Distributed data management in workflow environments

E-Business requires that corporate information systems be available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week (24 × 7 operation). Strategic operational significance carries a major technical challenge for architects of such highly available systems−in particular it is critical to devise and implement on-line utilities for continuous maintenance of the system at the highest available performance level. In this paper, we consider the problem of on-line reorganization in object databases supporting workflow engine. We also choose to develop a formal framework for a secure, highly available distributed workflow architecture since interworkflow is anticipated as a major supporting mechanism for Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce. The contributions of this paper are both of theoretical and of experimental nature. We complement our algorithms with encouraging experimental results.

Gi Jahrestagung, 1994

In this paper, we will discuss business relevance factors, architectural concepts, tool approaches, and user-interface samples of the GroupFlow environment. GroupFlow offers business process and technology frameworks to set up versatile and flexible workflow systems for distributed information management within organizations and their outside communication partners. We regard the synergetic approaches being used in the GroupFlow architecture, design concepts, and practical implementation -for the frontend client-workplaces of the several user typologies as well as for the distributed backend server components -as innovative. The GroupFlow environment perhaps best can be profiled around integrating concepts that are typically referred to as workgoup computing or Groupware on the one hand, and workflow management or business process design on the other hand. GroupFlow has been implemented using Lotus Notes as the basic development platform and underlying distributed architecture. The user interfaces on the client sides are either based on Notes-native form and view concepts, or developed using several other graphical frontend tools when appropriate for the respective user tasks to be performed. On the backend server side of GroupFlow, solely Notes technology has been used for data repositories of the actual business information content, for the workflow structure parts, and the various workflow runtime engines supporting processes like messaging, replication, event management or gateway connections. Due to the open architecture of Notes, the backend server side has to be considered completely open for realtime interconnection of data sets being managed in transaction systems, or external processes to be initiated and controlled in an open client server environment.

1997

Abstract This paper presents the distributed architecture of the WIDE workflow management system. We show how distribution and scalability are obtained by the use of a distributed object model, a client/server architecture, and a distributed workflow server architecture. Specific attention is paid to the extended transaction support and active rule support subarchitectures

Proceedings of CoopIS 97: 2nd IFCIS Conference on Cooperative Information Systems

Workflows are activities involving the coordinated execution of multiple tasks performed by different processing entities, mostly in distributed heterogeneous environments which are very common in enterprises of even moderate complexity. In current commercial workflow systems, the workflow scheduler is a single centralized component. A distributed workflow enactment service on the other hand should contain several schedulers on different nodes of a network each executing parts of process instances. Such an architecture would fit naturally to the distributed heterogeneous environments. Further advantages of distributed enactment service are failure resiliency and increased performance since a centralized scheduler is a potential bottleneck. In this paper we present the design and implementation of a distributed workflow enactment service based on the work given in [12]. Yet by starting with a block structured workflow specification language we avoid the very general set of dependencies and their related problems. In this way it is possible to present a simple algorithm for distributed scheduling of process instances. Further benefits of the approach are the ease in testing and debugging the system and execution efficiency through reduced number of messages.

1996

Abstract Workflow management is emerging as a challenging area for databases, stressing database technology beyond its current capabilities. Workflow management systems need to be more integrated with data management technology, in particular as it concerns the access to external databases and as a support technology for workflow management, to support intelligent exception handling and transaction management. Thus, a convergence between workflow management and databases is occurring.

Grid Middleware and Services, 2008

A variety of grid middlewares and workflow languages causes the existence of many workflow management systems (WfMS). Formalisms used to represent workflows vary from simple Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG) to more complex (non deterministic) Petri Nets. Therefore a workflow description is strictly bound to a particular WfMS and to the computational resources that WfMS address, as far as no cooperation among WfMSs exists. This might be critical in scientific workflows where a large amount of resources is usually needed. In this paper we propose a WfMS that aims at language independence and Grid middleware abstraction dealing with interoperability as proposed in the reference model of the Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC). The main goal of such WfMS is to provide an effective solution to run complex scientific workflows (legacy or not) taking full advantage of the distributed and etherogeneous nature of the Grid. A Petri Net formalism has been chosen as internal representation due to its formal behavioral description and the existence of several analysis tools. Our proposed WfMS will be implemented on top of the gLite Grid middleware provided by the EGEE project because of its stability and large adoption.

Standard client-server workflow management systems have an intrinsic scalability limitation, their centralized architecture that hinders the scalability of the system. The whole system is usually executed in a central server that usually represents a single point of failure, which compromises the availability of the system. We propose a fully distributed architecture for workflow management systems. It is based on the idea that the case (an instance of the process) migrates from host to host, executing the case activities, following a process plan. This approach is implemented in the form of a mobile agent. This basic architecture is improved with the addition of other components so that other requirements for Workflow Management Systems, besides scalability, are also addressed. A CORBA-based implementation of such architecture is discussed, with its limitations, advantages and project decisions described. We conclude presenting some performance tests showing the feasibility of such approach.

Proceedings of IEEE Region 10 International Conference on Electrical and Electronic Technology. TENCON 2001 (Cat. No.01CH37239), 2001

This paper discusses the proposed design for a workflow engine. Workflow is the automation of procedures where documents, information or work is passed between several processing entities. Work contains activities, which are done to achieve certain aims. Usually any work can be divided into smaller subworks. When the subworks have been executed, the original work is done. Each processing entity executes its own part before the work is passed onto the next processing entity. The paper focuses on the work database and two main engine modules. The modules are the work administrator and the user interface. Work administrator enables the engine to process the workflows. User interface provides two-way communication between the engine and the processing entities. Engine does the execution and the scheduIing of work by ensuring that the work is conveyed to the appropriate entity during a suitable interval. Work database stores the-work processing information. The initial results show that the prototype based on the design is capable of processing production-based workflow.

Dpd, 1995

Today's business enterprises must deal with global competition, reduce the cost of doing business, and rapidly develop new services and products. To address these requirements enterprises must constantly reconsider and optimize the way they do business and change their information systems and applications to support evolving business processes. Workflow technology facilitates these by providing methodologies and software to support (i) business process modeling to capture business processes as workflow specifications, (ii) business process reengineering to optimize specified processes, and (iii) workflow automation to generate workflow implementations from workflow specifications. This paper provides a high-level overview of the current workflow management methodologies and software products. In addition, we discuss the infrastructure technologies that can address the limitations of current commercial workflow technology and extend the scope and mission of workflow management systems to support increased workflow automation in complex real-world environments involving heterogeneous, autonomous, and distributed information systems. In particular, we discuss how distributed object management and customized transaction management can support further advances in the commercial state of the art in this area.

1995

Recent recession has compelled many companies to find more effective ways to conduct their business. One remedy suggested is to model organizational dynamics as "business processes" and provide a suitable tool support for this. In this context the buzzwords business process re-engineering and workflow have been often quoted. The basic idea in this thinking is to view the functioning of an organization to consist of business processes and provide computer support for as large part of the processes as possible through "workflow systems". There are currently perhaps hundreds of products which claim to support workflows. We believe that workflow techniques are a proper way of supporting the process approach, but that the approach requires further development for several reasons. In this paper, we will discuss the development needs by presenting organizational and architectural considerations and requirements resulting from them for the workflow techniques. One centra...