436 research outputs found

    Distributed Web Service Coordination for Collaboration Applications and Biological Workflows

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    In this dissertation work, we have investigated the main research thrust of decentralized coordination of workflows over web services. To address distributed workflow coordination, first we have developed “Web Coordination Bonds” as a capable set of dependency modeling primitives that enable each web service to manage its own dependencies. Web bond primitives are as powerful as extended Petri nets and have sufficient modeling and expressive capabilities to model workflow dependencies. We have designed and prototyped our “Web Service Coordination Management Middleware” (WSCMM) system that enhances current web services infrastructure to accommodate web bond enabled web services. Finally, based on core concepts of web coordination bonds and WSCMM, we have developed the “BondFlow” system that allows easy configuration distributed coordination of workflows. The footprint of the BonFlow runtime is 24KB and the additional third party software packages, SOAP client and XML parser, account for 115KB

    An Evaluation of Inter-Organizational Workflow Modelling Formalisms

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    This paper evaluates the dynamic aspects of the UML in the context of inter-organizational workflows. Two evaluation methodologies are used. The first one is ontological and is based on the BWW (Bunge-Wand-Weber) models. The second validation is based on prototyping and consists in the development of a workflow management system in the aerospace industry. Both convergent and divergent results are found from the two validations. Possible enhancements to the UML formalism are suggested from the convergent results. On the other hand, the divergent results suggest the need for a contextual specification in the BWW models. Ce travail consiste en une Ă©valuation des aspects dynamiques du language UML dans un contexte de workflow inter-organisationnel. Le choix du language par rapport Ă  d'autres est motivĂ© par sa richesse grammaticale lui offrant une trĂšs bonne adaptation Ă  ce contexte. L'Ă©valuation se fait par une validation ontologique basĂ©e sur les modĂšles BWW (Bunge-Wand-Weber) et par la rĂ©alisation d'un prototype de systĂšme de gestion de workflows inter-organisationnels. À partir des rĂ©sultats convergents obtenus des deux diffĂ©rentes analyses, des amĂ©liorations au formalisme UML sont suggĂ©rĂ©es. D'un autre cotĂ©, les analyses divergentes suggĂšrent une possibilitĂ© de spĂ©cifier les modĂšles BWW Ă  des contextes plus particuliers tels que ceux des workflows et permettent Ă©galement de suggĂ©rer d'autres amĂ©liorations possibles au langage.Ontology, Conceptual study, Prototype Validation, UML, IS development methods and tools., Ontologie, Ă©tude conceptuelle, validation du prototype, UML, mĂ©thodes et outils de dĂ©veloppement IS

    Formal Design and Verification of Long-Running Transactions with Extensible Coordination Tools

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    Semantics and Verification of UML Activity Diagrams for Workflow Modelling

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    This thesis defines a formal semantics for UML activity diagrams that is suitable for workflow modelling. The semantics allows verification of functional requirements using model checking. Since a workflow specification prescribes how a workflow system behaves, the semantics is defined and motivated in terms of workflow systems. As workflow systems are reactive and coordinate activities, the defined semantics reflects these aspects. In fact, two formal semantics are defined, which are completely different. Both semantics are defined directly in terms of activity diagrams and not by a mapping of activity diagrams to some existing formal notation. The requirements-level semantics, based on the Statemate semantics of statecharts, assumes that workflow systems are infinitely fast w.r.t. their environment and react immediately to input events (this assumption is called the perfect synchrony hypothesis). The implementation-level semantics, based on the UML semantics of statecharts, does not make this assumption. Due to the perfect synchrony hypothesis, the requirements-level semantics is unrealistic, but easy to use for verification. On the other hand, the implementation-level semantics is realistic, but difficult to use for verification. A class of activity diagrams and a class of functional requirements is identified for which the outcome of the verification does not depend upon the particular semantics being used, i.e., both semantics give the same result. For such activity diagrams and such functional requirements, the requirements-level semantics is as realistic as the implementation-level semantics, even though the requirements-level semantics makes the perfect synchrony hypothesis. The requirements-level semantics has been implemented in a verification tool. The tool interfaces with a model checker by translating an activity diagram into an input for a model checker according to the requirements-level semantics. The model checker checks the desired functional requirement against the input model. If the model checker returns a counterexample, the tool translates this counterexample back into the activity diagram by highlighting a path corresponding to the counterexample. The tool supports verification of workflow models that have event-driven behaviour, data, real time, and loops. Only model checkers supporting strong fairness model checking turn out to be useful. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by using the tool to verify some real-life workflow models

    Developing Web Services Using Workflow Model: An Inter-organizational Perspective

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    This paper discusses how a workflow model can be used in the design and development of web services composition. We particularly investigate the development of web services composition in an inter-organizational workflow environment. We discuss respectively how to design an inter-organizational workflow from scratch when there is no existing internal workflow, and how to make existing internal workflows work together in an inter-organizational workflow environment

    Dealing with Forward and Backward Jumps in Workflow Management Systems

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    Workflow management systems (WfMS) offer a promising technology for the realization of process-centered application systems. Adeficiency of existingWfMSis their inadequate support for dealing with exceptional deviations from the standard procedure. In the ADEPT project, therefore, we have developed advanced concepts for workflow modeling and execution, which aim at the increase of flexibility in WfMS. On the one hand we allow workflow designers to model exceptional execution paths already at buildtime provided that these deviations are known in advance. On the other hand authorized users may dynamically deviate from the pre-modeled workflowat runtime as well in order to deal with unforeseen events. In this paper, we focus on forward and backward jumps needed in this context. We describe sophisticated modeling concepts for capturing deviations in workflow models already at buildtime, and we show how forward and backward jumps (of different semantics) can be correctly applied in an ad-hoc manner during runtime as well. We work out basic requirements, facilities, and limitations arising in this context. Our experiences with applications from different domains have shown that the developed concepts will form a key part of process flexibility in process-centered information systems

    Processes driving the networked economy

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