrateWithPolicyTo helps you facilitate the migration of process instances individually rather than in bulk. The new API accepts the same input policy file that is used for bulk instance migration.

Pause and resume Event Manager by using a new REST API

Using the new Event Manager REST API, you can now pause and resume operations for Event Manager. You can use the API in a script to automate software patches during schedule IBM BPM maintenance.

Conclusion

For a summary of product features that are deprecated and removed in IBM BPM V8.6.0, see Deprecated and removed features of IBM Business Process Manager V8.6.0.

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