IETF Trade Working Group January 2000 XML Messaging Overview January 2000.
2000 09 dh,mm,mts,mz m (xml world 2000) wf-xml tutorial
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Transcript of 2000 09 dh,mm,mts,mz m (xml world 2000) wf-xml tutorial
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 1
XML-based standards
for B2B Process Integration
David Hollingsworth, ICL
Mike Marin, FileNET Corp.
Marc-Thomas Schmidt, IBM UK Ltd.
Michael zur Muehlen, University of Muenster
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 2
Overview
Process Automation and the WfMC
Standards
Wf-XML
Applications
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 3
Process Automation and the WfMC
David Hollingsworth
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 4
Agenda
Workflow, Process Automation and business
integration considerations
Background on the Workflow Management
Coalition
Process Interoperability Models
WfMC Standards & ongoing work
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 5
What is Workflow
The automation of a business process, in whole
or part, during which documents, information or
tasks are passed from one participant* to
another for action, according to a set of
procedural rules.
*participant = resource (human or machine)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 6
Process Automation
Overview
Applications
& IT Tools
Users
Administrator
/ Supervisor
Distributed Infrastructure Environment
Work
Presentation Application
Launch
Process Execution
Process
Definition
Business Process Analysis,
Modelling & Definition Tools Process Design
& Definition
Process
Designer
Process changes
Workflow Management System
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 7
The Process Definition
1. Activity Network - Nodes & Transitions
A1
A2
A4
A11
A7
A5
A6
A10 A8 A3
A9
2. Activity Definitions
• Resource Requirement
• Work Items
• Applications
3. Data Definitions
• Workflow Relevant Data
• (Application Specific Data)
• Options for Sequential, Parallel & Conditional paths
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 8
Production & Ad-hoc Workflow
A loose distinction is sometimes drawn between
Production Workflow
– in which most of the procedural rules are defined in
advance
and
Ad-hoc workflow
– in which the procedural rules may be modified or created
during the operation of the process.
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 9
Autonomous & Embedded
Workflow Products
Autonomous
– Freestanding independent software package providing workflow
functionality
– Integration with different application systems (desktop or server)
which handle processing of the elementary workflow activities
Embedded
– Workflow-functionality is part of the (application) software system
(ERP, DM, PPC etc.)
– Controls the sequence of elementary functions of the system
within the application
Differentiation: workflow-enabled versus workflow-based
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 10
Business Integration
Requirements
Process
Roles &
Responsibilities
Information Organisation
Access &
Ownership
Permissions
Business Support
Systems
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 11
Wider Integration Issues
Distributed Systems
Infrastructure
Process
Model
Information
Model
Organisation
Model
Common
desktop
access
E-commerce Security
& Audit
Legacy Systems
Directory
Services
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 12
Workflow - Past & Future
First generation - disjoint applications, human
interface
– Call Centre management
– Correspondence handling
– Claims authorisation, etc
Second generation - infrastructure, broker /
agent interfaces:
– E-process support (B2Anything)
– Enterprise Application Integration
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 13
Founded in 1993, to develop & promote
workflow integration capability
Non profit-making, open to all
Working arrangements with AIIM, OMG and IETF
Current membership is c. 220, made up of:
Vendor Integrator/VAR
Academic &
Research
Analyst / Consultant
Europe
US / Canada
Japan / Asia
S. America User
WfMC Background
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 14
The Workflow Reference Model
Process
Definition Tools
Administration
& Monitoring Tools
Interface 1
Interface 4
- Interoperability
Interface 5 Workflow Enactment Service Other Workflow
Enactment Service(s)
Worklist
Handler
Interface 3 Interface 2
Invoked
Applications
Tool Agent
Process Definition Import/Export
Client
Apps
Legacy,
Desktop, etc
Workflow
Engine(s) Workflow
Engine(s)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 15
Process Definition Interchange
Purpose
– Exchange of info between BPR tools, workflow systems, process
definition repositories
Process Definition Meta-Model
– Defines objects, attributes & relationships
– Core Set plus extensible attributes
WPDL / XML
– Syntax for encoding the process definition
Process Definition Manipulation APIs
– APIs for reading & writing object & attribute data
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 16
Client Application Interface
Purpose
– To allow applications portability & re-use
APIs to support
– Process & Activity Control
– Worklist Handling
– Supervisory Process & Activity Control
– Process Definition manipulation
Language Support
– “C”, IDL & OLE (V2),
WAPI Specification
– V1 - Published Nov 95, now at V1.4
– V2 - 1998 (joint OMG / WfMC spec)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 17
Applications Invocation
Purpose
– To provide a common framework for 3rd parties to integrate other
industry application APIs & services
– To support an interface to access legacy applications
APIs for use by Workflow Engine or Worklist Handler
– Connect/Disconnect
– Invoke Application, Request Status, Terminate
Status
– Included in WAPI V2
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 18
Applications Interoperability
Purpose
– To allow a business process to be implemented over two or more workflow systems
Interchange protocol
– Abstract (functional) specification in IDL for nested & chained subprocesses
– Binding specification for Internet Mail using MIME
– CORBA version included in OMG submission
Status
– Full Specification released Q1 97, now with abstract spec, MIME binding and Wf-XML versions all at current level.
– IDL & CORBA version provided in OMG proposal
– XML version released Q1 2000
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 19
Administration & Monitoring
Purpose
– To allow consistent administration across diverse systems
Audit specifications
– Audit event identification, formats & recording
– Formal released as full specification Q1 97
WAPI - Administrative APIs
– Group operations on Processes & Activities Instances
– Status retrieval - Process & Activity instances
– Operations on Process Definitions
Administration - wider aspects
– - Draft spec of admin functions (audit retrieval APIs and monitoring policy controls)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 20
Process Interoperability
Scope may be:
– Local / Departmental
– Enterprise
– Inter-Enterprise
Style may be:
– Sub-process - hierarchic or chained
– Parallel synchronised
Purpose:
– EAI
– Web integration, B2B, B2C, etc
– Trading Frameworks / Hub
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 21
Distributing the Business Process
C
B
Process A
Sub-Process B
? Sub-Process C
Organisation A
Organisation C
Organisation B
export
Definition Execution
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 22
1. Sub-Process Interoperability Model
Workflow Enactment Service
#1
WAPI
Workflow Enactment Service
#2
Initiate
Sub-process
Return
WAPI
Workflow Enactment Service
#3
WAPI
C2 C1
A1
A3
A2
A5
A4
B3
B1 B2
B4
C3 C4
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 23
2. Parallel Synchronised
Interoperability Model
C2 C1 C3 C4
A2 A1 A3 A4
B2 B1 B3 B4
Synchpoint across processes
Workflow Enactment Service
#1
WAPI
Workflow Enactment Service
#2
WAPI
Sync. Event
optional
Confirm
• To support inter-process dependencies
• Uses Synch Event and optional Confirm
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 24
Process Naming & Context
Activities may be atomic, sub-process call, or in-line
block
A sub-process inherits characteristics from its process
definition and has its own name space apart from “Root
Process Id” (from initiating process)
A sub-process call may be specified as synchronous or
asynchronous, binding prefixed or late
An in-line block operates within the name space and
characteristics of its local process
Activity and Transition Ids are unique within a process
definition
Resource naming may use an Organisational Model -
typically unique to a workflow enactment service
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 25
The Supply Chain Process Model
Transportation
Company
International Documentation
Distributor Manufacturer
Transportation Company
Retailer
1
Schedule Shipment Ship Order
Confirm Order
Receive Order
Schedule Receipt
Place Order
Receive Goods
DRP
Update DRP
5
Q A Update Inventory
Ship Order
Receive Goods Inventory
Replenish Inventory
Prepare Payment
4
2
Update Inventory
Release Payment
A/P
MRP Place Order
Dispatch Truck
Confirm Transport
Determine International
Prepare Cross Border
Documentation
Request Vehicle
3
Third Party
Warehouse Company Inventory
Receive Order
Update Inventory
Ship Order
Order
Order Acknowledgment
Transport Confirmation
Advance Shipment Notice
Advance
Shipment Notice
Replenishment
Advance Shipment Notice
Order
Transport Request
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 26
Specifications - Context Diagram
Process Definition
Process Definition
Tool / Task
Process Instance
Participant
Work Item
Process Instance
History
creates /
modifies
is instantiated by
Worklist
Handler
create, destroy modify
Organisational Model
generates may invoke
create &
destroy
maintain
audit
trail
may
refer to
may
refer to
inherits
properties
processed by
presented
for action by
may
invoke
Worklist
Handler I/F
provides invocation context
Application
Invocation I/F
Process Definition
Interface
Workflow Enactment
Service
Audit Specifications
External
S/W object
Application
Tool Agent
may use
may set
Workflow
Relevant Data
Workflow
Manager
1. Workflow Manager may be distributed, but is
assumed to maintain consistent internal state
2. Scope of a Process Definition is the enactment service
Process & Activity
Control / Interoperability
Interface
Resource Model
Interface
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 27
WfMC - Specifications
Reference Model (1995)
Glossary (1994, 1996, 1999)
Workflow APIs
– “C” (1995)
– IDL / CORBA (1998)
Interoperability Protocol & Bindings
– MIME (Email) (1995)
– IDL / CORBA (1998)
– Wf-XML (April 2000)
Audit specification (1997, 1999)
Process Definition Import/Export Specification
– WPDL (1999)
– UML/XML (planned Q4 2000)
OMG Submission (Object Model & IDL, 1998)
– Ratified 1999
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 28
Ongoing Work Areas
Security
Events & parallel synchronised interoperability
standards
Multiple concurrency workflows (EDI batches)
XML integration (process definition,
frameworks, data models, etc)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 29
http://www.wfmc.org
email: [email protected]
Contacts & Further Information
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 30
Process Integration
XML Standardization Initiatives
Mike Marin
FileNet
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 31
Introduction
XML is the universal language of B2B
Today ad-hoc implementations of B2B abound
– Based on data interchange
– High development cost
Business start looking into standards
– Decrease cost
– Decrease risk
– Increase potential partners
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 32
XML Standards
Explosion of XML standards
– XML is becoming the language of standardization
Overlapping functionality
– Some industry segments have competing XML standards
Emergence of for-profit standardization organizations
It will take time for the dust to settle
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 33
Classifying B2B Standards
Transport level
Vertical market vocabularies
Specific functionality area
Framework based
Process based
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 34
Transport level
Moving XML content around
Examples
– XML-RPC
• Request/Response
– Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
• Unidirectional messages
– Web Distributed Data Exchange (WDDX)
• Exchanging structured data in a generic, cross-platform way
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 35
Vertical market vocabularies
XML standardization for specific industries
XML Repositories
– XML.org
– BizTalk.org
Examples
– Chemical Markup Language (CML)
– Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
– Mathematical Markup Language (MathML)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 36
Specific functionality area
XML standardization of specific business functions
Examples
– eBIS-XML
• Order and invoice interchange
– iCalendar
• Calendaring and scheduling
– Directory services markup language (DSML)
• Based on LDAP
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 37
Framework based
Formalized exchange of XML content
Examples
– BizTalk
– RosettaNet
– ICE
– ebXML
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 38
BizTalk
Horizontally oriented
– Works with vertical market vocabularies that adhere to the
BizTalk conventions
BizTalk framework is based on SOAP
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 39
RosettaNet
Vertically oriented
– Information technology (IT) supply chain standardization
– Electronic components (EC) supply chain standardization
Some process
– Predefined partner interface process (PIP)
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 40
ICE
Horizontally oriented
– Work with vertical market vocabularies
Syndicator/Subscriber model
– Request/Response model
No process concept
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 41
ebXML
Horizontally oriented
– Based on a repository
Goal is to create a single global electronic
market
Compatible with EDI
Some process concepts
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 42
Process based
Business process oriented
– General workflow functionality is horizontal
Example
– Wf-XML
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 43
Summary
A crowded field
Research your vertical market first
Talk with the partners you intent to engage
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 44
Wf-XML Interoperability Standard
Marc-Thomas Schmidt
IBM UK, Business Integration Architecture
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 45
Wf-XML Scenario
Enable interaction between Requesters and Providers of ‘workflow-type’ Business Services
– Standardise minimum set of operations for managing interactions with potentially long running services
Service Requester
– Requests service to be performed
– Inquires about status of execution
Service Provider
– Processes service requests
– Informs requester on status of the request
One Party can play both roles
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 46
Wf-XML Scenario Illustrated
Do It
Done It Query &
Control
Requester Provider
Party A Party B
Requester Provider
Party C
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 47
Multi-Party Interactions
Party A
Party C
Party B
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 48
Services Repository
Provider advertises service
– Service interface definition, including in/out data, potential
transports, Quality of Service, service constraints, ...
Requester selects service matching their needs
– Required business function, requested Quality of Service, ... Trading Partner Agreement
Interaction Partner Checklist
Provider & Requester agree on interaction contract
– Transport, Security, Quality of Service, Data Representation,
… Wf-XML
Requester and Provider perform interaction
– Requester initialises and starts service
– Provider accepts request and initiates service
– Requester may query status or cancel service request
– Provider completes request and returns results
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 49
Trading Partner Agreements
Identification
Overall properties
Communication properties
Actions
Sequencing rules
Recourse actions
Roles
Error handling
Legal text
Security properties
Constraints
Responsiveness
// Business partner info.
// Contract duration
// HTTP, SMTP, etc.
// Reserve, modify, etc.
// Refund, etc.
// Buyer, seller, broker, etc.
// Retries, actions invoked
// Penalty if unreachable
// Authentication, non-repudiation
// Modify before 6 p.m
// Modify after reserve
// Timeout
Examples
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 50
Wf-XML Specification
XML Message Set for Interactions between requesters and providers of Workflow Business Services
Based on existing Workflow Interoperability Standards initiatives
– WfMC Workflow Interoperability Specification, OMG Workflow Management Facility (a.k.a jointFlow), Simple Workflow Access Protocol (SWAP)
Main Features
– A structured and well-formed XML message set encoding
– Synchronous or asynchronous message-handling capability
– Independence from transport mechanism
– Easy extensibility through the use of XML and dynamic workflow context data
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 51
Wf-XML Resource Model
Resources
– … are identified by URI-type keys
– … provide a set of operations
Process Definition
– Factory for service providers
Process Instance
– Realises a workflow business service
– Parametrised by workflow context
data
Observer
– Represents service requester
Control &
Query
Provide
Feedback
Create
Instance
Observer
Process
Instance
Process
Definition
Context
data
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 52
Workflow Context Data
Define the workflow relevant instance variables of a
workflow process business service
– Initialised during instantiation of the process
– Provide context for tasks in a workflow process
– Updated by workflow tasks
Example
– Process Product Order takes Order Request as input
– Stepwise completion of the Order Request during process
execution, documenting progress of the workflow process
– Order Completion notice upon process termination
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 53
Process Definition Resource
Resource used to instantiate a particular workflow business service
– Represents particular workflow process template
– May be located via Service Repository
– Internals of workflow process realisation not exposed
CreateProcessInstance Operation
– Takes workflow context data for process instance as input
– Optionally allws for registration of process instance observer
– Returns Process Instance identifier for future reference
Example
– Process Product Order Process
– Takes specific Order details as input
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 54
Process Instance
Resource representing a particular instance of a workflow
business process
– Execution state - basic, extensible state model
– Workflow context data - input data plus intermediary results
– Informs its observer about state or context data changes
GetProcessInstanceData operation
– Retrieves current content of workflow context data set
– Can be used to retrieve final or intermediary results of process
ChangeProcessInstanceState operation
– Changes the execution state of the process instance
– Can be used to suspend or terminate process instance
Example
– Process Product Order of 42 pencils for Marc-Thomas Schmidt
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 55
Process Instance State Model
Defines basic set of execution states
– Nested states
– Level 1 and 2 mandatory, level 3 optional
Can be extended by workflow service specialisations
open
running
notRunning
suspended
closed
completed
abnormalCompleted
aborted
terminated
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 56
Observer
Resource representing a service requester
– Registered with process instance during creation
– Receives notifications on change of execution state and changes in workflow context data of a process instance
– Up to service provider to determine which status changes are propagated
– Future extensions may extend role to represent any party interested in process instance
ProcessInstanceStateChanged operation
– Takes current execution status and workflow context data as input
Example
– Initiator of a workflow process; may be another process
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 57
Wf-XML Message Set
Messages represent operations on Wf-XML resources
– Message pairs representing request-response model
XML encoding of message content
Transport Header
– For future use
Message Header
– Indicates message type (request or response) and identifies
resource which is target of request or source of response
Message Body
– Identifies operation, provides operation-specific parameters and
eventual error codes
– Pattern: OperationName.Request or OperationName.Response
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 58
Workflow Context Data Encoding
Context Data encoding outside of Wf-XML scope
– Message definitions use placeholders for context data
– ContextData tag in request, ResultData tag in response messages with content model ANY
Examples
– Name-value pairs <name>item01</name><value>foo</value>
– Structured, tagged data <vehicle>
<vType>Car</vType> <vMake>BMW</vMake>
</vehicle>
– XML Schema encoding <xs:complexType name="length2">
<xs:element name="size" type="dt:non-positive-integer"/> <xs:element name="unit" type="dt:NMTOKEN"/>
</xs:complexType>
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 59
CreateProcessInstance.Request <?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/WfSrv?id=1199827</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<CreateProcessInstance.Request StartImmediately =”true”>
<ObserverKey>http://www.Acme.com/wfx456</ObserverKey>
<ContextData>
<Computer>
<Type>thinkpad</Type>
<Series>600X</Series>
<Option>DVD</Option>
</Computer>
</ContextData>
</CreateProcessInstance.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Identifies process
definition
Request to create
process instance
Observer to be
notified of process
updates
Context data for
this process
instance
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 60
CreateProcessInstance.Response -
Success <?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Response/>
<Key>http://www.computerInc.com/WfSrv?id=1199827</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<CreateProcessInstance.Response>
<ProcessInstanceKey>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</ProcessInstanceKey>
</CreateProcessInstance.Response>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Identifies process
definition that
performed request
Identifier of newly
created process
instance
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 61
CreateProcessInstance.Response -
Errors
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Response/>
<Key>http://www.comInccom/WfSrv?id=1199827</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<CreateProcessInstance.Response>
<Exception>
<MainCode>502</MainCode>
<Type>F</Type>
<Subject>Invalid Process Definition</Subject>
<Description>Can not create instance</Description>
</Exception>
</CreateProcessInstance.Response>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Exception
information
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 62
GetProcessInstanceData.Request
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<GetProcessInstanceData.Request>
<ResultDataAttributes>
<Priority/>
</ResultDataAttributes>
</GetProcessInstanceData.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Process Instance ID
(from previous
create request)
Identifies context
data we want to
know about
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 63
GetProcessInstanceData.Response
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Response/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<GetProcessInstanceData.Response>
<ResultDataAttributes>
<Priority>5</Priority>
</ResultDataAttributes>
</GetProcessInstanceData.Response>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Process Instance ID
we send the request
to
Returns only the
properties we asked
for
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 64
ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request>
<State>closed.abnormalCompleted.terminated</State>
</ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Process Instance ID
(from previous
create request)
This is the state we
want the process
instance to take on
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 65
ProcessInstanceStateChanged
Message <?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/>
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”No”/>
<Key>http://www.Acme.com/wfx456</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody>
<ProcessInstanceStateChanged.Request> <ProcessInstanceKey>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</ProcessInstanceKey>
<State>closed.abnormalCompleted.terminated</State>
<ResultData>
<Order>ACM00456</Order>
<Account>ACM-400-2460</Account>
<Amount>150.00</Amount>
</ResultData>
<LastModified>1999-12-25T15:10:35Z</LastModified>
</ProcessInstanceStateChanged.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
Observer ID
(registered with
process instance
during create)
Process Instance
that sends the
notification
State of the
process instance Context data of
process instance
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 66
Transport Bindings
Wf-XML does not mandate binding to a particular transport protocol
– Potential transport protocols include HTTP, SMTP, MOM
HTTP binding
– Operations map to HTTP POST
– Resource key is the URI to which a Post method is directed
– The Wf-XML request is the request message body for input
– The Wf-XML response is the response message body for output
– Both request and response specify “Content-type: text/xml” in the HTTP message header.
– Authentication is accomplished through the standard HTTP mechanisms
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 67
Summary
Michael zur Muehlen
University of Muenster
Department of Information Systems
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 68
Use of Wf-XML
(Currently) Peer-to-Peer Communication
Encapsulation of local process logic
– Observe ACID Principles of Database Management
– Syntactic abort of remote process may not equal a
semantic abort
– Change of local process logic may lead to global
deadlocks: Observe partial serialization of process
interfaces
Wf-XML is very suitable for Service Outsourcing
approaches
– Academic research: WISE, CrossFlow
– Commercial projects
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 69
Wf-XML in the Business Scenario
Prerequisites
– HTTP is initial transport binding, but Wf-XML is not limited
to this
– Workflow Management System is not necessarily required
• Wf-XML Adapters for ERP systems
• Wf-XML Adapters for Web Application Servers
• Wf-XML Adapters for EJB Services
– Few operations, well defined API – (relatively) little
implementation effort
– Wf-XML workflow-enables existing business infrastructure
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 70
Wf-XML Status and Outlook
First version of the standard published by WfMC May 2000 – Basic set of Interoperablity messages
– HTTP binding available
Future work areas – Additional bindings
– Generalisation of Observer role
– Process Definition introspection and link to Service Repositories
– Process Instance update operations and execution monitoring
– Link to Trading Partner Agreements and similar interaction contract definitions
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 71
Process Instance Update
Operations and Execution Monitoring
Re-send (additional) context data during remote
process execution
Monitoring of fine-grain process structure
– Currently only coarse granularity of state changes
– Filtering and/or translation of monitoring data
– Integration of monitoring data from different sources
(cascaded monitoring)
– WfMC Interface 5 as a starting point for monitoring data
specification
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 72
Execution Monitoring
Currently: “push“ of coarse state change
information to observer
Future: Integration of fine grain monitoring data
over several involved parties
Observer Process
Instance
Observer Process
Instance
Process
Instance
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 73
Example: Web-based Helpdesk
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 74
Observer for User Monitoring Data
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 75
Details of Cascaded Processes
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 76
Re-Querying of Process Context Data
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 77
Workflow Standards Timeline
1989
1993
1995
2000
1999
OMG
founded
(1989)
WfMC
founded
(1993)
SWAP
Initiative
(1998)
jointFlow
Working Group
WfMC
Reference
Model Wf-XML
V 1.0
IETF Standardization
OMG
Workflow
Facility (8/98)
OMG
Object
Management
Architecture
OMG
CORBA 2.0
Specification
WfMC
IF 4 V 1.0
Interoperability
Challenge
SWAP
Working
Group
Keith
Swenson
et al.
Resource Ass. Int. RFP
Process Modeling RFP
WfMC
IF 4 V 2.0
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 78
Wf-XML
Adds the process dimension
Has evolved from a solid foundation
– WfMC
– OMG
Does not overlap with other XML standards
Is complementary to most XML standards
Has industry support
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WfMC, September 2000, Slide 79
Wf-XML Future
Establish a dialog with other XML standards
– Context data providers
– Process providers/users
Show how it complements other XML standards
– Integration of vertical data sets as context data
– Analysis of requirements of standards with process
components (e. g. RosettaNet PIPs)