BPEL
An XML language for describing executable business processes based on web-service orchestration. Used in SOA platforms.
History
BPEL (Business Process Execution Language for Web Services) was created in 2002 by a consortium of IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems as an XML language for describing executable processes in an SOA architecture. In 2007 it was adopted as the OASIS WS-BPEL 2.0 standard.
Unlike graphical notations, BPEL is a textual XML language. It is not meant for visual modeling; it is an executable artifact.
Relationship with BPMN
BPMN was originally positioned as a graphical language that could be automatically transformed into BPEL for execution. In practice this transformation proved difficult — some BPMN constructs have no direct BPEL equivalent.
In the 2010s BPM engines (Camunda, Activiti) moved to executing BPMN directly, without transforming to BPEL, which reduced the standard’s significance.
Where it is used
BPEL remains relevant in:
- Large SOA infrastructures with long-running service-orchestration processes
- Industrial integration platforms (Oracle SOA Suite, IBM Process Server)
- Legacy systems built in the 2000s
Limitations
- Has no graphical notation — needs a visualizer
- A technical language, inaccessible to a business audience
- Gradually losing popularity as executable BPMN spreads