Invoking rules from bpel.

Question

Im trying to create a decision service in bpel. However there is not much docs on how to accomplish this. Ive created a rule following chapter 4 of the users guide for business rules. However when i go to jdev to select the ruleset. i can select it but no facts show up... am i missing something?

Answer 1

Ok - I re-created my 10.1.3.1 environment to try this one more time. I re-installed so that I would have a clean start.
Everything is on one machine.
1. Using RuleAuthor, I created a repository in c:\rules.
2. Using JDeveloper, I created a BPEL process. Synchronous. Input and output schemas the same as what I used in my rule so that I could test this easily.
3. I added a Rule connection to point to my repository at the c:\rules location. I also added the application server and integration server connections.
4. I added a DecisionService using the Rule connection. I set the invocation pattern to Execute Ruleset (since I have rulesets in my repository, not functions). I browse to select the Ruleset. I see my Rule connection and expand it and see the ruleset and select it. I select the Assert Fact and Watch Fact checkboxes and select Next. In step 2, I confirm that the xsd file is available.
5. I create a Decide activity. I select my Decision Service created in (4). I choose to "execute ruleset, retrieve results, and reset session". I add the Assign Input Facts and Assign Output Facts copy operations to copy my input variable to the ruleset input and the ruleset output assigned to my output variable.
6. Save everything. Deploy.
7. Open Enterprise Manager and go to the web services page. See my bpel process web service endpoint. Select Test Service (twice), enter my input data and Invoke. I see the output from the ruleset evaluation.
I did not copy any files around or do anything with classpaths. The tools did it all for me. In the process of Deploying, the repository gets copied into my JDev project and also to the application server. If I want to make changes to the rules that are effective immediately, I have to edit the respository on the app server, not the one in c:\rules.
Note: make sure you set the invocation pattern as described in step (4). Otherwise you are asking to select a Function and if you don't have any, you'll see nothing under your Decision Service Rule connection.
Let me know if you have more questions.
Heidi.