Woo-Jin Chung, Kwang-Hoon Kim, Journal of Internet Computing and Services, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 1-8, Jun. 2009
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Keywords: Workflow Engine, Determinacy Analysis, Mutually Interfering Activity

Abstract

The primary tasks of a workflow management system specify workflow models with respect to resource, control-flow, data-flow, functional, and operational perspectives, and to enact their workcases (workflow instances). In terms of enacting workflow models, the essential criterion grading the quality of the system is "how much is the system able to guarantee the correctness of workflow models' enactment?". Particularly, the workflow determinacy problem, which may be caused by the interference of the control-flow and the data-flow specifications, is the most challenging issue in guaranteeing the correctness of the system. We are able to solve the problem by either of the following two approaches-analysis of workflow model and verification of workflow enactment. In the paper, we propose a technique that guarantee the system's correctness through verifying workflow enactment. In other words, the technique is able to detect the conflicts of control-flow and data-flow enactments existing on a workflow model, which causes the system to be non-determinant in enacting workflow models. Finally, by applying the technique to the e-Chautauque workflow management system developed by the authors' research group, we prove that the technique is a feasible solution for the workflow determinacy problem.

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