Method for generating compatible partner processes in BPEL

• US 20070174822A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martens, Axel, Moser, Simon, Haebich, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/31 Programming languages or programming paradigms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The present invention relates to a Workflow Management System or a computer system with comparable functionality (WFMS). More particularly the invention relates to a method or means for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other. In order to provide a method for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, which is easier understandable for a process developer, it is proposed to perform the steps of:

• Step 1: Identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process,
• Step 2: Determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by the business process language, e.g. BPEL,
• Step 2.1: If yes, generating the mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name,
• Step 2.1: If not, using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting such an activity that into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored,
• Step 2.2.1: Generating a respective mirrored sub-activity and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity,
• Step 2.2.2: Arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

Claims

1. A method for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other, comprising the steps of:

identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process;

automatically determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by a business process language, and, in the event that said activity is able to be mirrored by said mechanism supported by said business process language, generating a mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name, and otherwise using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting said activity into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored, thus generating respective mirrored sub-activities, and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity; and

arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein BPEL is used as said business process language, and wherein the determining step for BPEL-specific activities Invoke, Pick, Flow and Sequence is run through directly by mirroring said activities into respective mirrored activities without using said mathematical method.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a process workflow is expressed by a hierarchical tree-like structure, and the capability of a markup language is used to map said tree-like structures into a specific format of said markup language.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the number of potential combinations of sub-activities by applying knowledge of the structure of the workflow of the original process.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using a mapping vocabulary for mapping the name of an activity of the original process to a name of the respective mirrored activity of the partner process.

6. A system including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other, said program code comprising:

program code for identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process;

program code for automatically determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by a business process language, and, in the event that said activity is able to be mirrored by said mechanism supported by said business process language, generating a mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name, and otherwise using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting said activity into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored, thus generating respective mirrored sub-activities, and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity; and

program code for arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein BPEL is used as said business process language, and wherein the determining for BPEL-specific activities Invoke, Pick, Flow and Sequence is run through directly by mirroring said activities into respective mirrored activities without using said mathematical method.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein a process workflow is expressed by a hierarchical tree-like structure, and the capability of a markup language is used to map said tree-like structures into a specific format of said markup language.

9. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other, said program code comprising:

program code for identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process;

program code for automatically determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by a business process language, and, in the event that said activity is able to be mirrored by said mechanism supported by said business process language, generating a mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name, and otherwise using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting said activity into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored, thus generating respective mirrored sub-activities, and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity; and

program code for arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein BPEL is used as said business process language, and wherein the determining for BPEL-specific activities Invoke, Pick, Flow and Sequence is run through directly by mirroring said activities into respective mirrored activities without using said mathematical method.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein a process workflow is expressed by a hierarchical tree-like structure, and the capability of a markup language is used to map said tree-like structures into a specific format of said markup language.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal having program code stored thereon for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other, said program code comprising:

program code for identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process;

program code for automatically determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by a business process language, and, in the event that said activity is able to be mirrored by said mechanism supported by said business process language, generating a mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name, and otherwise using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting said activity into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored, thus generating respective mirrored sub-activities, and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity; and

program code for arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

13. The computer data signal according to claim 12, wherein BPEL is used as said business process language, and wherein the determining for BPEL-specific activities Invoke, Pick, Flow and Sequence is run through directly by mirroring said activities into respective mirrored activities without using said mathematical method.

14. The computer data signal according to claim 13, wherein a process workflow is expressed by a hierarchical tree-like structure, and the capability of a markup language is used to map said tree-like structures into a specific format of said markup language.

15. A system for generating a runtime compliant partner process for a given original process, wherein both processes are dedicated to interact with each other, comprising:

means for identifying all activities of the original process interacting with the partner process;

means for automatically determining if an activity is able to be mirrored by a mechanism supported by a business process language, and, in the event that said activity is able to be mirrored by said mechanism supported by said business process language, generating a mirrored activity and creating a respective activity name, and otherwise using a predetermined mathematical method for dissecting said activity into a set of sub-activities, which can be mirrored, thus generating respective mirrored sub-activities, and creating a respective activity name for each sub-activity; and

means for arranging the mirrored sub-activities according to the outcome of the predetermined mathematical method.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein BPEL is used as said business process language, and wherein the determining for BPEL-specific activities Invoke, Pick, Flow and Sequence is run through directly by mirroring said activities into respective mirrored activities without using said mathematical method.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein a process workflow is expressed by a hierarchical tree-like structure, and the capability of a markup language is used to map said tree-like structures into a specific format of said markup language.