Responsible Composition and Optimization of Integration Processes under Correctness Preserving Guarantees

Enterprise Application Integration deals with the problem of connecting heterogeneous applications, and is the centerpiece of current on-premise, cloud and device integration scenarios. For integration scenarios, structurally correct composition of patterns into processes and improvements of integration processes are crucial. In order to achieve this, we formalize compositions of integration patterns based on their characteristics, and describe optimization strategies that help to reduce the model complexity, and improve the process execution efficiency using design time techniques. Using the formalism of timed DB-nets - a refinement of Petri nets - we model integration logic features such as control- and data flow, transactional data storage, compensation and exception handling, and time aspects that are present in reoccurring solutions as separate integration patterns. We then propose a realization of optimization strategies using graph rewriting, and prove that the optimizations we consider preserve both structural and functional correctness. We evaluate the improvements on a real-world catalog of pattern compositions, containing over 900 integration processes, and illustrate the correctness properties in case studies based on two of these processes.Comment: 37 page

On the Support of Workflow Activity Patterns in Process Modeling Tools: Purpose and Requirements

Patterns increase the reuse of existing knowledge (e.g., design solutions, source code) within organizations and help to achieve consistency between applications. Patterns for process design have received considerable attention by both business analysts and researchers. Several pattern categories have been proposed including patterns for control and data flow, resources, process change, and exception handling. Workflow activity patterns, which can be used as building blocks for business process models (e.g., approval, task execution request), however, have not been explored in-depth so far. Related to this problem we have proposed a set of workflow activity patterns in the ProWAP project. Each activity pattern represents a recurrent business function as it can be frequently found in business processes. The completeness and existence of our activity patterns has been evaluated through an extensive analysis of real process models. In this paper we discuss how to implement activity patterns within a BPM tool. In particular, we describe major goals and requirements of the BPM tool we are currently developing and in which we apply workflow activity patterns. In this context, we also provide a discussion regarding the notion we use for representing activity patterns (BPMN 1.2 vs. UML 2.0)

Activity Patterns in Process-aware Information Systems: Basic Concepts and Empirical Evidence

Recently, a variety of workflow patterns was suggested for capturing different aspects in process-aware information systems (PAISs) including control and data flow, resources, process change, and exception handling. All these patterns are highly relevant for implementing PAISs and for designing process modeling languages. However, current patterns provide only a partial answer to the question which business functions a designer might want to reuse when modeling processes. This paper presents a revised version of a collection of activity patterns to deal with this challenge. Each of them is related to a recurrent business function as it can be frequently found in process models (e.g., task execution request, notification, approval). We describe the identified activity patterns and their variants in detail. The main purpose of our paper is to discuss results from empirical studies, in which we analyzed more than 200 process models in order to evidence the practical relevance of the patterns. This includes a detailed analysis of the context in which activity patterns occur as well the frequency of this occurrence. These empirical findings can be used for the design of more intelligent, pattern-based process modeling tools

Adaptive Process Management in Cyber-Physical Domains

The increasing application of process-oriented approaches in new challenging cyber-physical domains beyond business computing (e.g., personalized healthcare, emergency management, factories of the future, home automation, etc.) has led to reconsider the level of flexibility and support required to manage complex processes in such domains. A cyber-physical domain is characterized by the presence of a cyber-physical system coordinating heterogeneous ICT components (PCs, smartphones, sensors, actuators) and involving real world entities (humans, machines, agents, robots, etc.) that perform complex tasks in the “physical” real world to achieve a common goal. The physical world, however, is not entirely predictable, and processes enacted in cyber-physical domains must be robust to unexpected conditions and adaptable to unanticipated exceptions. This demands a more flexible approach in process design and enactment, recognizing that in real-world environments it is not adequate to assume that all possible recovery activities can be predefined for dealing with the exceptions that can ensue. In this chapter, we tackle the above issue and we propose a general approach, a concrete framework and a process management system implementation, called SmartPM, for automatically adapting processes enacted in cyber-physical domains in case of unanticipated exceptions and exogenous events. The adaptation mechanism provided by SmartPM is based on declarative task specifications, execution monitoring for detecting failures and context changes at run-time, and automated planning techniques to self-repair the running process, without requiring to predefine any specific adaptation policy or exception handler at design-time

Interacting Components

SystemCSP is a graphical modeling language based on both CSP and concepts of component-based software development. The component framework of SystemCSP enables specification of both interaction scenarios and relative execution ordering among components. Specification and implementation of interaction among participating components is formalized via the notion of interaction contract. The used approach enables incremental design of execution diagrams by adding restrictions in different interaction diagrams throughout the process of system design. In this way all different diagrams are related into a single formally verifiable system. The concept of reusable formally verifiable interaction contracts is illustrated by designing set of design patterns for typical fault tolerance interaction scenarios

Change Support in Process-Aware Information Systems - A Pattern-Based Analysis

In today's dynamic business world the economic success of an enterprise increasingly depends on its ability to react to changes in its environment in a quick and flexible way. Process-aware information systems (PAIS) offer promising perspectives in this respect and are increasingly employed for operationally supporting business processes. To provide effective business process support, flexible PAIS are needed which do not freeze existing business processes, but allow for loosely specified processes, which can be detailed during run-time. In addition, PAIS should enable authorized users to flexibly deviate from the predefined processes if required (e.g., by allowing them to dynamically add, delete, or move process activities) and to evolve business processes over time. At the same time PAIS must ensure consistency and robustness. The emergence of different process support paradigms and the lack of methods for comparing existing change approaches have made it difficult for PAIS engineers to choose the adequate technology. In this paper we suggest a set of changes patterns and change support features to foster the systematic comparison of existing process management technology with respect to process change support. Based on these change patterns and features, we provide a detailed analysis and evaluation of selected systems from both academia and industry. The identified change patterns and change support features facilitate the comparison of change support frameworks, and consequently will support PAIS engineers in selecting the right technology for realizing flexible PAIS. In addition, this work can be used as a reference for implementing more flexible PAIS

Identifying and Evaluating Change Patterns and Change Support Features in Process-Aware Information Systems.

In order to provide effective support, the introduction of process-aware information systems (PAIS) must not freeze existing business processes. Instead PAIS should allow authorized users to flexibly deviate from the predefined processes if required and to evolve business processes in a controlled manner over time. Many software vendors promise flexible system solutions for realizing such adaptive PAIS, but are often unable to cope with fundamental issues elated to process change (e.g., correctness and robustness). The existence of different process support paradigms and the lack of methods for comparing existing change approaches makes it difficult for PAIS engineers to choose the adequate technology. In this paper we suggest a set of changes patterns and change support features to foster systematic comparison of existing process management technology with respect to change support. Based on these change patterns and features, we provide a detailed analysis and evaluation of selected systems from both academia and industry

Towards an aspect weaving BPEL engine

This position paper proposes the use of dynamic aspects and the visitor design pattern to obtain a highly configurable and extensible BPEL engine. Using these two techniques, the core of this infrastructural software can be customised to meet new requirements and add features such as debugging, execution monitoring, or changing to another Web Service selection policy. Additionally, it can easily be extended to cope with customer-specific BPEL extensions. We propose the use of dynamic aspects not only on the engine itself but also on the workflow in order to tackle the problems of Web Service hot deployment and hot fixes to long running processes. In this way, composing aWeb Service "on-the-fly" means weaving its choreography interface into the workflow