Integrating rules directly into Java applications

To execute most of the (business) rules created using business rules management systems either a central server or a rules engine is required. This is not the case with rules modeled using Visual Rules. These rule can be integrated directly into Java applications to be executed on mobile devices as well as in more classic client server applications. Why is that?

Visual Rules generates executable Java code of rule and state models as well as decision tables. The results are known as rule artifacts, which are ordinary Java libraries. One rule artifact consists of a JAR file containing the rule code as byte code, the rule model as an EMF model, and information on rule dependencies (including rule versions). These artifacts and runtime libraries can be imported via the classpath into Java applications like any other Java library.

Calling rules from within applications is done directly within the source code of the application. Visual Rules provides an API to integrate and call generated rule code, as well as defining the input parameters for the rules, resetting statistics, and retrieving result sets and action calls.

Other APIs for hot deployment and monitoring allow particular rule versions to be loaded and changed, as well as analyzing runtime statistics. Another component for software provisioning distributes all valid rule models to any targeted system automatically.

Visual Rules Runtime: Runtime libraries and APIs

Visual Rules Builder: Automating the build process

Quick Facts

• With Visual Rules Suite, rules can be created which do not require a central server infrastructure for execution.
• Visual Rules Runtime: APIs are available for hot deployment and monitoring of rules.
• Intelligent software provisioning mechanisms provide full version control.