Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

System Support for Intranet-Based Workflow Processing

  • Chapter
Enterprise Information Systems

  • 143 Accesses

Abstract

Recently, middleware based on CORBA and Java has gained major importance for practical applications. This paper presents a higher-level middleware approach for supporting workflow management in an Intranet with a specific emphasis on distribution and security. The concepts are based on objects that encapsulate resources and basic business processes. They are accessible via CORBA interfaces. As opposed to more conventional workflow approaches, control is fully decentralised, and existing objects and resources can easily be integrated. The implementation is based on Orbix and is illustrated by concrete examples. Moreover, a security platform is described that provides basic security characteristics such as encryption or integrity for these applications. Its particular feature, however, is that varying security interests of heterogeneous partners can be specified and semi-automatically negotiated. This can be useful in large workflow applications as addressed by our platform, but also in electronic commerce systems and various other scenarios.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alonso, G., Agrawal, D., El Abbadi, A., Mohan, C. Functionalities and Limitations of Current Workflow Management Systems, 1997, http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/exotica/exotica

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alonso, G.; Mohan, C; Günthör, R.: Exotica/FMQM: A Persistent Message Based Architecture for Distributed Workflow Management. Proc. IFIP Working Conf. On Info Sys. For Decentralized Organizations, Trondheim, Sept. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  3. Artsy, Y.: Routing Objects on Action Paths; IEEE Int. Conf. on Distributed Computing Systems, Paris, 1990, pp. 572–579

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bussler, C.; Jablonski, S.: An Approach to Integrate Workflow Modeling and Organization Modeling in an Enterprise. Proc. Of 3rd IEEE Workshop on Enabling Techn.: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprise, pp. 81–95, Morgantown 1994

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bussler, C.; Jablonski, S.: Scalability and Extensibility through Modularity: Architecture of the MOBILE Workflow Management System. In. Proc. Of the 5th Workshop on Inf. Techn. And Systems, pp.98–107, Amsterdam, Dec. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bußler, C.: User Mobility in Workflow-Management-Systems. In: Proc. Of the Telecommunication Inf. Networking Architecture Conf. (TINA’95), Melbourne, Feb. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  7. Casati, F.; Ceri, S.; Pernici, B.; Pozzi, G.: Workflow Evolution. Presentation at ER’96, Cottbus, Germany, Oct. 1996

    Google Scholar 

  8. Das, S.: A Reliable Distributed CORBA-based Workflow Enactment System for METEOR_2”, Technical Report #UGA-CS-TR-97–001, Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, February 1997

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hammainen, H., Eloranta, E., Alasuvanto, J.: Distributed Form Management; ACM Transactions on Information Systems, Vol. 8, No. 1, Jan. 1990, pp. 50–76

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hennessy, P., Kreifelts, T., Ehrlich, U.: Distributed Work Management: Activity Coordination within the EuroCoOp Project; Computer Communications, Vol. 15, No. 8, Oct. 1992, pp. 477–488

    Google Scholar 

  11. IONA: Orbix—Distributed Object Technology, Programmer’s Guide.—Dublin, IONA Techn.Ltd.1997

    Google Scholar 

  12. ODP Trading Function, Part 1; Specification ISO/IEC IS 13235–1, ITU/T Draft Rec X950 – 1, (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Jablonski, S.: MOBILE: A Modular Workflow Management Model and Architecture; Proc. Int. Working Conf. on Dynamic Modeling and Information Systems, Nordwijkerhout, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  14. Krishnakumar, N.; Sheth, A.: Specification of Workflows with Heterogeneous Tasks in METEOR. Bellcore technical Memorandum TM-24198, May 1994

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leymann, F.; Roller, D.: Workflow-based applications; IBM Systems Journal. Vol 36 (1997), No. 1—Application Development, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mohan, C.; Alonso, G.; Günthör, R.; Karnath, M.; Reinwald, B.: An Overview of the Exotica Research Project on Workflow Management Systems. Proc. 6th Int’l. Workshop on High Transaction Systems, Asilomar, Sept. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mittasch, Ch.; König, W.; Funke, R.: Trader supported Distributed Office Applications. International Conference on Distributed Platforms, Dresden, 1996, In: Schill, et. al. (Eds.): Distributed Plattforms Conf. Proceedings, pp. 230–244, 1996

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Mohan, C. Recent Trends in Workflow Management Products, Standards and Research, To appear in Proc. NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on Workflow Management Systems and Interoperability, Istanbul, August 1997, Springer Verlag, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Miller, J.A.; Sheth, A.P.; Kochut, K.J.; Wang, X.: CORBA-Based Runtime Architectures for Workflow Management Systems. Journal of Database Management, Special Issue on Multidatabases, vol. 7 (1996), No. 1, pp. 16–27

    Google Scholar 

  20. J. Miller, A. Sheth, K. Kochut, and D. Palaniswami, „The Future of Web-Based Workflows,” Proc. Of the Int. Workshop on Research Directions in Process Technology, Nancy, France, July 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Oberweis, A.: Workflow Management in Software Engineering Projects. In: Proc. Of the 2<sup>nd<sup> Int. Conf. On Concurrent Eng. And Elt. Design Automation, Bownemouth, UK, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  22. OMG: CORBAservices: Common Object Services Spec. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  23. OMG: Workflow Management Facility, RfP, May, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  24. OMG Business Object Domain Task Force: Workflow Management Facility Submission jFlow, Nov,1997

    Google Scholar 

  25. OMG Business Object Domain Task Force: Workflow Management Facility Submission Nortel, Aug. 97

    Google Scholar 

  26. OMG Business Object Domain Task Force:Common Business Objects. Version 1.3, Nov., 97

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ott, M.; Nastansky, L.: Modelling Organizational Forms of Virtual Enterprises. In: Griese, J.; Sieber, P. (Eds.): VoNet, The Newsletter Institute of Information Systems Department of Information Management University of Berne, Vol. 1, No. 4, September 1, 1997, pp. 20–39.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schill, A., Gütter, D.: Extending Group Communication Facilities to Support Complex Distributed Office Procedures; Int. Journal of Intelligent and Cooperative Information Systems, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1994, pp. 203–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sheth, A.: From Contemporary Workflow Process Automation to Adaptive and Dynamic Work Activity Coordination and Collaboration. Workshop on Workflows in Scientific and Engineering Applications. Toulouse, France, September 1997

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sheth, A.: The METEOR Workflow Management System and its Use in Prototyping Significant Healthcare Applications, Proceedings of the „Towards An Electronic Patient Record (TEPR’97)“Conference, April-May 1997, Nashville

    Google Scholar 

  31. Workflow Management Coalition: WfMC Spec. Terminology and Glossary. Docu. No WFMC-TC-1011, Issue 2.0, June 1996

    Google Scholar 

  32. Workflow Management Coalition: The Workflow Reference Model. TC00–1003, issue 1.1, Nov. 94

    Google Scholar 

  33. Workflow Management Coalition: Interface 1, Workflow Process Definition Read/Write Interface: RfC,. WFMC-WG01–1000, Feb 1995

    Google Scholar 

  34. Workflow Management Coalition, Interface 4—Interoperability—Abstract Specification, WFMC-TC-1012, issue 1.0, Oct. 96

    Google Scholar 

  35. Siemens-Nixdorf: WorkParty Documentation, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  36. Weske, M.; Vossen, G.; Bauzer Medeiros, C.: Scientific Workflow Management: WASA Architecture and Applications. Fachbericht 03/96-I, Universität Münster, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  37. Wodtke, D.; Weissenfeis, J.; Weikum, G.; Kotz Dittrich, A.: The Mentor Project: Steps Towards Enterprise-Wide Workflow Management.—ICDE’96, New Orleans 1996

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fakultät Informatik, TU Dresden, D-01062, Dresden, Germany

    Alexander Schill & Christian Mittasch

Authors
  1. Alexander Schill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christian Mittasch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Polytechnical Institute, School of Technology, Setubal, Portugal

    Joaquim Filipe

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Schill, A., Mittasch, C. (2000). System Support for Intranet-Based Workflow Processing. In: Filipe, J. (eds) Enterprise Information Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9518-6_25

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9518-6_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5425-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9518-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation