Glossary

Glossary
A
advisory event
A notice from BusinessEvents about activity in the engine, for example, an exception. See also event, simple event, simple event definition, time event.
agenda
A prioritized list of rule actions that may fire. BusinessEvents recreates the agenda each time a change in working memory requires rules to be re-evaluated, for example, when a simple event is asserted. A rule action in an agenda may disappear without firing when the agenda is recreated.
agent
A deployed BAR. See cache node, inference agent, query agent.
assert
Put facts into working memory. When object instances or events are asserted into working memory, rules may fire as a result. See also fact, retract.
B
BusinessEvents Archive (BAR)
A BusinessEvents Archive (BAR) file stores design-time resources used at runtime by agents. See also agent, rule session.
C
cache
In BusinessEvents, a form of object management. Refers to storage of facts (objects) used by the runtime engine. Various types of cache-based object management options are available. See also object management, cache mode.
cache cluster
A group of nodes configured for use by the object management system to store cache data and backups of cache data. See object management, cache.
cache mode
Options within cache-based object management. You can tune the performance of your application, and reduce its footprint in memory using different cache modes. Modes are cache plus memory, cache only, and in memory only. See also object management, cache only, cache plus memory, in memory only.
cache node
A node configured with a non-reasoning agent used as a storage node only. Used with Cache object management. See also agent, cache.
cache only
One of the cache modes, available for cache-based object management configuration. Instances of entity types that use cache only are serialized and kept in the cache until needed. They must be explicitly loaded into working memory when needed for rule processing. See also object management, cache, cache mode
cache plus memory
One of the cache modes, available for cache-based object management configuration. Instances of entity types that use cache plus memory are serialized and kept in cache until needed. There is one object in the cache (in a logical sense), and any number of references to that object in each JVM. See also object management, cache, cache mode.
cache server
See cache node.
caching scheme
In the cache configuration descriptor file, caching schemes provide configuration details for instances of the cache-based object management options. See also object management, cache.
complex event
An event that happens only when many other events have also happened. Or, an event that you infer from other events. See also simple event.
complex event processing (CEP)
Correlation of multiple events from an event cloud, with the aim of identifying meaningful events and taking appropriate action.
channel
A named configuration that allows BusinessEvents to listen to a stream of events from a given type of source. Similar to a radio channel.
Example: An administrator might configure a channel that would allow BusinessEvents to listen to EMS messages. A channel contains one or more destinations. See also destination.
checkpoint
Used with persistence object management. A checkpoint is the point in time at which working memory data is written to disk. The term checkpoint also encompasses all the activities involved in writing the data to disk.
complex event
An abstraction that results from patterns detected among simple events.
Example: A complex event might result from the following simple events that all occurred within one week’s time: A stock broker buys shares of xyz stock. The same broker submits a very large order for xyz stock on behalf of a customer. The same broker sells shares of xyz stock at a profit.
concept
An abstract entity similar to the object-oriented concept of a class. A concept is a description of a set of properties that, when grouped together, create a meaningful unit. Concepts can be organized in a hierarchical structure.
Example: Department, employee, purchase order, and inventory item are all concepts. The term concept type refers to the definition and the term concept instance refers to the actual object.
concept reference
A property within one concept that references the ID of another concept.
concept view
A way to view and define groupings of concepts and their relationships in the BusinessEvents user interface.
conflict resolution cycle
A cycle of activities during which the engine executes rule actions on the currently asserted facts. The engine re-evaluates what rules need to fire after each action is executed, based on changes in working memory and re-creates the agenda. The cycle is complete when all actions triggered by all conditions specified in rules have been met and no more actions remain. See also agenda.
contained concept
A concept that exists entirely within another concept.
custom function
You can add Java-based custom functions as needed to supplement the library of standard functions provided with BusinessEvents. See also ontology function, rule function, standard function.
D
decision artifact
Any entity which is part of a decision project and whose life cycle is managed by RMS. See also RMS.
Decision Manager
an Eclipse-based Rich Client Platform (RCP) application that enables non-technical users to author rules. Each rule is represented by a row in a decision table. See also decision table.
decision project
A BusinessEvents project ontology, plus decision tables, domain model, test data, access control, and other decision artifacts. Used within Decision Manager.
decision table
A tabular form presenting a set of conditions and their corresponding actions. A graphical tool for building rules. Used in Decision Manager.
deserializer
A class that performs conversion tasks. In BusinessEvents, a deserializer converts messages to events. See also serializer
destination
A channel property that defines a contact point on a given channel. For example, for a TIBCO Rendezvous channel, the destination properties would specify the subjects on which to listen.
distributed cache
In BusinessEvents, a form of cache-based object management. In a distributed cache, cached object data is partitioned between the nodes (JVMs) in the cache cluster for efficient use of memory. See also object management, cache.
E
entity
A concept, simple event, or scorecard. Entity instances are instances of a concept or scorecard, whereas entity types are the definition of the entity.
event
An object representing some occurrence or point in time. See also advisory event, simple event, simple event definition, time event.
evict
Term used in object management. To remove an object or entry from a cache. For example, in the near cache caching scheme, an eviction policy defines when an object is removed from the local cache. In the case of the cache only cache mode (advanced cache option), the term is also used to mean "remove the entity and its references from working memory." See also object management.
expires (event)
At the end of the event’s time to live period, the event is said to expire. It is removed from the working memory and (as needed) acknowledged. Other actions depend on the type of object management used. See also time to live.
F
fact
An instance of an event or concept or scorecard in working memory. See also working memory.
I
in memory
In BusinessEvents, a form of object management. Refers to storage of facts (objects) used by the runtime engine in JVM memory. See also object management.
in memory only
One of the cache modes, available for cache-based object management configuration. Instances of entity types that use in memory only are available only in the engine’s local JVM memory. See also object management, cache, cache mode.
inference agent
In a deployed system, inference agents process incoming events using a Rete network as the inferencing engine, and a set of rules that are triggered by conditions in incoming events. Inference agents in Cache OM systems allow fault tolerance and load balancing. See also Rete algorithm, rule session.
inheritance
In BusinessEvents, a relationship between two concepts in which one concept automatically includes all the properties of another.
instance
In BusinessEvents, a usage of a concept definition. Similar to the Java term "object instance." Example: The Austen Elder object is an instance of the employee concept.
L
lambda transition
A transition without a condition. This term is used in state machine configuration.
M
multiplicity
A boolean parameter indicating whether or not BusinessEvents needs to allow for a collection or list of values in a concept property. For example, a purchase order concept would allow for only one PO number, but multiple line items.
O
object management
The system in BusinessEvents that manages all the facts used in the runtime engine. Facts can be kept in memory only, kept in memory caches (with optional backing store), or persisted to a database.
ontology function
BusinessEvents generates ontology functions for each entity type in a project. There are three types of ontology functions: constructors, to create a simple event or concept instance; time events, to create and schedule time events, and rule functions, to invoke rule functions. See also custom function, rule function, standard function.
P
payload
Similar to a JMS message, a simple event can contain properties and a payload. The payload holds the content of the message. You can define the XML schema for the payload when you configure the simple event definition. Payloads can also contain strings and Byte arrays.
persistence
In BusinessEvents, a form of object management. Refers to storage of facts (objects) used by the runtime engine, in a database. See also object management.
Q
query agent
A query agent is a non-reasoning agent that and has read-only access to the underlying objects in the cache cluster. A query agent has no Rete network. Available only in Enterprise Suite. See also agent.
R
Rete algorithm
Dr Charles L. Forgy developed the Rete algorithm for expert systems See also Rete network.
Rete network
An in-memory network of objects based on the Rete algorithm which enables fast matching of facts with rule dependencies. "A Rete-based expert system builds a network of nodes, where each node (except the root) corresponds to a pattern occurring in the left-hand-side (the condition part) of a rule. The path from the root node to a leaf node defines a complete rule left-hand-side. Each node has a memory of facts which satisfy that pattern." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rete_algorithm)
retract
Remove facts from working memory. See also assert, fact, working memory.
RMS
Rules Management Server. The server component of Decision Manager. RMS manages the rules management repository.
RTC (Run to Completion)
This term has the same meaning as the term "conflict resolution cycle." See conflict resolution cycle.
rule
A declaration, with a set of conditions and actions. If all the conditions in the rule are satisfied by facts in working memory, BusinessEvents executes the action. See also working memory.
rule based time event
See time event.
rule function
Custom functions written using the BusinessEvents rule language. A rule function resource provides the editor for writing rule functions. See also custom function, ontology function, standard function.
Also used to refer to a type of ontology function.
rule session
The run-time equivalent of a BusinessEvents Archive resource. Includes preprocessors, destinations, working memory, and the object manager. See also BusinessEvents Archive (BAR), inference agent, working memory.
rule set
A group of rules. At deployment time, you can select rule sets to use at runtime. See also rule.
S
serializer
A class that performs conversion tasks. In BusinessEvents, a serializer converts events to messages. See also deserializer
simple event
An object representing a business activity that happened at a single point in time. A Simple event includes information for evaluation by rules, meta-data that provides context, and a separate payload — a set of data relevant to the activity. See also advisory event, event, simple event definition, time event, time to live. See also complex event
simple event definition
A description of the channel, destination, properties, and payload for a simple event. See also simple event.
standard function
A library of standard functions is provided with BusinessEvents for use in rules and rule functions. See also custom function, ontology function, rule function.
T
time event
A type of event definition, used as a timer. Two types are available: rule based, and interval based (repeat every). Rule based time events are scheduled by rules. Interval based time event occur at the specified time interval. See also advisory event, event, simple eventsimple event definition, time to live.
Also used to refer to a type of ontology function.
time to live
A simple event property that defines the delay after which a simple event expires.
U
URI
Unique resource identifier. Every event and instance has a URI for identification within the BusinessEvents server.
UML (Univied Modeling Language)
A language that assists in building a diagram of any complex entity. BusinessEvents state-model functionality is UML compliant. The BusinessEvents term, concept, is similar to a UML class.
V
virtual rule function
A rule function whose signature is defined in TIBCO Designer and which is implemented in Decision Manager, using decision tables. The classes are then loaded into BusinessEvents engines. See also rule function.
W
Workbench
The component of TIBCO BusinessEvents that integrates with TIBCO Designer and includes BusinessEvents palettes.
working memory
The runtime processing area for rules, objects, and actions. Rules apply only to data in the working memory. See also BusinessEvents Archive (BAR), rule session.