Subprocess Relation with Main Process when Invoked programmatically.

Question

Hi
JDeveloper 11.1.1.6, WLS 10.3.6, BPM 11.1.1.6
I have 2 processes A and B. From A I want to invoke B.
I can think of 2 approaches to do this.
Approach 1. Call the subprocess B from A using Send and Recieve activities.
If we do it this way, when an instance of B is created, it is created as a child of the Process A. (When seen in the EM Console)
Approach 2. Use a Web Service call in the main process. Lets say it is a Java Web Service and we use the following API to invoke the process.
IInstanceManagementService ims = Fixture.getBPMServiceClient().getInstanceManagementService();
Task task = ims.createProcessInstanceTask(bpmContext, pms.getCompositeDN()+"/"+pms.getProcessName());
But I think it will be created as a separate process.
So my Questions are as follows.
a. In Approach 2, is there a way to make the sub process B as a child of Process A?
b. The subprocess B might have to be called more than once in parallel, with some parameters each time.
I want to understand what is the better approach?
Use Approach A to call the from a Subprocess (loop) with Parallel, Multi Instance and use Array to pass parameters for each sub process call?
Or
Use Approach B?
Thanks for any help
Sameer

Answer 1

Hi Sameer,
Your send and receive events would be the better of the two options that you've listed. If the two processes are in the same composite project and send and receive events are used, there would be less overhead to calling the subprocess.
Think you were alluding to this, but you'll also retain the audit trail information if you take the first approach not just in Enterprise Manager but also in the Workspace.
Dan