Automated data processing in BPMN/BPEL?

Question

In order to run complex simulations, I need to do preprocessing of data from various data sources. This is done by a bunch of Postgresql scripts. However, having only these is unsatisfactory, because they are not very intelligible, maintainable etc. I want to express the data preprocessing using BPMN/BPEL, which would allow me to graphically visualise

• the different data sources and sinks
• the flow of data between them
• filtering of data according to some conditions
• merging of data
• transformations on the data (which are usually simple computations)

Is there a possibility of attaching Postgresql snippets to my BPMN or BPEL model, such that I just can run the BPMN/BPEL in order to execute the data processing?

Answer 1

You could do that with BPMN tool that are available today as they usually provides layer to connect to external system or database. By example, Bonita BPM has a feature called "connector" to integrate third-party systems.

As far as the BPEL that I'm not sure as this language is mainly designed to orchestrate web-services, so unless you have an web-services layer to interface your PostGreSQL DB, I don't think it would be a good option.

Another option you should consider is using an ETL tool (Extract, Transform, Load). It's a concept (not a standard, as BPMN is) that usually uses for data integration between heterogeneous systems.