1Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

A Semantic Based Workflow A Semantic Based Workflow Management in a Virtual Management in a Virtual

Organization Organization

Yun-Heh (Jessica) Chen-BurgerYun-Heh (Jessica) Chen-Burger

AIAI, CISA, The University of EdinburghAIAI, CISA, The University of Edinburgh

e-Science Workflow Workshope-Science Workflow Workshop

Dec 3-5, 2003Dec 3-5, 2003

AIAI Commercial, AKT, CoAKTinG projectAIAI Commercial, AKT, CoAKTinG project

2Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Work AreasWork Areas

Visual and declarative BPM language: RACD, FBPMLVisual and declarative BPM language: RACD, FBPML Automatic modelling support Automatic modelling support

– Model creation and documentationModel creation and documentation

– Ontology based knowledge sharingOntology based knowledge sharing

– Analysis, critiquing and state-steppingAnalysis, critiquing and state-stepping

Workflow systemWorkflow system– Guided modelling activitiesGuided modelling activities

– Guided business operationGuided business operation

Visualisation aidsVisualisation aids– Process view, product view, agent status viewProcess view, product view, agent status view

– Process dependency view, information life cycle viewProcess dependency view, information life cycle view

Provides support for virtual organisationsProvides support for virtual organisations

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Knowledge Based Support Knowledge Based Support Framework for WorkflowFramework for Workflow

GUI ModelsFormal

Representation

ModelReuse

ModelTranslation

Verification,Validation

Critiquing –Within a modelAnd between

modelsand ontology

StateStepping

WorkflowSystem I

WorkflowSystem J

WorkflowSystem K

End User

Distributed Environment

Modellers

Agent J1

Agent J2

Broker

End User

Agent K1

Agent K2

KBST-EM

SemanticWeb Language

Publishing

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AKT Research Map and AKT Research Map and OntologyOntology

•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

5Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

The Three-Layered Business The Three-Layered Business Process Modelling ApproachProcess Modelling Approach

Application Layer

Logical Layer

System Layer

Goals and Policies

Operational Requirements

System Requirements

Organisation/Business/

GoalModel

Process/Data Model, Ontology

Library ofModules

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FBPML NotationFBPML Notation

(Looping enabled)

[Screen Shot of KBST-EM]

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FBPML Process Ontology FBPML Process Ontology SkeletonSkeleton

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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Action Types (selective)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)

9Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Additional PrimitivesAdditional 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.

10Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Process Model at the Sales Process Model at the Sales and Marketing Siteand Marketing Site

[Screen shot from KBST-EM]

11Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Process Model at the Process Model at the Technical SiteTechnical Site

[Screen shot from KBST-EM]

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Notation for OntologyNotation for Ontology

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Domain OntologyDomain Ontology

[Extended based on AKT Ontology, Compatible with INCA Ontology]

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Abstraction of Collaboration ArchitectureAbstraction of Collaboration ArchitectureIn the PC Configuration DomainIn the PC Configuration Domain

I-X Process Panel I-X Process Panel

BPM - 1

Edinburgh:Edinburgh:Costing SiteCosting Site

Aberdeen:Aberdeen:Tech. SiteTech. Site

User Req

INCA-FBPM Ontology

Constraint Ontology

Partial Domain Ontology (tech)

MappedOntology

Com P-1

BPM - 2

Com P-2

Com I-1 Com I-2CompSpec

KRAFTConstraint

Solver

ConceptMapping

Partial Domain Ontology (S&M)

Workflow

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Mapped to and Operated using IX

Process Panel

Web page and movie of live record: http://www.aktors.org/technologies/kraft-ix/

16Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

ExampleExample

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”).

17Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Example ProcessExample 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)) ] ).

18Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Internal View of WFEInternal View of WFE

External EventAnd Interactions

Process Agenda

dataProcess, Event

AndStatus

SystemStatePersistent Information

Storage

World State AwarenessOf Workflow Engine

IDEF Methods

WSFL

RAD

BSDM-BMProcess Execution

Think Workflow Engine

The User

Standardised Methods

PSL/PIF

Data Model and Ontology

ProcessModel

FBPMLFBPML-DL

FBPML Process Model

FBPML-DL

19Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Characteristics of FBPMLCharacteristics 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.

20Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Information GridInformation Grid

Knowledge GridKnowledge Grid

Computation/Data Grid

Computation/Data Grid

[Source: Richard Kenway]

Three layer grid abstractionThree layer grid abstraction

ControlData toKnowledge

21Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Information GridInformation Grid

Knowledge GridKnowledge Grid

Computation/Data Grid

Computation/Data Grid

Data toKnowledge

Virtual Workflow Machine:

Information/MessagePassing, Process

Execution

DeclarativeProcess Model

Realisation ofWorkflow

Transaction ofWorkflow

[adapted from Richard Kenway]

SemanticDescription

DataTransaction

Semantic Grid

Relating workflow to the Relating workflow to the three layered grid abstractionthree layered grid abstraction

22Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Workflow linking to SemanticWorkflow linking to SemanticWeb TechnologiesWeb 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

23Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Semantic Web Layer CakeSemantic Web Layer Cake

24Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

ebMS

DAML-S/OWL-S

ebBPSS

WS-CDL

[adapted from WS-CDL]

25Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Virtual Organisation with Virtual Organisation with Workflow SystemsWorkflow Systems

WorkflowSystem - 1

WorkflowSystem - 2

IntelligentAgent i

CostChecker

ProblemSolver k

Database m

IntelligentAgent - z

ProblemSolver x

ConstraintSolver w

Database

InternalBroker j

InternalBroker Y

(Sub-)Organisation A (Sub-)Organisation B

IndependentBroker Y

Other

Broker/

Agents …

SWL WrapperSWL Wrapper

26Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

Challenges and Issues for Standard Challenges and Issues for Standard Workflow LanguagesWorkflow 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

27Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

End of TalkEnd of Talk

Thank you for listeningThank you for listening

Yun-Heh Chen-BurgerYun-Heh Chen-Burger

AIAI, CISA, The University of EdinburghAIAI, CISA, The University of Edinburgh

Workflow Handbook 2003, WfMC. Workflow Handbook 2003, WfMC. Home page: Home page: http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicacPM: PM: http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jessicac/project/pc-configuration-model/top-level.htmlWF: WF: http://www.aktors.org/technologies/workflow/WF: WF: http://www.aktors.org/technologies/kraft-ix/