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Understanding Wf-XML and Its Impact on Your Business

Learn about the Wf-XML application specification and how it enables communication between different workflow applications. Discover the development process, XML design goals, and the implications for your business.

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Understanding Wf-XML and Its Impact on Your Business

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  1. What is Wf-XML and What does it Mean to Your Business? A presentation to: The U. S. FEDERAL CIO COUNSEL’S XML WORKING GROUP 16 AUGUST, 2000 Joseph J. Rogowski JCALS Advanced Concepts Office Cliff Alligood Computer Sciences Corp.

  2. Overview • JCALS Demo • Article Published by IEEE • Wf-XML Introduction • Wf-XML Development Process • What is XML? • XML Design Goals • What the XML Specification Does • What is Wf-XML? • Wf-XML Revisions and Direction • Wf-XML Business implications

  3. Workflow Interoperability Standards for the Internet May/June 2000 • Written by WfMC members: • Jim Hayes, CSC • Effat Peyrovian, (Formerly with JCALS), ECC Consulting • Sunil Sarin, TIBCO Software • Marc-Thomas Schmidt, IBM UK Ltd. • Keith D. Swenson, MS2 Inc • Rainer Weber, SAP AG

  4. Wf-XML Development Process • Part of WfMC Working Group 4 • Consensus based – industry involvement • Participants use WfMC list server • Telephone technical conferences • E-Mail between members • MS Access database to track and resolve comments • Status presentations at WfMC meetings • WfMC members vote on key issues raised and approve • Wf-XML versions for release • Current Version is Version 1.0 dated May 8, 2000 • Available on web WfMC page for industry comment • JCALS and CSC are the coordinating editors

  5. What is XML? • eXtensible Markup Language =XML • Evolved from SGML Editorial Review Board under the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) • SGML Specification - 155 pages, circa 1986 • SGML - Document Oriented • Developed under the XML Special Interest Group • XML Specification - 32 pages, Version 1.0, 1998 • XML- Data Exchange Oriented

  6. XML Design Goals • XML Shall: • Be straightforwardly useable over the Internet. • Support a wide variety of applications. • Compatible with SGML • Be easy to create • XML documents should: • Be human-legible and reasonably clear. • Be prepared quickly • It shall be easy to write programs which process XML documents. • The number of optional features in XML should be kept to a minimum, ideally zero. • The design of XML shall be formal and concise. • Terseness in XML markup is of minimal importance.

  7. What the XML Specification Does • Prescribes the syntax for tagging documents. • Defines the behavior of a software module called the XML processor. • Prescribes how XML data is read. • Prescribes the information the XML processor must pass to the application.

  8. What is Wf-XML? • Is an application specification designed to define how the XML language is used to communicate workflow related processes and data between different workflow applications. • Is derived from the Simple Workflow Access Protocol (SWAP) which had it’s origin in early WfMC work. • Uses the WfMC abstract specification that defines what needs to pass between workflows. • Specifies how to use the XML language to make it happen.

  9. Interoperability Abstract • Defined by Workflow Reference Model • Specifies models of interoperability: chained, nested and parallel synchronized • Describes basic interfaces and functions required for interoperability, as well as event data for audit trail

  10. Wf-XML Version 1.0 • Rapid Approval - Introduced to WfMC in April 1999 • De-scoped and Simplified to Foster Rapid Adoption • Provides a Subset of Functionality Specified in the Abstract Specification • Supports Chained and Nested Models, Synchronous or Asynchronous Over Any Transport • Contains Only Four Basic Operations

  11. Wf-XML Specifics • Request - Response Model • Message Structure: Transport, Header, Body • Operations: • CreateProcessInstance • GetProcessInstanceData • ChangeProcessInstanceState • ProcessInstanceStateChanged • Context-specific Application Data • Also - Provides a Framework for Making Necessary Business Agreements

  12. Example Request <?xml version="1.0"?> <WfMessage Version=”1.0”> <WfMessageHeader> <Request ResponseRequired=”Yes”/> <Key>http://www.XYZcompany.com/wfprocess/foo</Key> </WfMessageHeader> <WfMessageBody> <CreateProcessInstance.Request StartImmediately=”true”> <ObserverKey>http://www.ABCcompany.com/wfprocessor</ObserverKey> <ContextData> <Vehicle> <VehicleType>Car</VehicleType> <Specification> <Manufacturer>Mercedes</Manufacturer> <Model>450SL</Model> </Specification> </Vehicle> <Customer>John Doe</Customer> </ContextData> </CreateProcessInstance.Request> </WfMessageBody> </WfMessage>

  13. Example Response <?xml version="1.0"?> <WfMessage Version=”1.0”> <WfMessageHeader> <Response/> <Key>http://www.XYZcompany.com/wfprocess/foo</Key> </WfMessageHeader> <WfMessageBody> <CreateProcessInstance.Response> <ProcessInstanceKey>http://ABCcompany.com/bar</ProcessInstanceKey> </CreateProcessInstance.Response> </WfMessageBody> </WfMessage>

  14. Real-World Application • Wf-XML predecessor (SWAP) prototyped at GD Electric Boat - Groton, Connecticut USA • JCALS Workflow Manager and IBM Flowmark demonstrated interoperability for the DARPA SHIIP Project • Existing JCALS SWAP module being used in Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA’s) 339 Exchange Project • JCALS Workflow Manager and Documetrix in production • Wf-XML version 1.0 being deployed at the U.S. Army’s CECOM • JCALS Workflow Manager and Auto-trol’s CENTRA 2000 will interoperate via Wf-XML

  15. Location 2 Location 1 CENTRA 2000 JCALS DMP JCALS Web Server Sun Enterprise 6000 Sun Enterprise 6000 JCALS DEC 7105 CentraWeb NSAPI Compaq 5500 Extension Windows NT 4 Solaris 2.6 Solaris 2.6 Windows NT 4 Netscape HTTPS Wf - Enterprise JCALS WSS XML Netscape Enterprise Server Sun Enterprise 6000 Server ATM Wf - LAN XML Solaris 2.6 Thick Thick Thick Thin Thick Thin Client Client Client Client Client Client XML Thin Thin Client Middleware Client Remote Sites Remote JCALS Sites CECOM PDM Integration

  16. Wf-XML Revisions and Direction • Addresses New Core Functionality Not Included in Version 1.0 • Enhanced Support for Asynchronous Processing • Includes Support for Batch Processing/Enveloping • Leverage and Coordinate with XML Industry Initiatives and Input

  17. Wf-XML Business Implications • Continued Interoperability during “Merger- Mania” • Preserves Existing WF Product Investments • Provides B2B Interoperable WF Functions • Not Rocket Science • Can Use Available XML Skills • Reduces Integration Costs • Automates an Essential Business Function

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