Due to the fact that some of the event processing systems/platforms are using the term rules, event processing is sometimes confused with business rules; however, these technologies are complementary, with little overlapping functionality.
Business Rule Management Systems (BRMS) are software systems that execute rules, typically in the form of condition-action or if-then, which are kept separate from the application logic. This means that rules can be modified without requiring a change in the application code. Chapter 8, Business Rules, of this book covers Oracle's Business Rule Management System.
Both CEP and Business Rule Management Systems support declarative business rules. The main differences between the two approaches are as follows:
Event-processing functions are activated as a direct or indirect result of event occurrence; business rules are activated on request.
A business rule system allows externalizing the decision logic...