Development of mediator-based direct workflow simulation system and hla/rti-based collaborative BPMS middleware

Abstract

This thesis presents a $\It{mediator-based direct workflow simulation}$ method with which the future enactment services processes of a BPMS can be directly without any model conversion. The proposed method may easily be implemented on a commercial BPMS by plugging in a couple of software modules (no internal modification of the BPMS is required). Previous works on workflow simulation relied mostly on $\It{conversion methods}$ in which process definition models (PDMs) are converted to simulation models. Recent $\It{listener-based}$ direct workflow simulation requires some modification of both the BPMS and PDMs. Therefore, $\It{mediator}$ approach which is free of these shortcomings and suitable for workflow simulation involving multiple BPMSs is proposed in this thesis. The architecture and detailed logic of the proposed mediator are described as well-known formal DEVS models. The proposed workflow simulation method may be easily implemented to any WfMC-compliant BPMS. Also, this thesis presents a $\It{HLA/RTI-based BPMS middleware }$ that can handle all the requirements of workflow interoperability standard for collaborative BPMS. In this thesis, (1) a collaborative BPM scenario involving the three workflow interoperability models is modeled using BPMN (business process modeling notation), (2) a mediator-based $\It{collaborative BPMS framework}$ is proposed, and (3) a HLA/RTI-based BPMS middleware is designed and implemented. All components of the middleware are based on well-known standards: Business processes are modeled with BPMN (OMG standard), and software modules are implemented with WAPI functions (WfMC standard) and HLA/RTI functions (IEEE standard). Thus, the proposed BPMS middleware may be easily implemented and connected to a WfMC-compliant BPMS.