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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 1

Overview
 Process Automation and the WfMC
 Standards
 Wf-XML
 Applications
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 2

Process Automation and the WfMC
David Hollingsworth
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 3

Agenda
 Workflow, Process Automation and business
integration considerations
 Background on the Workflow Management
Coalition
 Process Interoperability Models
 WfMC Standards & ongoing work
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 4

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)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 5

Process Automation
Overview
Process Business Process Analysis,
Designer Modelling & Definition Tools
Process Design
& Definition
Process
Definition
Process Execution
Process
changes
Administrator
/ Supervisor Workflow Management System
Distributed Infrastructure Environment
Work Application
Presentation Launch
Users Applications
& IT Tools
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 6

The Process Definition
1. Activity Network - Nodes & Transitions
A2
A1
A6
A3 A5 A8 A10 A11
A7
A4 A9
• Options for Sequential, Parallel & Conditional paths
2. Activity Definitions
• Resource Requirement
• Work Items
• Applications
3. Data Definitions
• Workflow Relevant Data
• (Application Specific Data)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 7

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.
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 8

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 9

Business Integration
Requirements
Process
Business Support
Systems Roles &
Responsibilities
Information Organisation
Access &
Ownership
Permissions
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 10

Wider Integration Issues
Process
Model
E-commerce Security
& Audit
Information Organisation
Model Model
Legacy Systems
Common Directory Distributed Systems
desktop Services Infrastructure
access WfMC, September 2000, Slide 11

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 12

WfMC Background
 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:
User S. America
Japan / Asia
Analyst / Consultant
US / Canada
Academic &
Research Europe
Vendor
Integrator/VAR
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 13

The Workflow Reference Model
Process
Definition Tools
Interface 1 Process Definition Import/Export
Interface 5 Other Workflow
Workflow Enactment Service
Enactment Service(s)
Administration
& Monitoring
Tools Workflow
Workflow
Engine(s)
Engine(s)
Interface 2 Interface 3 Interface 4
- Interoperability
Client Worklist Tool Agent
Apps Handler
Invoked Legacy,
Applications Desktop, etc
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 14

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 15

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)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 16

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 17

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 18

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)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 19

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 20

Distributing the Business Process
Definition Execution
Sub-Process C ? Organisation C
C Organisation A
Process A
B
export
Sub-Process B Organisation B
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 21

1. Sub-Process Interoperability Model
A2
A1 A5
A3 A4
B2
B1
B3
B4
C1 C2 C3 C4
WAPI Initiate
Sub-process
Workflow Enactment Service WAPI
#1 WAPI
Return Workflow Enactment Service
#2
Workflow Enactment Service
#3
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 22

2. Parallel Synchronised
Interoperability Model
Synchpoint across processes
A1 A2 A3 A4
B1 B2 B3 B4
C1 C2 C3 C4
• To support inter-process dependencies
• Uses Synch Event and optional Confirm
WAPI WAPI
Sync. Event
Workflow Enactment Service Workflow Enactment Service
#1 #2
optional
Confirm
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 23

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 24

The Supply Chain Process Model
Manufacturer Distributor
Place Receive Order Place
Order MRP Order Order DRP
2
QA Confirm Order Schedule Update Update
Order Acknowledgment Receipt Inventory DRP
Schedule Ship Order Advance Receive Ship Order
Shipment Shipment Notice Goods
5
Transport 4 Transport Advance 1 Replenishment
Request Confirmation Shipment Notice
Transportation Company
Request Confirm Receive Update Replenish
Vehicle Transport Goods Inventory Inventory Inventory
Determine Dispatch Release Prepare
International Truck Payment Payment
Order
Advance
Shipment Notice
Transportation Retailer A/P
Prepare Cross
Border
Documentation Company
International Documentation
3
Receive Update Ship Order
Order Inventory
Inventory Third Party
Warehouse Company
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 25

Specifications - Context Diagram
Process Definition
Resource Model Tool / Task Process Definition
Interface Interface
creates /
modifies
may
Organisational Model Process Definition
refer to
inherits
is instantiated by properties Audit Specifications
may
refer to
External create, Workflow create & maintain Process Instance
destroy
destroy
Process Instance audit
S/W object modify Manager History
trail
may use
Process & Activity may invoke provides
generates Workflow invocation
Control / Interoperability context
Interface Relevant Data
Workflow Enactment
Work Item
Service
Worklist
Handler I/F may Tool Agent
set
processed by
Application
Worklist Invocation I/F
Application
Handler may
presented invoke 1. Workflow Manager may be distributed, but is
for action by assumed to maintain consistent internal state
Participant 2. Scope of a Process Definition is the enactment service
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 26

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 27

Ongoing Work Areas
 Security
 Events & parallel synchronised interoperability
standards
 Multiple concurrency workflows (EDI batches)
 XML integration (process definition,
frameworks, data models, etc)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 28

Contacts & Further Information
http://www.wfmc.org
email: wfmc@wfmc.org
david.hollingsworth@icl.com
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 29

Process Integration
XML Standardization Initiatives
Mike Marin
FileNet
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 30

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 31

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 32

Classifying B2B Standards
 Transport level
 Vertical market vocabularies
 Specific functionality area
 Framework based
 Process based
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 33

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 34

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)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 35

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 36

Framework based
 Formalized exchange of XML content
 Examples
– BizTalk
– RosettaNet
– ICE
– ebXML
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 37

BizTalk
 Horizontally oriented
– Works with vertical market vocabularies that adhere to the
BizTalk conventions
 BizTalk framework is based on SOAP
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 38

RosettaNet
 Vertically oriented
– Information technology (IT) supply chain standardization
– Electronic components (EC) supply chain standardization
 Some process
– Predefined partner interface process (PIP)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 39

ICE
 Horizontally oriented
– Work with vertical market vocabularies
 Syndicator/Subscriber model
– Request/Response model
 No process concept
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 40

ebXML
 Horizontally oriented
– Based on a repository
 Goal is to create a single global electronic
market
 Compatible with EDI
 Some process concepts
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 41

Process based
 Business process oriented
– General workflow functionality is horizontal
 Example
– Wf-XML
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 42

Summary
 A crowded field
 Research your vertical market first
 Talk with the partners you intent to engage
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 43

Wf-XML Interoperability Standard
Marc-Thomas Schmidt
IBM UK, Business Integration Architecture
mts@uk.ibm.com
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 44

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 45

Wf-XML Scenario Illustrated
Requester Provider Requester
Provider
Do It
Done It
Query &
Control
Party A Party B Party C
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 46

Multi-Party Interactions
Party A Party B
Party C
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 47

Interaction Partner Checklist
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
Trading Partner Agreement
– Required business function, requested Quality of Service, ...
 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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 48

Trading Partner Agreements
Examples
Overall properties // Contract duration
Identification // Business partner info.
Communication properties // HTTP, SMTP, etc.
Security properties
// Authentication, non-repudiation
Roles // Buyer, seller, broker, etc.
Actions // Reserve, modify, etc.
Responsiveness // Timeout
Sequencing rules // Modify after reserve
Constraints // Modify before 6 p.m
Recourse actions // Refund, etc.
Error handling // Retries, actions invoked
Legal text // Penalty if unreachable
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 49

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 50

Wf-XML Resource Model
Observer
 Resources Create
– … are identified by URI-type keys Instance
– … provide a set of operations
 Process Definition Provide
Feedback
– Factory for service providers
 Process Instance
– Realises a workflow business service Control &
– Parametrised by workflow context Query
Context
data data
 Observer
– Represents service requester
Process
Definition
Process
Instance
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 51

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 52

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 53

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 54

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
closed
open
abnormalCompleted
notRunning
aborted
suspended
terminated
running
completed
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 55

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 56

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 57

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>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 58

CreateProcessInstance.Request
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”> Identifies process
<WfTransport/> definition
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/WfSrv?id=1199827</Key>
</WfMessageHeader> Request to create
<WfMessageBody> process instance
<CreateProcessInstance.Request StartImmediately =”true”>
<ObserverKey>http://www.Acme.com/wfx456</ObserverKey>
<ContextData>
<Computer>
<Type>thinkpad</Type> Observer to be
Context data for
<Series>600X</Series> notified of process
this process
<Option>DVD</Option> updates
instance
</Computer>
</ContextData>
</CreateProcessInstance.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 59

CreateProcessInstance.Response -
Success
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”> Identifies process
<WfTransport/> definition that
<WfMessageHeader> performed request
<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>
Identifier of newly
created process
instance
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 60

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>
Exception <Description>Can not create instance</Description>
information </Exception>
</CreateProcessInstance.Response>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 61

GetProcessInstanceData.Request
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/> Process Instance ID
<WfMessageHeader> (from previous
create request)
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody> Identifies context
<GetProcessInstanceData.Request> data we want to
know about
<ResultDataAttributes>
<Priority/>
</ResultDataAttributes>
</GetProcessInstanceData.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 62

GetProcessInstanceData.Response
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”>
<WfTransport/> Process Instance ID
<WfMessageHeader> we send the request
to
<Response/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key>
</WfMessageHeader>
<WfMessageBody> Returns only the
<GetProcessInstanceData.Response> properties we asked
for
<ResultDataAttributes>
<Priority>5</Priority>
</ResultDataAttributes>
</GetProcessInstanceData.Response>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 63

ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request
<?xml version=“1.0”?> Process Instance ID
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”> (from previous
<WfTransport/> create request)
<WfMessageHeader>
<Request ResponseRequired =”Yes”/>
<Key>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</Key> This is the state we
</WfMessageHeader> want the process
<WfMessageBody> instance to take on
<ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request>
<State>closed.abnormalCompleted.terminated</State>
</ChangeProcessInstanceState.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 64

ProcessInstanceStateChanged
Message
<?xml version=“1.0”?>
Observer ID
<WfMessage Version=“1.0”> (registered with
<WfTransport/> process instance
<WfMessageHeader> during create)
<Request ResponseRequired =”No”/>
<Key>http://www.Acme.com/wfx456</Key> Process Instance
</WfMessageHeader> that sends the
<WfMessageBody> notification
<ProcessInstanceStateChanged.Request>
<ProcessInstanceKey>http://www.compInc.com/pi42</ProcessInstanceKey>
<State>closed.abnormalCompleted.terminated</State>
<ResultData>
<Order>ACM00456</Order>
<Account>ACM-400-2460</Account> State of the
<Amount>150.00</Amount> process instance
Context data of
</ResultData> process instance
<LastModified>1999-12-25T15:10:35Z</LastModified>
</ProcessInstanceStateChanged.Request>
</WfMessageBody>
</WfMessage>
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 65

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 66

Summary
Michael zur Muehlen
University of Muenster
Department of Information Systems
ismizu@wi.uni-muenster.de
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 67

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 68

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 69

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 70

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 71

Execution Monitoring
 Currently: “push“ of coarse state change
information to observer
Process
Observer
Instance
 Future: Integration of fine grain monitoring data
over several involved parties
Process Process
Observer
Instance Instance
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 72

Example: Web-based Helpdesk
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 73

Observer for User Monitoring Data
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 74

Details of Cascaded Processes
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 75

Re-Querying of Process Context Data
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 76

Workflow Standards Timeline
Keith SWAP
Swenson IETF Standardization
et al. Initiative
WfMC
Reference WfMC (1998) SWAP
Model IF 4 V 1.0 Working Wf-XML
V 1.0
Group
WfMC
founded
WfMC
(1993) jointFlow IF 4 V 2.0
Working Group Interoperability
Challenge
OMG Resource Ass. Int. RFP
founded Process Modeling RFP
(1989) OMG OMG OMG
Object CORBA 2.0 Workflow
Management Specification Facility (8/98)
Architecture
1993
1989
1995
1999
2000
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 77

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
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 78

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)
WfMC, September 2000, Slide 79