This chapter introduces Rule Engines and the JBoss Rules open-source rule engine. We show the ability to integrate the JBoss Rules engine into OSWorkflow. This capability eases the implementation of real-world business processes along with complex business rules. We approach the chapter with an example found in the banking domain, a loan-risk process.
Each task in a business process can be performed automatically. When a task can be done automatically, it's because the business process has embedded knowledge about the task and can make logical decisions about it. This knowledge can be in the form of program code or another knowledge representation, such as a decision table.
This knowledge about a process is called business logic or business rules. For instance, a business rule in a bank loan process can be 'validate the amount requested versus the amount limit; if it exceeds the amount...