Business Rule Framework (BRF)

Use

The BRF is an event-controlled runtime environment in which the system processes certain rules. You can assign any number of rules to each event, whereby a rule normally consists of a Boolean expression and an action (for information about exceptions, see Rule, in the 'Structure' section). If the expression returns the value TRUE, the system executes the action.

The BRF also contains a maintenance environment in which you can edit and configure BRF objects. You can configure both technically oriented as well as business process oriented rules. This means that you configure the rules in the maintenance environment, and the system processes the rules in the runtime environment.

The BRF is object-oriented and therefore offers appropriate enhancement mechanisms that are modification-free and upgrade-independent.

Implementation Considerations

The following situations are possible:

You want to integrate the BRF with an application for the first time.
You want to make a BRF-related enhancement to an application that already uses the BRF.
You want to configure rules for an application that is already linked to the BRF.

Integration

Every application that wants to use the BRF must be registered under a unique application class in the BRF.
In the application you define how a context is implemented.
The application must call BRF events in its coding. The system processes the rules that are assigned to the event.

Example

You can use the BRF to check whether the entry of an address in the application is complete:

In the BRF you can specify that address data is complete if at least the street and postal code have been stated. If this data is not specified, the system executes a certain action.

Possible expression ('Address is incomplete'):

(street = initial) OR (postal code = initial), in other words, if one of the two fields is initial, the value of the expression is TRUE.
Possible actions ('Complete Address'):

The system displays a message that the address is incomplete

Normally the system would calculate the expression 'Address Is Incomplete'. If this expression delivers the value TRUE, the system would execute the action 'Complete Address'.

What is important here is as follows:

You can configure the expression to define yourself what an incomplete address is, without having to change the code of the application or perform any programming.
In the configuration, you can determine yourself what the consequence should be if the expression returns the value TRUE.

Other Examples

The following table provides further examples from the SAP Claims Management insurance solution.

Event	Rule	Expression	Action
Event After Change of Subclaim Status	If the subclaim has been opened, create the log entry Subclaim Has Been Opened.	Expression: Subclaim Opened: If the current subclaim status is Subclaim Opened, the expression delivers the value TRUE.	Action: Subclaim Opened: The action creates the log entry Subclaim Has Been Opened.
	If the subclaim has been closed, create the log entry Subclaim Has Been Closed.	Expression Subclaim Closed: If the current subclaim status is Subclaim Closed, the expression delivers the value TRUE.	Action: Subclaim Closed: The action creates the log entry Subclaim Has Been Closed.
Event Change to Data on Damaged Vehicle	If it has been stated that the damaged vehicle is on the road but is not roadworthy, then offer to provide a towing service.	Expression1: Vehicle is on the road Expression 2: Vehicle is not roadworthy Expression 3: Expression 1 AND Expression 2 Expression 3 is TRUE if it has been stated that the damaged vehicle is on the road and is not roadworthy.	Action: Offer External Service: The action creates a task that prompts the agent to offer a towing service.