Modeling Roles

During modeling, you define which role(s) are allowed to execute a particular process step. Useelement Lane in the BPMN editor to define related roles that apply to all process steps within that lane.

Using Lanes

If you want to model role-based applications, you need to use lanes. Drag & drop the element from the BPMN elements toolbar to the diagram pane:

Basic rules for modeling with lanes are:

• All lane elements must be nested into a main lane.

• The whole process must be modeled within the lane elements: in the main lane or in one of the sublanes.

Notes on Lane Handling

For a role-based process model, you need at least one main lane. You can then add sublanes:

To create sublanes, drag the next lane elements onto the header of the main lane element. Drop the new element on the border of an existing lane to position the new sublane. To create a sublane within a sublane, you can drag the element onto the body of an existing lane.

Click the image to see an animated version.

To activate the lane element, click its border or icon/header. If the element is active, an indicator is displayed in the lower right corner and the border of the element is thicker:

Deletion Behavior of Lane Elements

If you delete a lane element, it is erased from your work area  including all content!
However, you can use restore the deletion by using Undo in the BPMN toolbar.

Before Deletion:

After Deletion:

Assigning Roles to Lanes

The usage of lanes is only indicated when you want to create a role-based process. In that case, you use a lane to assign one or more roles to it. The following section explains how to assign roles to lanes.

When you click option Open configuration in the attributes panel, a separate editor will open where you can assign existing roles and create new ones:

In the role editor, you have two options:

• You can add an already existing role.

• You can create a new role.

If no roles are assigned to a lane, the process steps inside the lane can be executed by all users and a corresponding note is displayed.

Adding an Existing Role

When you open the role editor, it already contains an empty line. Start typing the name of the role your are seaching for in field Role. The field has an autocomplete function: As soon as you start inserting, a drop-down list is displayed containing all available roles that match your input:

Select the role you want to use.

In the next step you need to assign the rights that will be granted to the role owner. Available options are:

You can continue to add further roles (or create new ones, see below) as multiple roles can be assigned to one lane. When you have finished, save your changes to apply them to the lane:

The number of roles assigned to a lane is displayed in the attributes panel:

You have to open the user management, to assign the new role to users:

Refer to Managing Roles in the Administration Guide for further information about role management.

Creating a New Role

Click New Role to create a new role and assign it to the lane element:

Enter the name of the new role in the pop-up window. The input is mandatory:

If the role name is already in use, you will not be able to save. Use the existing role instead (see Adding an Existing Role below):

Save to create the role:

The new role is now added to the role editor and assigned to the current lane:

In the next step you need to assign the rights that will be granted to the role owner:

Available options are:

You can continue to create further roles (or add already existing ones, see below) as multiple roles can be assigned to one lane. When you have finished, save your changes to apply them to the lane:

The number of roles assigned to a lane is displayed in the attributes panel:

The new role has also been added to the user management. You have to open the user management, to assign the new role to users:

Refer to Managing Roles in the Administration Guide for further information about role management.