Verification and Validation of UML Artifact-Centric Business Process Models

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents a way of checking the correctness of artifact-centric business process models defined using the BAUML framework. To ensure that these models are free of errors, we propose an approach to verify (i.e. there are no internal mistakes) and to validate them (i.e. the model complies with the business requirements). This approach is based on translating these models into logic and then encoding the desirable properties as satisfiability problems of derived predicates. In this way, we can then use a tool to check if these properties are fulfilled.

Formal Modeling and SMT-Based Parameterized Verification of Data-Aware BPMN

“…The resulting framework is similar, in spirit, to the BAUML approach [16], which relies on UML and OCL instead of BPMN as we do here. While [16] approaches verification via a translation to first-order logic with time, we follow a different route, by encoding DABs into the array-based artifact system framework from [5].…”

Linking Data and BPMN Processes to Achieve Executable Models

“…In terms of the framework for modeling data and business processes, many of the existing works [9][10][11] use languages grounded on logic, which are formal and unambiguous but more difficult to understand than BPMN and UML. There are other approaches which use graphical representations which are more intuitive and appealing to business analysts and developers, such as [12,22,23]. [23] is based on the Guard-StageMilestone approach, which represents the evolution of each relevant object in a lifecycle following a more declarative approach than ours.…”

“…[22] uses artifact union graphs, which are similar to Petri nets, to represent the process. [12] is the most similar approach to ours and relies on various UML diagrams (different to the ones we consider) and OCL contracts to represent the data and the process. However, none of these works deal with process executability; most of them focus on studying the correctness of the model.…”

“…Other languages might be chosen as well as long as they have an unambiguous semantics, e.g. ORM/ER-diagrams for defining the data, or UML activity diagrams, as used for instance in [12], to define the process.…”

A Connection of Task-centric with Artefact-centric Models through Semantic Task Specification and its Use for Formal Verification

“…Estãnol et al [3] propose a verification approach based on artefact life cycles modeled in UML. It checks certain intrinsic properties such as liveliness of a class or an association.…”