Vanilla-Converter: A Tool for Converting Camunda 7 BPMN Models into Camunda 8 Models

Abstract

As modeling languages evolve, so do modeling tools. Sometimes this evolution comes with compatibility issues, challenging organizations to co-evolve models created with previous tool versions to remain valid and usable in the new editor. Currently, organizations need to prepare for the end-of-life of Camunda 7, a widely used BPMN modeling tool in practice. Since manual model migration remains complex and prone to error due to fundamental differences between the two platforms, automated model migration would be a huge benefit. In this chapter, we present Vanilla-Converter, a command-line tool that facilitates the migration of BPMN models from Camunda 7 to Camunda 8. Vanilla-Converter automates the transformation process, supports a wide range of BPMN elements, and produces a transformed model and a detailed transformation log indicating automatic changes and remaining manual tasks. The tool’s effectiveness is demonstrated through three case studies with real industrially used Camunda 7 models, confirming its ability to convert these models into valid and executable Camunda 8 models.