Chapter 1
Introduction: iIS Process
Management
iIS process system management is largely devoted to managing iIS process engines and the functions they perform.
This chapter provides a high level description of what an iIS process engine is and what it does. It describes the relationship of the engine to other parts of the iIS system and describes its component parts.
This chapter also discusses the tasks required of system managers and the tools they use to perform these tasks.
What Is an iIS Process Engine?
An iIS process engine is the heart of an iIS system, shown in Figure
The engine controls and manages business processes from beginning to end, coordinating the work of the different resources that perform the activities defined in each process instance.
At each stage of a process’s execution, the engine evaluates whether an activity is ready to be performed and, if so, assigns that activity to the appropriate resources. When an activity is completed, the engine routes the work to the next activity or set of activities.
The engine knows how to manage the flow of a process because it is programmed to control and track that process. The program that the engine executes is an iIS process definition. The process definition is created in the iIS Process Definition Workshop and is then registered with the engine. For information on process definitions, see the iIS Process Development Guide.
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