Message flow

The message exchange between participants is shown by a message flow that connects two pools or the objects within the pools.

BPMN message flow

A message flow is represented in ARIS by the connection type message flow. If the message sent from one participant to another should be displayed in the diagram, the connection type message flow is replaced by the object type Message (symbol Message) and two connection types:

More details can be found in chapter Message flow.

Message flow associations are used to map message flows modeled in two different diagrams, for example, in a conversation and a collaboration diagram. These associations are realized in ARIS by occurrence copies of the message flow connections.

Message flow is also described in the context of the BPMN collaboration diagram (chapter Message flow) and the BPMN conversation diagram (chapter Message flow in a conversation).

Mapping the attributes and model associations to ARIS

Class

BPMN attribute name

Implementation in ARIS

message flow

inherits from BaseElement

Connection type: message flow (CT_BPMN_MESAGE_FLOW)

name: string

Attribute type Connection role of connection type message flow (CT_BPMN_MESSAGE_FLOW)

sourceRef: MessageFlowNode

Source object type of connection type message flow (CT_BPMN_MESAGE_FLOW) (Participant, Function, Event)

targetRef: MessageFlowNode

Target object type of connection type message flow (CT_BPMN_MESAGE_FLOW) (Participant, Function, Event)

messageRef: Message [0..1]

Object type: Message (OT_MSG_FLW)
Symbol: Message (ST_BPMN_MESSAGE_2)
Connection types in the BPMN collaboration diagram (BPMN 2.0):
* Participant sends (CT_SENDS_2) message.
* Event sends (CT_SENDS_2) message.
* Function sends (CT_SENDS_2) message.
* Message is received from (CT_IS_RECEIVED_FROM) participant.
* Message is received from (CT_IS_RECEIVED_FROM) function.
* Message is received from (CT_IS_RECEIVED_FROM) event.

Flow node

Object types that can be the source or target of message flow (CT_BPMN_MESSAGE_FLOW) connection type: Participant (OT_BPMN_POOL), Function (OT_FUNC), Event (OT_EVT)

Message flow association

inherits from BaseElement

This association is used to map message flows modeled in a collaboration and a conversation diagram.

innerMessageFlowRef: Message Flow

Occurrence copy of a message flow connection in a BPMN collaboration diagram and BPMN conversation diagram.

outerMessageFlowRef: Message Flow

Occurrence copy of a message flow connection in a BPMN collaboration diagram and BPMN conversation diagram.