Large-Scale Federated BPM / Workflow

Copyright 2009

Large-Scale Large-Scale Federated Federated BPM / WorkflowBPM / Workflow

Keith SwensonTechnical Committee Chairman WfMCVice President of R&D Fujitsu Computer Systems

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Overview

• Concept of Process Linking– Remote Subprocess Linking– Dynamic Linking– Recursive Linking

• Tie to Web 2.0

• Key Standards Required– Wf-XML– BPAF– Workcast

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Process Linking

• Sales Process (Contract Part)

Draft AproveLegal

ReviewClose

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Process Linking

• Sales Process on Server A

Draft AproveLegal

ReviewClose

ContractSpecialist

TortSpecialist

ExecAnalyst

Legal Review Process on Server B

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Process Linking

• Sales Process on Server A

Draft AproveLegal

ReviewClose

ContractSpecialist

TortSpecialist

ExecAnalyst

Legal Review Process on Server B

Standard Protocol between process engines allows oneprocess to reuse anotheracross technologies.

RemoteSubprocessInvocation

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Process Linking

Process on Server A

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Process Linking

Process on Server A

Sub-Process

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Dynamic & Recursive Process Linking

Process on Server A

Sub-Process

Sub-Sub-Process Sub-Process

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Consider BLOG Based Conversations

Keith’s Blog Sandy’s Blog Bruce’s BlogIndividual blog posts

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Conversation is Thread Through Entries

Keith’s Blog Sandy’s Blog Bruce’s Blog

conversation

thread

Individual blog posts

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Implications

• Each blog is on a different server

• References are made between server

• Conversation threads knit servers together.

• No security problem (each person guards their own servers and their own posts.)

• Cost of system born by poster

• Style of post controlled by poster

• Scalability: extremely huge!

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Distributed Federated Workflow / BPM

Accounting Server

DevelopmentServer

ManagementServer

Process Instances

subprocess

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Implications

• Process Fragements on different servers

• Process Linking knits servers together

• No security problem (people start process fragments only on own server)

• Cost of system born by people wanting and implementing a process fragment.

• Process definition controlled by owner

• Scalability: extremely huge!

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Workflow / BPM Reference Model

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Workflow / BPM Reference Model

BPMN

XPDL

SOAP

BPEL

REST

Wf-XMLBPAF

Workcast

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Design &Deploy

Workflow / BPM Reference Model

BPMN

XPDL

BPEL

StandardApplicationIntegration

SOAP

REST

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Workflow / BPM Reference Model

BPMN

XPDL

SOAP

BPEL

REST

Process Distribution & Federation

Wf-XMLBPAF

Workcast

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Large Scale Federated Workflow

BusinessProcess

IntelligenceWarehouse

BPMSServers

WorklistUsers

BPAFWf-XMLWorkCast

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Wf-XML for Process Linking

BPMSServers

Wf-XML

• Standardized Messages– SOAP or– REST

• State Model• Bidirectional

Context Data Interchange

• Cross Platform• Cross Technology

• Operations:– Create Instance

– Get Status

– Update Status

– Suspend

– Resume

– Notify

– Complete

– Terminate

• Collective– List Processes

– List Definitions

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Business Process Analytics Format

BusinessProcess

IntelligenceWarehouse

BPMSServers

BPAF

• Standardized Event Format– XML Syntax– Defined Attribute

Semantics

• Process State Model• Activity State Model• Transfer

– As a stream– On demand

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Workcast Protocol

BPMSServers

WorklistUsers

WorkCast

• Based on RSS & Atom Feed– Aggregates– Syndicates

• Extended with– Due Date– Priority– Activity State– Assignee– Etc.

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Consistent Global ID is critical: OpenID

BusinessProcess

IntelligenceWarehouse

BPMSServers

WorklistUsers

BPAFWf-XMLWorkCast

OpenID

OpenID

OpenID

OpenID

OpenID

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Delegation & Authentication: OAuth

BPMSServers

WorklistUsers

Wf-XML

OpenID

OpenID

OpenID

• Server1 access Server2 on user’s behalf

• OAuth protocol• Secure API

Authentication

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

BPM In Practice: A Primer for BPM & Workflow Standards

• Many of these concepts covered in this book from Keith Swenson and Robert Shapiro available at:

http://www.lulu.com/content/2244958

• See the related blog at:

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/books

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Large Scale Federated Workflow Summary

• Multiple Servers, Federated Processes• Process Linking (Wf-XML)• Collecting WorkItems (Workcast)• Collecting History (BPAF)• Consistent Identity (OpenID)• Security (OAuth)

• Scalability: Incredibly Huge!

BPAFWf-XMLWorkCast

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Process Thought Leadership