Database Support for Workflow Management

by Grefen, Paul; Pernici, Barbara; Sanchez, Gabriel

• ISBN13: 9780792384144
• ISBN10: 0792384148
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

Database Support for Workflow Management: The WIDE Project presents the results of the ESPRIT WIDE project on advanced database support for workflow management. The book discusses the state of the art in combining database management and workflow management technology, especially in the areas of transaction and exception management. This technology is complemented by a high-level conceptual workflow model and associated workflow application design methodology. In WIDE, advanced base technology is applied, like a distributed computing model based on the corba standard. The usability of the WIDE approach is documented in this book by a discussion of two real-world applications from the insurance and health care domains. Database Support for Workflow Management: The WIDE Project serves as an excellent reference, and may be used for advanced courses on database and workflow management systems.

Table of Contents

List of Authors	xi
Preface	xiii
Acknowledgements	xv
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE WIDE PROJECT
Workflow Management and Database Technology	3	(10)
Paul Grefen
Peter Apers
Introduction	3	(1)
State of the art in database technology	4	(2)
Transaction management	5	(1)
Active rule support	6	(1)
State of the art in workflow management	6	(2)
Functional perspective	7	(1)
Technical perspective	7	(1)
Commercial situation	8	(1)
Requirements to next-generation workflow management systems	8	(1)
Using database technology for workflow management	9	(1)
Structure of this book	10	(1)
References	10	(3)
The WIDE Approach to Workflow Management	13	(10)
Paul Grefen
Stefano Ceri
Barbara Pernici
Gabriel Sanchez
Peter Apers
Len Winfield
Marien Krijger
Carlos Lopez
Introduction	13	(1)
The WIDE project	13	(4)
Goals and approach of the WIDE project	14	(1)
Partners in the WIDE consortium	15	(1)
WIDE project and book structure	16	(1)
Extending database technology	17	(1)
Coupling database technology to workflow support	18	(1)
Workflow modeling and design	19	(1)
References	20	(3)
PART TWO: THE WIDE WORKFLOW MODEL
Conceptual Workflow Model	23	(24)
Fabio Casati
Barbara Pernici
Giuseppe Pozzi
Gabriel Sanchez
Jochem Vonk
Introduction	23	(1)
Process model	24	(6)
Tasks	24	(2)
Connectors	26	(1)
Start and stop symbols	27	(1)
WAIT tasks	27	(1)
Multitasks	28	(1)
Subprocesses, supertasks, and business transactions	29	(1)
Termination of cases	29	(1)
Information model	30	(2)
Information variables	30	(1)
Documentation elements	31	(1)
Modeling temporal information	31	(1)
Organization model	32	(6)
The model	33	(2)
Agent identification in the system	35	(1)
Key agents in a WFMS	36	(1)
Task assignment modes	36	(1)
Task assignment process	37	(1)
Transaction model	38	(3)
Static process structure	38	(2)
Dynamic process execution	40	(1)
Requirements analysis	40	(1)
Exception model	41	(2)
A case study: Global Travel International	43	(2)
References	45	(2)
Workflow Design Methodology	47	(50)
Luciano Baresi
Fabio Casati
Silvana Castano
Mariagrazia Fugini
Paul Grefen
Isabelle Mirbel
Barbara Pernici
Giuseppe Pozzi
Introduction	47	(3)
Business process pre-analysis	50	(6)
Functional perspective	51	(3)
Organizational perspective	54	(1)
Business perspective	55	(1)
Workflow analysis	56	(4)
Identification of candidate workflows	57	(2)
Identification of pre/post conditions and goals	59	(1)
Summary	60	(1)
Design phase	60	(18)
Designing the decomposition of workflows	61	(3)
Designing exceptions	64	(3)
Designing transactions	67	(2)
Identifying business transactions	69	(5)
Designing compensating transactions	74	(1)
Designing business transactions	75	(1)
Designing interactions with external systems	76	(2)
Mapping phase	78	(15)
Mapping the process model	79	(3)
Mapping exceptions	82	(10)
Mapping of transactions	92	(1)
References	93	(4)
PART THREE: THE WIDE WORKFLOW SYSTEM
Data Support	97	(18)
Carlos Lopez
Gabriel Sanchez
Miryam Villegas
Introduction	97	(1)
Approach to data support	97	(2)
The CORBA standard and distribution	98	(1)
Object Oriented mapping to relational data	98	(1)
Object support	99	(8)
Object identifiers	99	(1)
Mapping to relational concepts	99	(8)
Distribution support	107	(5)
The Basic Access Layer	107	(2)
Generation of persistent C++ classes	109	(3)
Conclusions	112	(1)
References	112	(3)
Transaction Support	115	(26)
Erik Boerties
Jochem Vonk
Paul Grefen
Peter Apers
Introduction	115	(1)
Transaction model	115	(5)
Mapping process model to transaction model	116	(2)
Comparison to related work	118	(1)
Discussion of the WIDE approach	119	(1)
Global transaction support	120	(6)
Functional description of the GTS	120	(1)
Specification and execution graphs	121	(1)
Compensation	122	(1)
Compensation algorithm	122	(4)
Local Transaction support	126	(4)
Atomicity control	126	(2)
Isolation control	128	(1)
Mapping to DBMS specific transaction commands	129	(1)
Channel management	129	(1)
Transaction support architecture	130	(7)
Overall architecture	130	(1)
GTS architecture and implementation issues	130	(4)
LTS architecture and implementation	134	(3)
Conclusions	137	(1)
References	138	(3)
Active Rule Support	141	(28)
Fabio Casati
Stefano Ceri
Stefano Paraboschi
Giuseppe Pozzi
Introduction	141	(2)
Previous related work	143	(1)
Outline of the chapter	143	(1)
Specification of the Chimera-Exc language	143	(14)
Class definitions for Chimera-Exc	143	(2)
Events	145	(3)
Conditions	148	(2)
Actions	150	(2)
Global vs. schema-specific triggers	152	(1)
Priorities among exceptions	153	(1)
Trigger management primitives	153	(1)
Examples	153	(4)
Rule execution: the architecture	157	(9)
Components of the FAR architecture	158	(4)
Transactional requirements for FAR	162	(1)
Oracle triggers	163	(1)
Intermediate language	164	(2)
A comparison of Chimera with Chimera-Exc	166	(1)
Conclusions	167	(1)
References	168	(1)
Workflow Support	169	(18)
Gabriel Sanchez
Miryam Villegas
Carlos Lopez
Introduction	169	(1)
Case and task objects	170	(2)
The case object	171	(1)
The task object	171	(1)
Workflow interpreter	172	(4)
Usage scenario	174	(2)
Workflow Scheduler	176	(2)
Assignment process	177	(1)
What happens if all fails?	178	(1)
Workflow client	178	(5)
The process design tool	178	(2)
The mapping tool	180	(1)
The creation of new cases tool	181	(1)
The desktop tool	181	(1)
The monitoring tool	182	(1)
The statistics tool	182	(1)
Relation between FORO and WIDE	183	(1)
References	183	(4)
PART FOUR: WIDE APPLICATIONS
Medical Insurance Application	187	(12)
Paul Eertink
Maurits Cieremans
Introduction	187	(1)
Application model	188	(2)
The organization processing new applications	188	(1)
Process of handling Medical Insurance Applications	188	(2)
Graphical representation of the process	190	(1)
Use of advanced features	190	(4)
Extended transactions	192	(1)
Active rules	193	(1)
Advantages over traditional workflow systems	194	(2)
Extended transactions	194	(1)
Active rules	195	(1)
Conclusions and work to be done	196	(3)
Short-Stay Surgery	199	(16)
Salvador Guillen
Len Winfield
Introduction	199	(1)
Application model	199	(8)
The organization context: Are you ready for workflow?	200	(1)
The Short-Stay Surgery process	201	(6)
Use of advanced features	207	(5)
Modular WF construction	207	(1)
Extended organization model	207	(1)
Triggers	208	(1)
Business transactions	209	(2)
Standard workflow templates	211	(1)
Workflow automation	211	(1)
Conclusions	212	(2)
References	214	(1)
Concluding Remarks	215	(60)
Paul Grefen
Barbara Pernici
Gabriel Sanchez Stefano Ceri
Peter Apers
Appendices
A Wide WPDL	221	(14)
Gabriel Sanchez
Miryam Villegas
A. Introduction	221	(1)
A.2 The WPDL grammar: basic structures	222	(1)
A.2.1 Grammar and language constructs	222	(4)
A.3 WIDE WPDL: process and entities definitions	226	(1)
A.3.1 Workflow entities	226	(3)
A.3.2 Transition definition	229	(1)
A.2.3 Chimera exceptions definition	229	(6)
B Details Global Travel International	235	(10)
Fabio Casati
Barbara Pernici
Jochem Vonk
B.1 Introduction	235	(1)
B.2 Process model definition	235	(6)
B.3 Information model definition	241	(4)
C Details Medical Insurance Application	245	(8)
Paul Eertink
Maurits Cieremans
C.1 Introduction	245	(1)
C.2 Information model definition	245	(1)
C.3 Workflow definition	246	(7)
D Details Short-Stay Surgery Application	253	(18)
Salvador Guillen
Len Winfield
D.1 Introduction	253	(1)
D.2 Triggers	254	(1)
D.3 Business transactions	254	(1)
D.4 Information models	255	(4)
D.5 Workflow definition	259	(12)
E WIDE Publications	271	(4)
E.1 Conference papers	271	(1)
E.2 Journal papers	272	(1)
E.3 Magazine papers	272	(1)
E.4 Technical reports	273	(1)
E.5 WIDE newsletters	273	(2)
Index	275