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Cooperative Open Workflow

Yvan Peter, Thomas VantroysLaboratoire TRIGONE – Equipe Noce

Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille

Yvan.Peter@univ-lille1.fr

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Objectives• Accomodate different styles of

learning– Group based learning (similar to face to

face)– Individual learning (more oriented

toward lifelong learning)• Support cooperative work• Flexible management of learning

paths– every learner/group is different

• Reuse of activity/process models

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Objectives

Read coursematerial

Perform online test

Correction ofthe tests

Generaldiscussion

learner

learner

learner

tutor

tutor

May be individual work

Can be done as available

Collaborative activity

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Development framework

• Build on standards– XPDL from WfMC– WMF from OMG

• Based on EJB / J2EE– EJB 2.0, CMP for entities– XDoclet, Jonas

• Results as XML strings– SOAP support (integration with COM)– Can be used in multi-device

presentation layer

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Architecture

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General architecture

• WMF interfaces implemented mostly as entities

• A set of sessions provide high level functions (task list, model modification, ...)

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General architecture

WfProcess(entity)

WfActivity(entity)

WfWorkItem(entity)

ProcessManager(session)

ActivityManager(session)

WorkItemManager(session)

Workflow engine

EJB containerServlet/JSPcontainer

HTML

JSP

Servlet

javaclass

RMI

HTTP

SOAP

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Features

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Flexibility

• Modifications of the instance model– Add, remove, change : activities,

transitions, tools• Modification API (session facade)

• Modification of the interpretation of the model (engine behavior)– Strategies selection within process

instance model

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Flexibility

• Modifications done– Through a facade interface– Via an XML language (test in a tool then

change the model)

• No semantic control (yet…)

COW System

Basic Interface (WMF)

Meta interface

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Flexibility

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Group management

Activity 1Learn the course

Role: Learner

Activity 2Multiple choices

exercises

Role: Learner

Activity 3Correction

Role: Teacher

Processusindividuel

Activity 4Open discussion about thecourse and the exercises

Roles: Teacher & Learner

END

Activity 0sub process

Role: Learner

END

START

START

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Group management

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Time management

• Different types of time constraints– Deadline for starting and terminating an

activity– Minimum and maximum time to perform

an activity

• Pattern strategy used to handle that flexibly

• JMX timer used to check time constraints regularly– The strategy is applied if necessary

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Event notification

• Based on WMF *EventAudit• Stored as entities• JMS messages emitted only with

primary key and event type

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Non standard parts...

... and why they do exist

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WMF modifications

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XPDL modifications

• Process / activities are defined in separate models

<Activity Id=‘START’> <Route/></Activity>

<WorkflowProcess> ...

<Activities> <ActivityLink Id=‘START’ URL=‘start’ /> ... <Transitions> <Transition Id=‘T0’ from=‘START’ to=‘A1’ ...> <Condition/> <Description/> </Transition>...

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XPDL modifications

• Either “standard activity” or explicit workitem definition

<Activity> ... <Implementation> <WorkItem Id=‘W1’ Name=‘WorkItem 1’ ...> <Performer> <Participant Id=‘R4’ Name=‘Etudiant’> <ParticipantType><ROLE/></ParticipantType> </Participant> </Performer> <Tool Id=‘QCM’ /> </WorkItem> ...

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XPDL modifications

• Time management– Deadlines

– Duration

<DeadLine> <StartDeadLine> <TimeOption> <Date>...</Date> </TimeOption> </StartDeadLine></DeadLine>

<Limit> <MinTime> <Date> ... </Date> </MinTime></Limit>

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Status

• Hosted on objectweb forge– http://forge.objectweb.org/projects/cow

• A technical component to be embedded• User interface being developed• Integration into OpenUSS e-learning

platform in progress