The document provides an overview of XPDL 2.0, a specification for defining business processes through XML. It covers the definition of XPDL, process interchange, BPMN integration, and various modeling elements such as activities, events, and gateways. Additionally, it discusses the future development of XPDL in response to BPMN advancements and outlines the support from various tools and vendors in the industry.

1. XPDL 2.0 Tutorial
Mike Marin
WfMC Technical Committee Vice Chairman (Americas)
Software Architect, FileNet Corporation

2. Agenda
• XPDL Definition
• Process Interchange
• BPMN Definition
• XPDL 2.0 Description
• Future
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3. XPDL Definition
• XML Process Definition Language (XPDL)
• A modeling language for Process Definition
• A Process Definition Meta-model
• WfMC Reference Model Interface 1 – Process definition
• Goals
• Process Definition Model interchange between tool
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4. The Process Definition
• Activity Network – Nodes & Transitions
• Sequential, Parallele, Conditional, and Message paths
• Activity Definitions • Arbitrarily complex graphs
• Resource Requirement • Sequential Activities
• Work Assignment • Parallel Activities
• Applications and Services • Loops / Cycles
• Conditional Paths
• Data Definitions
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5. Process Definition Interchange
• Common meta-model
• Allow tools to exchange models
• Type of tools
• Simulation tools
• Monitoring tools
• Execution tools
• Modelling tools
• Repository tools
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6. Meta-Model
BPMN XPDL
Framew ork
Common Objects, Attributes, Semantics, and Usage
Vendor Internal Vendor Internal Vendor Internal
Import / Export Layer Import / Export Layer Import / Export Layer
XPDL
Simulation Engine Execution Engine Monitoring Engine
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7. An Example of Standards Utilization
• Today more than 24 products support XPDL
• See www.wfmc.org for details
Process
Modeling Analysis,
Sketchpad
Reporting and
BPMN
Work Monitoring
Process
Processing XPDL
Designer
XPDL
Simulation XPDL
Controller
Animator
Engine
XML Log
Events
Process Analytics
Execution OLAP
Performance
Management
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8. XPDL 2.0 Purpose
• A persistent format for BPMN
• XPDL provides an XML file format
• BPMN provides a graphical notation
• Back compatible with XPDL 1.0
• XPDL and BPMN address the same modeling space
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9. BPMN
• Graphical Business Notation to
• Describe processes
• Describe interaction between processes
• Business Process Modeling notation (BPMN)
• Object Management Group (OMG)
• Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) group
• Design to be used by business analysts
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10. Core Set of Diagram Elements
The core set of modeling
elements enable the easy
development simple
Business Process
Diagrams that will look
familiar to most Business
Analysts (a flowchart
diagram)
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11. Swimlanes
A Pool is a “swimlane” and
a graphical container for
partitioning a set of
activities from other Pools,
usually in the context of
B2B situations.
A Lane is a sub-partition
within a Pool and will extend
the entire length of the Pool,
either vertically or
horizontally.
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12. Events
An Event is something that
“happens” during the course
of a business process. These
Events affect the flow of the
Process and usually have a
trigger or a result. They can
start, interrupt, or end the
flow.
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13. Activities
An activity is work that is
performed within a
business process. An
activity can be atomic or
non-atomic (compound).
The types of activities that
are a part of a Process
Model are: Process, Sub-
Process, and Task.
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14. Activities
A Sub-Process can be in
an expanded form that
shows the process details
of the a lower-level set of
activities.
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15. Connections
•A Sequence Flow is used to show the order that activities will be
performed in a Process.
•A Message Flow is used to show the flow of messages between
two entities that are prepared to send and receive them.
•An Association is used to associate information and artifacts with
flow objects.
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16. Gateways
Gateways are modeling
elements that are used to
control how Sequence
Flows interact as they
converge and diverge within
a Process. If the flow does
not need to be controlled,
then a Gateway is not
needed.
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17. Artifacts
Data Objects are not flow objects (i.e., connected
through Sequence Flow), but they do provide
information about how documents, data, and
other objects are used and updated within a
Process.
Text Annotations are a mechanism for a modeler
to provide additional information for the reader of
a BPMN diagram.
Groups provide a mechanism to visually organize
activities
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18. BPMN Example
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19. XPDL – BPMN Marriage
• BPMN
• Graphical notation
• No file format
• XPDL
• XML file format
• No graphics
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20. Sketchpad for BPMN
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21. New Elements in XPDL 2.0 from BPMN
• Pools and lanes
• used to define participants and roles
• Message flows
• used for communication between processes
• Associations and Artifacts
• used to document the process definitions
• Graphic information for each entity
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22. Package Meta-Model
ExternalPackage
Package
0..1 0..1
[Business
MessageFlow Process Diagram
(BPD)]
Association 0..1 0..1
target source
source * *
target
* Type
target Pool Data Field
Declaration
source
0..1 * *
Artifact Participant Application
*
Process
* *
(W. Process)
Lane
0..1
source
target W. Relevant
source Activity
target Data
Data Object Resource System and
Repository or environmental data
Organizational
Model
Group
Annotation
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23. Process Meta-Model Process
(W. Process)
Type
Declaration
Data Field ActivitySet
(Property) (Embedded Sub-Process)
Application
uses
performer
Reference
uses Participant performer Activity to Transition
(Sequence Flow)
from
uses
uses
Pool Lane Task/Tool BlockActivity
W. Relevant
Route SubFlow
Data
Resource
Repository or
System and Organizational
Model Gateway Event
environmental data
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24. Tool and Vendor Information
• Each tool can add tool specifics
• Graphical information
• Extensions
<xsd:element name="VendorExtension">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:any namespace="##other" processContents="lax"/>
</xsd:sequence>
<xsd:attribute name="ToolId" type="xsd:string" use="required"/>
<xsd:attribute name="schemaLocation" type="xsd:anyURI" use="required"/>
<xsd:attribute name="extensionDescription" type="xsd:anyURI"
use="optional"/>
<xsd:anyAttribute namespace="##other" processContents="lax"/>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
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25. Tool Specific Graphical Information
• Each tool adds its own graphical information
• Same XPDL can be displayed different by different
tools
Tool A Tool B Tool C
XPDL
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26. Example
<Activity Id="31" Name="">
<Route GatewayType="AND" MarkerVisible="true"/>
<TransitionRestrictions>
<TransitionRestriction>
<Join Type="AND"/>
</TransitionRestriction>
</TransitionRestrictions>
<NodeGraphicsInfos>
<NodeGraphicsInfo ToolId="ToolA" Width="41.0" Height="41.0">
<Coordinates XCoordinate="10" YCoordinate="75"/>
</NodeGraphicsInfo>
<NodeGraphicsInfo ToolId="ToolB" Page="1" Width="890">
<Coordinates XCoordinate="23" YCoordinate="12"/>
</NodeGraphicsInfo>
<NodeGraphicsInfo ToolId="ToolC" Width="25" Height="34" Shape="Round">
<Coordinates XCoordinate="1078" YCoordinate="230"/>
</NodeGraphicsInfo>
</NodeGraphicsInfos>
</Activity>
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27. Extended Elements and Attributes
• XPDL schema is extensible
• Allows vendors to extend XPDL
• Adds arbitrary XML in a well defined manner
• Anonymous and namespace qualified extensions
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28. Future
• XPDL
• WfMC will continue to maintain XPDL
• Will update based on
• BPMN evolution
• Implementers comments
• BPMN
• BPMI has become part of OMG
• BPMN will be further developed within OMG.
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29. Contacts & Further Information
http://www.wfmc.org
email: wfmc@wfmc.org
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