工作流参考模型

WFMC在工作流的相关规范和标准方面做出的主要贡献之一就是提出了一个工作流参考模型(Workflow Reference Model)。工作流参考模型来源于对普通工作流程序结构的分析,确定结构中的接口,这些接口可以使不同产品在不同的结构层次上协同工作。所有工作流系统都包含一系列的公共组件,组件间采用一套被定义好的方法进行协作;不同的产品在这些公共的组件中,会表现出不同的处理能力。为了实现不同工作流产品间的协同工作,需要在这些组件间制定一套标准的接口和数据交换格式。通过实现这些标准接口,可以达到产品间的协同工作。

        我们先来看看下图,看看WFMC的参考模型:

         Workflow_reference_model

          下面我们来挨个解释下每个接口的具体作用吧:

          1、接口1:

          在建模或定义工具与运行时期工作流管理软件间的接口。

         2、接口2:

          该接口,提供客户端应用程序与工作流引擎之间的通信API 。

          3、接口3:

          该接口是工作流引擎与其他应用程序之间通信的API。

          4、接口4:

          通过工作流与工作流之间的通信API,是实现分布式工作流管理系统的核心API。

          5、接口5:

          该工具提供了对工作流引擎的当前状态及运行在该引擎下的实例的监管和管理的接口。

          我们再来看看上面相关工具的作用吧:

         流程定义工具 :

          就是提供一种方便的使用的,并且能够被计算机识别的过程定义,目前我们使用较广泛的是通过图形化的工具来完成WF的过程定义。最后输出一个XPDL文件。XPDL(XML Process Definition Language)是由Workflow Management Coalition所提出的一个标准化规格,使用XML文件让不同的工作流程软件能够交换商业流程定义。

          管理监控工具:

          对工作流在整个组织内的流程情况进行监控,并提供一系列管理功能,实现安全性、过程控制、授权等操作。典型的功能范围包括用户管理、角色管理、监控管理、资源管理、过程监控管理。具体如:过程模型的实例化,启动、挂起、恢复、终止过程实例;管理正在执行的过程实例等。

          工作流执行服务:

          由一个或多个工作流引擎组成,提供过程实例的执行,为活动进行导航,与外界资源交互完成各项活动,维护控制数据和相关数据等功能。

                    下图是工作流服务的整个流程:

                    image

 

 

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1. Introduction 1.1. Background Work Flow Management is a fast evolving technology which is increasingly being exploited by businesses in a variety of industries. Its primary characteristic is the automation of processes involving combinations of human and machine-based activities, particularly those involving interaction with IT applications and tools. Although its most prevalent use is within the office environment in staff intensive operations such as insurance, banking, legal and general administration, etc, it is also applicable to some classes of industrial and manufacturing applications . Many software vendors have WFM products available today which involve WFM technology and there is a continual introduction of more products into the market. The availability of a wide range of products within the market has allowed individual product vendors to focus on particular functional capabilities and users have adopted particular products to meet specific application needs. However, there are, as yet, no standards defined to enable different WFM products to work together, which is resulting in incompatible "islands" of process automation. The WFM Coalition is a grouping of companies who have joined together to address the above situation. It has been recognised that all work flow management products have some common characteristics, enabling them potentially to achieve a level of interoperability through the use of common standards for various functions. The WFM Coalition has been established to identify these functional areas and develop appropriate specifications for implementation in workflow products. It is intended that such specifications will enable interoperability between heterogeneous workflow products and improved integration of workflow applications with other IT services such as electronic mail and document management, thereby improving the opportunities for the effective use of workflow technology within the IT market, to the benefit of both vendors and users of such technology. 1.2. Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide a framework to support the development of the various specifications described above. It provides a common "Reference Model" for workflow management systems identifying their characteristics, terminology and components, enabling the individual specifications to be developed within the context of an overall model for workflow systems. The detailed specifications will be developed as separate documents. 1.3. Scope This document covers the concepts, terminology, general structure of a workflow management system, its major functional components and the interfaces and information interchange flows between them. It identifies the areas appropriate for standardisation and illustrates the potential interoperability scenarios which may be supported through the use of common standards. It also discusses, where appropriate, the applicability of existing standards to workflow management systems and their integration with other standard IT services. It does not cover wider aspects of business process engineering which lie outside the use of information technology to support the business process. 1.4. Audience The intended audience of this document is the work flow coalition membership as well as others that are interested in the efforts of the coalition and wish to understand the top level technical architecture which underpins the work of the Coalition. The document is intended for a moderately technical audience but extensive prior knowledge of workflow systems is not assumed. 1.5. How to read this document Chapter 2 provides a general introduction to the concepts of workflow systems technology, its evolution, the business context and background on the types of systems which may incorporate this type of technology. If you are unfamiliar with workflow technology you should start here; if you are already familiar with workflow management systems, consider starting at Chapter 3. Chapter 3 discuses the internal structure of workflow systems, the major functional components and the nature of their interactions. It introduces the top level architecture and identifies the various interfaces which may be used to support interoperability between different system components and integration with other major IT infrastructure components. Chapter 4 provides a general overview of the workflow application programme interface (WAPI), comments on the necessary protocol support for open interworking and discusses the principles of conformance to the specifications. It identifies those aspects of the specifications which are required to support various classes of interoperability. The detailed WAPI specifications are published as separate specification documents (see cross references below).

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