1 Review Topics The 3 Major Components of Workflow Management Systems 1.Buildtime 2.Metamodel 3.Runtime

2 Buildtime The buildtime component of workflow systems provides the functions and capabilities to define, test, and manage all workflow related information The buildtime component of workflow systems also provides functions to manage and administer the workflow system

3 Buildtime (Contd.) The buildtime of a workflow system usually manifests itself in two different ways: –Graphical User Interface (GUI) Business/workflow modeling tool All information is stored and managed in the WF system’ database The modeling tool operates either in the connected or disconnected mode with the WF database –Workflow Definition Language (WFDL) The language reflects the underlying structure of the meta model See page 67 of the text for a sample of WFDL

4 Buildtime (Contd.) Organizational data is usually stored in systems outside the boundaries of a WFMS. Organizational data is periodically extracted into the WFMS using batch processes –Batch processes are generally used for import export function to and from the WFMS respectively –Online processes are used for CRUD like operations Soon as the process model goes into production, the process model is frozen. The frozen state is called process template

5 Buildtime (Contd.) No program interfaces directly with the database of the WFMS The buildtime component manages the database of the WFMS for all definitional data using an Application Programming Interface (API) The API supports batch and interactive modes

6 Metamodel Metamodel provides the constructs and rules to model a process, organization, or technology (program) It’s a model of a model It has many similarities with a data model, especially meta data

7 Metamodel - Organization Lets take a look at the Organizational Metamodel implemented by MQSeries Workflow on page 37 WFMS can support: –Fixed organizational model – relationships cannot be changed in the metamodel –Variable organizational model – relationships can be changed in the metamodel, even a new metamodel can be created The underlying model to model the metamodel could be a data model or an object model

8 Metamodel - Organization The organizational data of a WFMS can be managed in three different ways: –WFMS manages all organizational data in its own database –WFMS shares the data with other systems, and each of the systems can modify the data –WFMS only access the organizational data that is managed by some other system

9 Metamodel - Process Control Connector – the arrow that defines the flow of control from one activity to another activity. Fork – the activity that is the source of parallel work Join – the activity that is the target of the parallel work Join Condition – whether the activity can be performed Activation condition – when the activity can be carried out Exit condition – when the activity has successfully completed Input container – the data that is passed to the process or activity Output container – the data that is returned by the process or activity

10 Metamodel - Process Collect Credit Information Assess Risk Accept Risk Request Approval Reject Risk # of people requesting loan Customer # Process input container Activity input container Risk rating Activity output container

11 Metamodel - Process The are four general types of activities: –Information activity – no implementation, e.g. call a customer –Program activity – is implemented by a program, e.g. run the risk assessment program –Process activity – is implemented by another process, e.g. invoke a sub-process –Bundle activity – is implemented by bundling the multiple instances of the activity using the planning (how many) and processing (invokes the program/process) phases.

12 Metamodel - Program Focus on the process first When defining an activity, you may not know which operating system the activity may be operating on You should be able to change the implementation without changing the process model (late binding)

13 Metamodel - Program ActivityProgram Properties Common Properties AIX Windows NT OS390 WINNT DLL PATH D:\PROGRAMS\COLLINF.DLL AIX EXE PATH D:\PROGRAMS\COLLINF.EXE

14 Metamodel - Program Activity Program Call Message Queuing Method Invocation Transaction Start RPC Comm.TPMonORBMQIOS Invocation Mechanism