Using process algebra to control the execution of business processes

ABSTRACT

Integrating information systems with tools that manage workflows and business processes is not always a simple task. This difficulty becomes more accentuated when the execution control assumes countless business processes.

This work presents an alternative to control the execution of business processes. This alternative consists in a library of functions, called NavigationPlanTool, which can be easily integrated into the information systems and uses Navigation Plan Definition Language (NPDL) as the language to define business processes. NPDL is a language for business processes specification that uses process algebra as formal foundation. The NavigationPlanTool implements NPDL language as a SQL extension and offers two other important services: processes instantiation and process instances execution monitor. The NavigationPlanTool combines the process algebra features with a relational database model to provide a scalable and reliable control in the execution of business processes.

REFERENCES

• 1: Kelly Rosa Braghetto , João Eduardo Ferreira , Calton Pu, Using control-flow patterns for specifying business processes in cooperative environments, Proceedings of the 2007 ACM symposium on Applied computing, March 11-15, 2007, Seoul, Korea [doi>10.1145/1244002.1244270]
• 2: Joao Eduardo Ferreira , Osvaldo K. Takai , Kelly R. Braghetto , Calton Pu, Large Scale Order Processing through Navigation Plan Concept, Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Services Computing, p.297-300, September 18-22, 2006 [doi>10.1109/SCC.2006.62]
• 3: Wan Fokkink , W. Brauer , G. Rozenberg , A. Salomaa, Introduction to Process Algebra, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Secaucus, NJ, 2000
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.1 Office Automation
          Subjects: Workflow management

Additional Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.4 MATHEMATICAL LOGIC AND FORMAL LANGUAGES
      F.4.m Miscellaneous

Keywords:
business process management, process algebra, workflows