Database Support for Workflow Management Systems

2009 ◽  
pp. 208-213
Author(s):  
Francisco A.C. Pinheiro
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Formal Structure ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Software Applications ◽  
Process Enactment ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
Process Structure

A workflow is a series of work processes performed under rules that reflect the formal structure of the organization in which they are carried out and the relationships between their various parts. Workflow applications are software applications used to automate part of workflow processes. They run under the control of a workflow management system (WfMS). The WfMS usually comprises an organizational model, describing the process structure, and a process model, describing the process logic. The Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC, 2008) publishes a set of workflow definitions and related material, including a reference model. Databases are commonly used as a WfMS supporting technology. Not only workflow data are maintained in databases but also the rules governing processes can be stored in database schemas. Database functionality can be used both for defining and managing process models as well as for environment notification and process enactment. This article shows how particular database-related technologies can be used to support WfMS.

Research and Application of Collaborative Modeling for Prefecture-County Integrated System Based on Workflow Engine

2012 ◽  
Vol 588-589 ◽  
pp. 2074-2077
Author(s):  
Mei Ling Wu ◽  
Cheng Hui Liang ◽  
Liang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Information Flow ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Workflow Engine ◽  
Common Object ◽  
Object Request Broker ◽  
Collaborative Modeling ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
Verification Process ◽  
The Way

In order to implement the information flow and verification process in collaborative modeling for prefecture-county integrated system based on workflow, the workflow engine is embedded in the system. On the base of the Workflow Management Coalition Specification and Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), the paper describes the way to implement the workflow engine, interface service between the engine and CORBA middleware, and the automation of the verification process in the prefecture-county integrated system.

A Version Control Approach for Workflow-Alteration in Collaborative Design

2010 ◽  
Vol 450 ◽  
pp. 389-392
Author(s):  
Wei Jung Shiang ◽  
Mian Shiu Lin ◽  
Hsin Rau
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Management System ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Workflow Management System ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
Development Platform ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
New Strategies

The workflow management system should be flexible enough to manage workflow changes caused by new partnerships, new technologies, and new strategies in collaborative design. Therefore, this paper attempts to introduce the version concept of configuration management into the workflow management system to handle this problem. In this study, the baseline is applied to record the sequence of tasks in a workflow and the version number of the baseline is given whenever the workflow is created. Whenever any change happens, the version number of the task or baseline will be modified accordingly. Both version numbers of the baseline and the tasks are checked while the workflow is being processed, so that the user could notice any differences in the tasks or workflow and decides whether to use the newly changed workflow or to keep the old version. A JADE development platform was applied to develop a prototype system and the architecture was based on Workflow Management Coalition. A scenario was shown in this paper to verify the feasibility of this study, and the result showed that users can choose whether to use the modified workflow baseline or not, for any running processes. This approach increases the workflow flexibility for collaborative design projects.

A PETRI-NETS-BASED APPROACH FOR WORKFLOW AND PROCESS AUTOMATION

1999 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 193-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN J. H. YANG ◽  
CHYUN-CHYI CHEN
Keyword(s):  
Petri Nets ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Work Flow ◽  
Process Automation ◽  
Process Definition ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Modeling And Analysis ◽  
Component Software ◽  
Software Engineers ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition

Based on the workflow management coalition (WFMC) standard and component software technologies, this paper addresses our Petri-nets-based approach for workflow and process automation. Petri nets provide graphical and mathematical formalisms for work-flow process definition and analysis. In this paper, we will present how to use Petri nets and a toolkit NCUPN (National Central University Petri Nets toolkit) for process definition and analysis. NCUPN is a Petri nets modeling and analysis toolkit developed to help software engineers in drawing and doing analysis. Once a workflow process is drawn using NCUPN, analysis can be done automatically. In this paper, we will demonstrate how to use NCUPN to analyze behavioral properties of workflow process, such as deadlock, liveness, safety, and starvation.

Design of Workflow Subsystem in Drawing Management System

2013 ◽  
Vol 655-657 ◽  
pp. 2080-2083
Author(s):  
Xin Wang ◽  
Xu Guang Tang ◽  
Chong Chong Ji
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Interaction Process ◽  
Workflow Engine ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Management Efficiency ◽  
Modern Enterprise ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
Drawing Management

Drawing Management System (DMS) has begun to be used more and more widely in modern enterprise and public institution. It has become one of the necessary tools to improve image file management efficiency. A subsystem model based on three layer of structure is put forward in this paper which meets Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) standard. The model consists of workflow interaction, process management system, message mechanism, workflow engine. Each module finishes their own job to realize the auto run of DMS’s files.

Workflow Management Based on Mobile Agent Technology

2011 ◽  
pp. 1615-1623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Flores-Badillo ◽  
Ernesto López-Mellado
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Mobile Agent ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Agent Technology ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
Manufacturing Applications ◽  
Definition Of

Nowadays Information Systems (IS) are designed for individual task execution control allowing coordinating, monitoring, and supporting the logistical aspects of a business process, in other words, the IS has to manage the flow of work through the organization. The WorkFlow Management represents a critical issue for achieving enterprise competitiveness among organizations. Many companies have realized that the business processes (BP) within their organizations, and between the companies and their partners have not been clearly described and there are not enough techniques and methods to automate the processes. The Workflow Management Coalition (WFMC) states that workflow (WF) is concerned with the automation of procedures where documents, information, or tasks are passed to the participants according to a defined set of rules to achieve, or contribute to, an overall business goal (WfMC, 1999). Another definition of WF can be found in (Rusinkiewicz & Seth, 1994) where workflows are activities involving the coordinated execution of multiple tasks performed by different processing entities (persons or machines). A task or process involves a piece of work and a process entity which executes the work. Workflow Management (WFM) is a fast evolving technology which is increasingly being exploited by businesses in a variety of industries. Its primary characteristic is the automation of processes involving combinations of human and machine-based activities (Aalst & Hee, 2002), (Aalst, 1998). A Workflow Management System (WFMS) provides procedural automation of a business process by management of the sequence of work activities and the invocation of appropriate human and/or IT resources associated with the various activity steps. Although the most prevalent use of WFMS is within the office environment in staff intensive operations such as insurance, banking, legal and general administrations, etc, it is also applicable to some classes of industrial and manufacturing applications (WfMC, 1995). WFMS needs to integrate other technologies such that agent technology, which provides flexible, distributed, and intelligent solutions for business process management. This work presents a methodology for mobile agentbased WFMS development. The proposed methodology consists of a modular and gradual specification of the system where a mobile agent guides the process through organizational units and executes different tasks. Several mobile agents evolve through the system executing concurrently their assigned task.

An Extension to a UML Activity Graph from Workflow

2011 ◽  
pp. 294-314
Author(s):  
Daniel Riesco ◽  
Edgardo Acosta ◽  
German Montejano
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Unified Modeling Language ◽  
Workflow Management ◽  
Expressive Power ◽  
Process Definition ◽  
Meta Model ◽  
Activity Diagrams ◽  
Workflow Management Coalition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Activity Graph

This chapter proposes an extension to the activity graph of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to support the Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) standard. The definition of a business process has been standardized by the WfMC with the purpose of satisfying the need of interaction and connectivity between process definition tools and different workflow systems. Here, the WfMC meta-model is explained. The UML activity diagrams, used for the business process modeling, support less detail than the WfMC standard. In this chapter, an extension of the UML’s activity graph meta-model is proposed, and its formalization using the workflow meta-model is defined. The purpose of this chapter is to obtain an extension of UML to support the workflow process definition without changing the standard with the same expressive power as the WfMC. It increments the expressive power of the activity diagrams so that the business processes modeled with the UML notation can be executed by a workflow engine.

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