A Semantic Based Workflow
Management in a Virtual
Organization
Yun-Heh (Jessica) Chen-Burger
AIAI, CISA, The University of Edinburgh
e-Science Workflow Workshop
Dec 3-5, 2003
AIAI Commercial, AKT, CoAKTinG project
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Work Areas


Visual and declarative BPM language: RACD, FBPML
Automatic modelling support
– Model creation and documentation
– Ontology based knowledge sharing
– Analysis, critiquing and state-stepping

Workflow system
– Guided modelling activities
– Guided business operation

Visualisation aids
– Process view, product view, agent status view
– Process dependency view, information life cycle view

Provides support for virtual organisations
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Knowledge Based Support
Framework for Workflow
Model
Reuse
Model
Translation
Workflow
System I
Agent J1
Modellers
GUI
Models
Formal
Representation
Workflow
System J
Agent J2
End User
Broker
Semantic
Web Language
Publishing
Verification,
Validation
Critiquing –
Within a model
And between
models
and ontology
State
Stepping
Agent K1
Workflow
System K
Agent K2
End User
Distributed Environment
KBST-EM
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
AKT Research Map and
Ontology
•OWL Representation:
•http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicac/project/akt/akt-map-owl.xml
•http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicac/project/akt/akt-map-onto.xml
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
The Three-Layered Business
Process Modelling Approach
Goals and Policies
Operational Requirements
System Requirements
Application Layer
Logical Layer
System Layer
Organisation/
Business/
Goal
Model
Process/Data
Model, Ontology
Library of
Modules
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
FBPML Notation
(Looping enabled)
[Screen Shot of KBST-EM]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
FBPML Process Ontology
Skeleton

Nodes:
–
–
–
–

Primitive Activity
Activity
Role
Time Point
Junctions:
– And-junction
– Or-junction (inc. Xor-junction)

Links
– Precedence-Link
– Synchronisation-Bar

Action/Process Decomposition
– Task decomposition
– Alternative decomposition
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Action Types (selective)

Data manipulation actions
– Create(Instance|Attribute|Relation)
– Delete(Instance|Attribute|Relation)
– Update(Instance|Attribute|Relation)

Conditional actions
– Condition_action(Conditional_statement_list, Action_list)

User interfaces:
– Report(Title, Content)
– Read_user_input(Title, Input)
– Control of system operation (execution route)


Construct issues (INCA ontology based)
Communication with external agents/brokers
– Post_issue(Header, Issue_content), Receive_issue(Header, Issue_content)


Update_event_status(Event, Status)
Domain Functions
–
–
–
–
–
–
Update_cost_in_event(Event, Cost)
Update_solution_in_issue(Issue, Solution)
Update_solution_in_solution(Solution, Solution)
Store_customer_requirements(Requirement_content)
Calculate_total_cost(Solution, Cost)
Check_cost_constraint(Solution, Requirements, Cost, Result)
Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
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Additional Primitives




Time and its manipulation
Trigger
Event
Conditional statements
– Preconditions
– Postconditions

Life cycle
– Event life status and cycle
– Process life status and cycle

Each node has attributes, e.g.
– Process: Instance_Id, Process_type, Life_status,
Priority, Average_time_cost, Begin/End_time,
Service_Requester/Service_Provider, Trigger,
Preconditions, Actions, Postconditions.
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Process Model at the Sales
and Marketing Site
[Screen shot from KBST-EM]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Process Model at the
Technical Site
[Screen shot from KBST-EM]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Notation for Ontology
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Domain Ontology
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[Extended based on AKT Ontology, Compatible with INCA Ontolo
Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Abstraction of Collaboration Architecture
In the PC Configuration Domain
User
Req
Comp
Spec
Edinburgh:
Costing Site
Aberdeen:
Tech. Site
I-X Process Panel
I-X Process Panel
Com I-1
Com I-2
BPM - 2
BPM - 1
Workflow
Concept
Mapping
Com P-1
INCA-FBPM
Ontology
Partial Domain
Ontology (S&M)
Com P-2
Mapped
Ontology
KRAFT
Constraint
Solver
Constraint
Ontology
Partial Domain
Ontology (tech)
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Mapped to and
Operated using IX
Process Panel
Web page and movie of live record:
http://www.aktors.org/technologies/kraft-ix
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Example
start_junction( “Confirm Entering Clearing Process”).
process( “Confirm Entering Clearing Process”, Instance, ccs(X),
or(past_due_date(Student), not_successful(Student)),
update_status(Student, “clearing”)
).
link(“Confirm Entering Clearing Process”, “Execute Clearing Process”).
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Example Process
process(Instance, 'Receive Customer Request'/1, created, Priority,
_Begin_time/_End_time, 1,
(Requester/Requester_type, edinburgh/pc_specification),
[event_occ(Instance, customer_request_for_pc_specification,
received/_, Priority, _Begin/_End,
(Requester/Requester_type, _Provider/_Provider_type),
_Event_content) ],
[true],
[cond_action([not_exist(instance_of(Requester, customer))],
[create(instance_of(Requester, customer))] ),
create(instance_att(Requester, event, Instance)),
create(instance_of(Instance, event))
],
[exist(instance_of(Requester, customer)),
exist(instance_att(Requester, event, Instance)),
exist(instance_of(Instance, event)) ]
).
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Internal View of WFE
The User
External Event
And Interactions
Data Model
and Ontology
Process
Model
FBPML-DL
FBPML
FBPML Process Model
IDEF Methods
RAD
PSL/PIF
WSFL
Process Agenda
Process Execution
BSDM-BM
Think Workflow Engine
Standardised Methods
FBPML-DL
Persistent Information
Storage
data
Process, Event
And
Status
System
State
World State Awareness
Of Workflow Engine
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Characteristics of FBPML





Contains a process and data modelling languages,
including ontology
Provides an abstraction that is separated from the actual
implementation
Has precise execution semantics (that is grounded in data
semantics) that supports generations of a workflow virtual
machine at run time
Provides a visual presentation of the process model
Provides a visual presentation for the underlying Ontology
– visual data modelling languages may be ER, UML Data Diagram, etc)




Has a notion of time that may be synchronised
Suitable for a distributed environment
Can link to organisation/business/goal model
Provides a suitable foundation for automatic V&V (static,
simulation, within one model, between models), model
critiquing, inferencing (e.g. dependencies), confirming with
ontology, planning, scheduling, etc.
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Three layer grid abstraction
Knowledge Grid
Data to
Knowledge
Information Grid
Control
Computation/
Data Grid
[Source: Richard Kenway]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Relating workflow to the
three layered grid abstraction
Semantic Grid
Semantic
Description
Knowledge Grid
Data to
Knowledge
Declarative
Process Model
Virtual Workflow Machine:
Information/Message
Passing, Process Execution
Information Grid
Realisation of
Workflow
Data
Transaction
Computation/
Data Grid
Transaction of
Workflow
[adapted from Richard Kenway]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Workflow linking to Semantic
Web Technologies

FBPML-DL is mapped to OWL, including
– Ontology
– Domain model (data mode and instances)

FBPML is currently mapped to BPML/WSCI
and DAML-S

To develop semantic grid, wisdom may be
gained and lessons learned from experiences
made from semantic web development…
– Interoperability
– Loose coupling of heterogeneous systems that are
geographically disperse
– Collaboration to achieve common and individual goals
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Semantic Web Layer Cake
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
WS-CDL
ebBPSS
DAML-S/OWL-S
ebMS
[adapted from WS-CDL]
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Virtual Organisation with
Workflow Systems
Intelligent
Agent i
Problem
Solver k
Internal
Broker Y
Internal
Broker j
Constraint
Solver w
Workflow
System - 1
Workflow
System - 2
SWL Wrapper
SWL Wrapper
Cost
Checker
Database m
Independent
Broker Y
Other
Database
Broker/
(Sub-)Organisation A
Intelligent
Agent - z
Agents
…
Problem
Solver x
(Sub-)Organisation B
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Challenges and Issues for Standard
Workflow Languages





Many emerging WF standard languages are competing
Rapid evolution on semantic web languages
Many layers of semantic web languages
Standard WF languages often lack visual representation
Lack of semantic support for workflow operations
– Standard services ontology ?
– Standard process ontology ?



Lack of explicit representation and organisation of data
manipulated by processes
Lack of explicit representation of time and synchronisation of
processes in addition to the beginning and ending of a process
Lack of explicit support to operating context
– Lack of explicit representation and therefore transparent control of system
environment that are being altered by processes
– Lack of linking to organisation/role/capability model
– Lack of explicit linking to goal/business model

Lack of guidelines for producing good process model and rich
modelling examples
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
End of Talk
Thank you for listening
Yun-Heh Chen-Burger
AIAI, CISA, The University of Edinburgh
Workflow
Handbook 2003, WfMC.
Home page: http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicac
PM: http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicac/project/pc-configuration-model/toplevel.html
WF: http://www.aktors.org/technologies/workflow/
WF: http://www.aktors.org/technologies/kraft-ix/
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Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh