Using Mule task to send messages from Activiti to Mule

[annayudkovsky]

Hello,

In our project we are using Activiti 5.11 and Mule ESB 3.0. Both are running in separate JVMs.
We are trying to figure out communication piece right now.

As I understand from reading documentation and “Activiti in Action” book in the standalone setup (separate JVMs)
-   Mule ESB communicates with Activiti Engine using Activiti REST API calls;
-   Activiti needs to use web service task or JMS queues to communicate with Mule.

Here is Activiti configuration with Mule task (from Activiti in Action book Chapter 11) :

<definitions xmlns="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL"
  xmlns:activiti="http://activiti.org/bpmn"
  targetNamespace="http://www.bpmnwithactiviti.org">

  <process id="helloWorldMule">
    <startEvent id="theStart" />
    <sequenceFlow sourceRef="theStart" targetRef="sendMule" />
    <sendTask id="sendMule" activiti:type="mule">
      <extensionElements>
       <activiti:field name="endpointUrl">
         <activiti:string>vm://in
       </activiti:field>
       <activiti:field name="language">
         <activiti:string>juel
       </activiti:field>
       <activiti:field name="payloadExpression">
         <activiti:expression>${processVariable1}
       </activiti:field>
       <activiti:field name="resultVariable">
         <activiti:string>processVariable2
       </activiti:field>
      </extensionElements>
    </sendTask>
    <sequenceFlow sourceRef="sendMule" targetRef="theEnd" />
    <endEvent id="theEnd" />
  </process>
</definitions>

Is it correct to assume that activity-type = “mule” for the sendTask in the example above is only relevant for embedded configurations when Activiti and Mule are in the same JVM?

Thanks,
Anna Y.

[jbarrez]

<blockcode>Is it correct to assume that activity-type = “mule” for the sendTask in the example above is only relevant for embedded configurations when Activiti and Mule are in the same JVM?</blockcode>

Yes, indeed. If you want to communicate using HTTP/webservices you need the 'regular' tasks for that not the mule task.

[annayudkovsky]

Thanks, Joram.

I just wanted to confirm that.

Anna Y.

[bogdan_aioanei]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to get a working example up and running under the same scenario (activiti and mule running on different JVMs).

You can have a look at my BPMN process in the helloMule file attached.

and at one point from my application I'm calling:

                Map<String, Object> variableMap = new HashMap<String, Object>();
  variableMap.put("var1", "hello");
  variableMap.put("anotherVar", "aloha");
  runtimeService.startProcessInstanceByKey("helloWorldMule", variableMap);

but I get an exception org.activiti.engine.ActivitiException: Failed to read response value

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong in my BPMN process or if the Mule flow is doing something wrong.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.