Scientific workflows with the jABC framework

Abstract

The jABC is a framework for process modelling and execution according to the XMDD (eXtreme Model-Driven Design) paradigm, which advocates the rigorous use of user-level models in the software development process and software life cycle. We have used the jABC in the domain of scientific workflows for more than a decade now -an occasion to look back and take stock of our experiences in the field. On the one hand, we discuss results from the analysis of a sample of nearly 100 scientific workflow applications that have been implemented with the jABC. On the other hand, we reflect on our experiences and observations regarding the workflow development process with the framework. We then derive and discuss ongoing further developments and future perspectives for the framework, all with an emphasis on simplicity for end-users through increased domain specificity. Concretely, we describe how the use of the PROPHETS synthesis plugin can enable a semanticsbased simplification of the workflow design process, how with the jABC4 and DyWA frameworks more attention is paid to the ease of data management, and how the Cinco SCCE Meta Tooling Suite can be used to generate tailored workflow management tools.

A Task-Oriented Knowledge Base for Geospatial Problem-Solving

“…A RichWPS orchestration engine in combination with a DSL (Domain Specific Language) is used to orchestrate WPS processes and publish the composition as a WPS process for further composition [32]. In addition, there are many popular workflow management systems to facilitate the integration of geoprocessing services, such as Taverna [33,34], Triana [35], Kepler [36], jABC [9,37]. However, they only simplify the workflow construction process at the syntactical level, and building a workflow composed of services for geospatial problem-solving is still challenging for end-users.…”

“…The capabilities of a single GIService are limited and cannot be effectively conducted because of the complexity of geospatial problems [4]. In the last decade, workflow-based approaches have evolved to a major way to address complex geospatial problems [9]. Currently, with the assistance of standard interface specifications, GIServices published by different organizations can be chained as a geoprocessing workflow that can describe the execution order of problem-solving steps and enhance the power of atomic GIServices to fulfill complex geoprocessing tasks [10][11][12][13].…”