Spezifikation, Verifikation und verteilte Ausführung von Workflows in MENTOR

Abstract

Die formale Fundierung der State-und Activitycharts wird auf drei Ebenen ausgenutzt. Auf der Spezifikationsebene erzwingt der verwendete Formalismus prä-zise Beschreibungen von Geschä ftsprozessen, lä ßt jedoch ebenfalls spä tere Verfeinerungen zu. Darü ber hinaus kö nnen Spezifikationen, die mit anderen Methoden erstellt wurden, weitgehend automatisch auf State-und Activitycharts abgebildet werden. Auf der Ebene der Verifikation kritischer Workflow-Eigenschaften erö ffnen Statecharts die Anwendung der effizienten Methode des Modellprü fens. Auf der Ausfü hrungsebene schließlich kö nnen aus einer Spezifikation verteilt ausfü hrbare Komponenten generiert werden. Im Rahmen des MENTOR-Projekts wurde eine alle drei Ebenen umfassende Umgebung fü r die Spezifikation, Verifikation und verteilte Ausfü hrung von Workflows realisiert.Schlü sselwö rter: Workflow-Management, verteilte Informationssysteme, Spezifikationsmethoden, Statecharts Abstract. This article presents an approach to the specification, verification, and distributed execution of workflows based on state and activity charts. The formal foundation of state and activity charts is exploited at three levels. At the specification level, the formalism enforces precise descriptions of business processes while also allowing subsequent refinements. In addition, precise specifications based on other methods can be automatically converted into state and activity charts. At the level of verification, state charts are amenable to the efficient method of model checking, to verify particularly critical workflow properties. Finally, at the execution level, a state chart specification forms the basis for the automatic generation of modules that can be directly executed in a distributed manner. Within the MENTOR project, a coherent prototype system has been built that comprises all three levels: specification, verification, and distributed execution.

Serviceflow beyond workflow? IT support for managing inter-organizational service processes

“…Whereas BPR aims at organizational change, workflow is directed at the process-oriented arrangement of business application systems and the automation of business processes. The different orientation is also visible in differences in modeling approaches-distinct emphasis, features, level of abstraction and degree of formalization [28,24], but also in the kind of enterprises they aim to support. Whereas BPR is/was considered to be generally applicable, Schulze [29] and others speak clearly about the criteria enterprises and their business processes would have to fulfill in order to allow for a successful implementation of workflow applications.…”