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Workflow and the WfMC Standards

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1 Workflow and the WfMC Standards
David Hollingsworth

2 Agenda Introduction to Workflow
Background on the Workflow Management Coalition Process Interoperability Models WfMC Standards Status Product Conformance & Testing

3 What is Workflow The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant* to another for action, according to a set of procedural rules. *participant = resource (human or machine)

4 Workflow Overview Process Business Process Analysis, Designer
Modelling & Definition Tools Process Design & Definition Process Definition Process Execution Process changes Administrator / Supervisor Workflow Management System Distributed Infrastructure Environment Work Presentation Application Launch Users Applications & IT Tools

5 The Process Definition
1. Activity Network - Nodes & Transitions A1 A2 A4 A11 A7 A5 A6 A10 A8 A3 A9 Options for Sequential, Parallel & Conditional paths 2. Activity Definitions Resource Requirement Work Items Applications 3. Data Definitions Workflow Relevant Data (Application Specific Data)

6 Workflow - Past & Future
First generation - disjoint applications, human interface Call Centre management Correspondence handling Claims authorisation, etc Second generation - infrastructure, broker / agent interfaces: E-process support Enterprise Application Integration

7 Background Founded in 1993, to develop & promote workflow integration capability Non profit-making, open to all Working arrangements with AIIM, OMG and IETF Current membership is c. 220, made up of: S. America User Japan / Asia Analyst / Consultant US / Canada Academic & Research Europe Vendor Integrator/VAR

8 The Workflow Reference Model
Process Definition Tools Interface 1 Process Definition Import/Export Interface 5 Other Workflow Enactment Service(s) Workflow Enactment Service Administration & Monitoring Tools Workflow Engine(s) Workflow Engine(s) Interface 2 Interface 3 Interface 4 - Interoperability Tool Agent Client Apps Worklist Handler Invoked Applications Legacy, Desktop, etc

9 Specifications - Context Diagram
Process Definition Tool / Task Resource Model Interface Process Definition Interface creates / modifies may refer to Process Definition Organisational Model inherits properties may refer to is instantiated by Audit Specifications Workflow Manager External S/W object create, destroy modify create & destroy Process Instance maintain audit trail Process Instance History may use Process & Activity Control / Interoperability Interface may invoke provides invocation context generates Workflow Relevant Data Work Item Workflow Enactment Service Worklist Handler I/F Tool Agent may set processed by Application Invocation I/F Worklist Handler Application may invoke presented for action by 1. Workflow Manager may be distributed, but is assumed to maintain consistent internal state Participant 2. Scope of a Process Definition is the enactment service

10 1. Sub-Process Interoperability Model
WAPI Initiate Sub-process Workflow Enactment Service #1 WAPI WAPI Workflow Enactment Service #2 Return Workflow Enactment Service #3

11 2. Parallel Synchronised Interoperability Model
Synchpoint across processes A2 A1 A3 A4 B2 B1 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 To support inter-process dependencies Uses Synch Event and optional Confirm WAPI WAPI Sync. Event Workflow Enactment Service #1 Workflow Enactment Service #2 optional Confirm

12 Process Naming & Context
Activities may be atomic, sub-process call, or in-line block A sub-process inherits characteristics from its process definition and has its own name space apart from “Root Process Id” (from initiating process) A sub-process call may be specified as synchronous or asynchronous, binding prefixed or late An in-line block operates within the name space and characteristics of its local process Activity and Transition Ids are unique within a process definition Resource naming may use an Organisational Model - typically unique to a workflow enactment service

13 WfMC - Specifications Reference Model (1994) Glossary (1994, 1996)
Workflow APIs “C” (1995) IDL / CORBA (1998) Interoperability Protocol & Bindings MIME ( ) (1995) XML (April 2000) Audit specification (1996) Process Definition Import/Export Specification WPDL (1998) UML/XML (Q4 2000) OMG Submission (Object Model & IDL, 1998)

14 Products & Conformance
OMG Submission 21 vendors as co-submitters with implementation commitment Interoperability Testing Facility established at University of Muenster First stage (MIME) - 3 vendors completed Second stage (MIME) - 8 vendors committed Wf-XML testing - Q3

15 Contacts & Further Information


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