工作流系统过程建模与应用环境自动生成的研究
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摘要
工作流技术作为一个新兴的研究领域，广泛应用于生产制造、办公自动化、并行工程、电子政务等领域，是实现企业业务过程建模、优化、过程管理与集成，最终实现业务过程的自动化的核心技术。其对于推动企业的技术进步和信息产业的发展将起到举足轻重的作用。目前，国内的工作流产品市场还处于起步阶段，工作流管理系统实现的复杂性是其难以在企业中推广的一个重要原因。企业最终用户希望按照各自的需求灵活定制业务过程和应用环境，但由于工具的缺乏，实现起来十分困难。
本文受北京市自然科学基金委员会和北京市教育委员会的共同资助，重点研究工作流系统的过程建模及其应用环境自动生成的实现方法和关键技术。通过对该领域的研究，取得以下研究成果：
提出了“带有条件约束的有向图”的工作流过程模型。模型中引入“状态”信息，使模型的表达能力大大增强；模型中显式引入“消息”节点，以改进现有模型对消息传递描述不足的缺点。并且，开发了相应的过程建模工具WFDesigner，利用该工具，可实现过程模型的可视化建立。
提出利用“页面模板”对基于Web的工作流系统应用环境进行快速生成的方法。该方法将通过过程建模生成的过程定义中的相关信息与页面模板相“绑定”，即为每个活动生成一个或若干个与客户端进行交互的Web页面。依照该思想，自行设计、开发了一个应用环境可视化生成工具PageDesigner。
将“消息传递”引入基于Web的工作流系统中，并给出其原型系统。系统自动通过E-Mail传递任务推进的消息，以保证流程中的任务被及时处理，使工作流系统的运行更加顺畅。该系统基于B／S结构，客户端无需预先安装特殊的软件工具，仅通过IE浏览器即可进入工作系统。
最后，针对现有工作流产品同步协作差的问题，尝试将同步协作与异步协作相结合，以期为用户提供一个良好、方便的工作环境，增强用户间的协作能力，促使工作更好的完成。基于该思想，在工作流执行系统中设计实现了一个实时消息传递器OnlineMessage，支持用户在线进行小组讨论与交流。其客户端
北京工业大学工学硕士学位论文
的表现形式是嵌入Applet的Web页面，可方便地与己有的工作流执行系统中的
用户页面集成。
研究课题最终提交了一个比较完整的工作流系统实现的解决方案和一个接
近实用的原型系统，依照该思想，可对工作流系统进行快速、简便的开发，以
适应企业用户的实际需要。在本系统的开发过程中，采用了面向对象技术和软
件复用思想，并借助先进的 CASE具，力图符合现代软件工程的开发规范。
Workflow technology as a new research field is being widely applied in the fields of manufacturing, office automation, concurrent engineering, electronic government and so on. It will be the key technology to the realization of enterprise business process modeling, business process optimization, the management and integration of business process and ultimately to realize the automation of business process. It is important to improve the progress of the enterprise's technology and to the development of the information industry. Nowadays, the workflow product market is underway. One of the most important reasons is that workflow system is hard to popularize in the enterprises for its complexity to carry out. Enterprise end users want to customize the business process and application interface according to their own need, but it is hard to realize because of the lack of application tools.
This work is imbursed by Beijing Natural Science Foundation and Beijing Education Committee. We focus on the realization method and key techniques for process modeling and the generation of the application environment. By the research in the relevant fields, we propose corresponding solutions. The following is our acquirement:
First, a process model named "direct-graph-with-condition" is proposed. The model can describe "state" which improves the ability to express the model. Message node is explicitly shown in the model to enhance the description of message transfer. Furthermore, we developed a tool for process modeling named WFDesigner, with which end users can model process visually.
Second, a method to develop the application environment of workflow system based on Web with "page template" is put forward. According to this method, one or several Web pages for each activity is created by page template binded with the information of process definition, which has been defined in the process of modeling. It enables end users to develop workflow applications quickly and standardly. According to this idea, we designed and developed a visual tool named PageDesigner to generate application environment.
Then, a workflow system based on Web with new message mechanism is put forward. We also give the prototype system in this paper. The information of task process is passed by E_Mail, for the task is handled on time and the workflow
system runs smoothly. The system is based on Browser/Server architecture. It needn't pre-install any special software at client side. Users can enter the workflow system with IE browser.
Last, according to the lack of synchronous collaboration in the workflow products, we propose to integrate synchronous collaboration with asynchronous collaboration to provide a nice and convenient work environment for end users and to build up collaboration ability among them. Based on this idea, we designed a real time message transfer tool named OnlineMessage, with which users can discuss problems and communicate with each other. The presentation at client side is web page imbedded with Java Applet. So it can be integrated with user interface in workflow enactment system easily.
In the end, we achieve a relatively completive solution method of workflow system's generation and an applied prototype system. With this method, the end enterprise users can develop workflow application quickly and easily to satisfy their own need. In the process of system development, we use Object-Oriented technology, software reuse method and advanced CASE tools. The process tries to accord to the standard of modern software engineering development.
本文受北京市自然科学基金委员会和北京市教育委员会的共同资助，重点研究工作流系统的过程建模及其应用环境自动生成的实现方法和关键技术。通过对该领域的研究，取得以下研究成果：
提出了“带有条件约束的有向图”的工作流过程模型。模型中引入“状态”信息，使模型的表达能力大大增强；模型中显式引入“消息”节点，以改进现有模型对消息传递描述不足的缺点。并且，开发了相应的过程建模工具WFDesigner，利用该工具，可实现过程模型的可视化建立。
提出利用“页面模板”对基于Web的工作流系统应用环境进行快速生成的方法。该方法将通过过程建模生成的过程定义中的相关信息与页面模板相“绑定”，即为每个活动生成一个或若干个与客户端进行交互的Web页面。依照该思想，自行设计、开发了一个应用环境可视化生成工具PageDesigner。
将“消息传递”引入基于Web的工作流系统中，并给出其原型系统。系统自动通过E-Mail传递任务推进的消息，以保证流程中的任务被及时处理，使工作流系统的运行更加顺畅。该系统基于B／S结构，客户端无需预先安装特殊的软件工具，仅通过IE浏览器即可进入工作系统。
最后，针对现有工作流产品同步协作差的问题，尝试将同步协作与异步协作相结合，以期为用户提供一个良好、方便的工作环境，增强用户间的协作能力，促使工作更好的完成。基于该思想，在工作流执行系统中设计实现了一个实时消息传递器OnlineMessage，支持用户在线进行小组讨论与交流。其客户端
北京工业大学工学硕士学位论文
的表现形式是嵌入Applet的Web页面，可方便地与己有的工作流执行系统中的
用户页面集成。
研究课题最终提交了一个比较完整的工作流系统实现的解决方案和一个接
近实用的原型系统，依照该思想，可对工作流系统进行快速、简便的开发，以
适应企业用户的实际需要。在本系统的开发过程中，采用了面向对象技术和软
件复用思想，并借助先进的 CASE具，力图符合现代软件工程的开发规范。
Workflow technology as a new research field is being widely applied in the fields of manufacturing, office automation, concurrent engineering, electronic government and so on. It will be the key technology to the realization of enterprise business process modeling, business process optimization, the management and integration of business process and ultimately to realize the automation of business process. It is important to improve the progress of the enterprise's technology and to the development of the information industry. Nowadays, the workflow product market is underway. One of the most important reasons is that workflow system is hard to popularize in the enterprises for its complexity to carry out. Enterprise end users want to customize the business process and application interface according to their own need, but it is hard to realize because of the lack of application tools.
This work is imbursed by Beijing Natural Science Foundation and Beijing Education Committee. We focus on the realization method and key techniques for process modeling and the generation of the application environment. By the research in the relevant fields, we propose corresponding solutions. The following is our acquirement:
First, a process model named "direct-graph-with-condition" is proposed. The model can describe "state" which improves the ability to express the model. Message node is explicitly shown in the model to enhance the description of message transfer. Furthermore, we developed a tool for process modeling named WFDesigner, with which end users can model process visually.
Second, a method to develop the application environment of workflow system based on Web with "page template" is put forward. According to this method, one or several Web pages for each activity is created by page template binded with the information of process definition, which has been defined in the process of modeling. It enables end users to develop workflow applications quickly and standardly. According to this idea, we designed and developed a visual tool named PageDesigner to generate application environment.
Then, a workflow system based on Web with new message mechanism is put forward. We also give the prototype system in this paper. The information of task process is passed by E_Mail, for the task is handled on time and the workflow
system runs smoothly. The system is based on Browser/Server architecture. It needn't pre-install any special software at client side. Users can enter the workflow system with IE browser.
Last, according to the lack of synchronous collaboration in the workflow products, we propose to integrate synchronous collaboration with asynchronous collaboration to provide a nice and convenient work environment for end users and to build up collaboration ability among them. Based on this idea, we designed a real time message transfer tool named OnlineMessage, with which users can discuss problems and communicate with each other. The presentation at client side is web page imbedded with Java Applet. So it can be integrated with user interface in workflow enactment system easily.
In the end, we achieve a relatively completive solution method of workflow system's generation and an applied prototype system. With this method, the end enterprise users can develop workflow application quickly and easily to satisfy their own need. In the process of system development, we use Object-Oriented technology, software reuse method and advanced CASE tools. The process tries to accord to the standard of modern software engineering development.
引文
1 Workflow Management Coalition. The Workflow Reference Model. WFMC TC00-1003, 1995: 6-7 20 30
2 范玉顺．工作流管理技术基础．清华大学出版社，2001：51-52 43-45 79
3 Workflow Management Coalition. Workflow and Internet WfMC white paper,1998:10-11
4 Dath S, Kochut K, Miller J, et al. ORBWork: a reliable distributed CORBA-based workflow enactment system for Meteor2. http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/lib/download/SD+96.ps
5 Miller J, Sheth. WebWork: Meteor2's web-based workflow management system. http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/lib/download/MP+97.ps
6 袁潜龙，吴朝晖，潘云鹤．WPDL语言与工作流建模
7 Muth P, Wodtke D, Weissenfels J, et al. From Centralized Workflow Specification to Distributed Workflow Excution[J]. JIIS Special Issue on Workflow Management, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998,10(2): 159-184
8 Tadao Murata. Petri Nets: Properties, Analysis and Applications Proceeding of the IEEE.1989,77(4)
9 Miler J A, Sheth A P, Kochut K J, et al. CORBA-Based Run-Time Architecture for Workflow Management Systems[J]. Journal of Database Management. 1996,7(1): 16-27
10 Smith T. The Future of Workflow Software[A]. INFORM[C]. 1993: 50-51
11 汪涛，黄力芹，吴耿锋．工作流管理的发展历程和趋势．计算机工程与科学．2001，23(1)：98-99
12 Schael T. Workflow Management for Process Organizations[R]. Lecture Notesin Computer Science, Vol.1096.Springer-Verlag,1996
13 张德壮，李俊海，耿继秀．工作流管理系统综述计算机应用．2000，20(5)：34
14 A. Sheth. Proc. Of the NSF workshop on workflow and process Automation in Information Systems. Technical report, University of Georgia, UGA-CS-TR-96-003, July 1996.
15 Mohan C. Recent Trends in Workflow Management Products, Standards and Research. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/exotica/wfnato97.ps
16 t. Cai, P. Gloor, and S. Nog. DartFlow: A Workflow Management System on the Web using Transportable Agents. Techical report, Dartmouth College, 1997 http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/reports/Cai,Ting.html
17 史美林，杨光信，向勇，武尚广．一个基于Web的工作流管理系统．软件学报．1999，10(11)：1152-1154
18 Lioe M, WikarskiD, HanY. Higher-Order Object Nets and Their Application to Workflow Modeling[Z]. Forschungs-berichtedes FB Informatik 95-34,Technische Universitat Berlin, 1995
19 John A. Miller, Amit P. Sheth, Krys J. Kochut, Large Scale Distributed Information System Lab (LSDIS). The future of Web-based Workflows.
20 Miller J A, Sheth A, Kochut K, et al. The Future of Web-Based Workflow[Z].Large Scale Distributed Information Systems Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, 1998
21 汪涛．基于Petri网的工作流管理模型研究及其应用．武汉华中理工大学博士学位论文，1999-06
22 黄力芹，汪涛，吴耿锋．工作流管理系统的分类及其和CSCW的关系计算机工程．2001，27(4)：55，111
23 范玉顺，曹军威．复杂系统的面向对象建模、分析与设计．清华大学出版社，2000
24 Mohan C. Recent trends in workflow management producrs, standards, and research, http://www.almaden.ibm.com/u/mohan/wfnato97.ps
25 Kappel G, Rausch-Schott S, Retschitzegger W. Coordination in Workflow Management Systems - A Rule-Based Approach[R] Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol 1364. Spring-Verlag. 1998: 99-120
26 http://www.actionworksmetro.com/metro/products
27 李建强，范玉顺．基于Petri网的工作流模型性能分析方法。计算机应用．2001．21(6)：4-6
28 Wokflow Management Coalition. Iinterface 1: Process specification language:An Analysis of Existing Representations. Technical Report NISTIR, National Institute of Standards and Technoligy, Gaithersburg, MD, 1997
29 van der Aalst W M P, van Hee K M, Houben G J. Modeling Workflow Management Systems with high-Level Petri Nets[A].In:DeMichelis G,Ellis C,Memmi G,eds.Proc 2ndWorkshop on Computer-Supported Coorperative Work,Petri Nets and Related Formalisms[C],1994:31-50
30 郭晔．基于Web的分布式工作流管理系统．微电子与计算机．1999．4：33-36
31 Stainar Carlsen: Organizational Perspectives of Workflow Technology
32 宋玉银，褚秀萍，蔡复之．基于时间Petri网的实时并行设计过程建模研究．计算机集成制造系统
33 范玉顺，张军．面向对象的Petri网方法及其在软件工程中的应用
34 Stainar Carson. Organizational Prospective of Workflow Technology. Information System Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,Norway,1995.9
35 杨景．管理信息系统建模的对象模板法．计算机研究与发展，1995．1
36 曾隽芳，邹益仁，叶正明．一种基于模板的系统开发方法．计算机工程与应用．2001．1
37 史美林，向勇，杨光信等．计算机支持的协同工作理论与应用．电子工业出版社，2000年：172-173
38 胡朝晖，陈奇，俞瑞钊．面向对象的网络聊天服务器系统的设计．计算机应用．2000，20(8)：44-46
39 戴梅萼．Java的线程机制．电子技术应用．2000，(4)：24
40 张桦，吴奇．Java多线程技术的研究与应用．天津理工学院学报．1999．5，．15 Suppl：85-88
41 王丰锦，邵新宇等．基于SOCKET和多线程的应用程序间通信技术的研究．计算机应用．2000，20(6)：65-66
42 王亦工．Java语言中的Applet特性浅析．辽宁工学院学报．2001，21(1)：37-38
43 毕岱君．安全协同工作系统的关键技术与机制的研究．北京工业大学硕士学位论文．2001：53 9-11
44 刘大昕，李宁宁等．工作流管理技术及其在MIS建模中的应用研究．计算机应用研究．2000：15-16
45 李寿兵，张佑生，刘立华 工作流管理技术．微型电脑应用．2000，16(6)：28-30
46 黄锡伟，毕厚杰．计算机支持的协同工作(CSCW)研究和设计．计算机工程与应用．1998．6：31-33
47 夏长虹，陈文博．消息传递在基于Web的工作流系统中应用．计算机工程与应用．2002．38(10)：218-222 233
48 李峰．工作流管理系统Wflow中协同建模工具的研究．计算机应用．2001．21(9)
49 张书艳，李曦，赵振西．基于UML的企业动态建模的研究与实现．计算机应用．2001．21(12)：47-49
50 Pavel Hruby.Specification of Workflow Management Systems with UML
51 Xia Changhong,Chen Wenbo.UNL'S Modeling Applied In Web Applications. 6th International Conference For Younger Computer Scientists,HangZhou,P.R. China.Oct.23-25,2001,International Academic Publishers World Publishing Corporation,2001:526-530
52 夏长虹，陈文博．工作流系统系统过程建模与应用生成环境研究．计算机工程．2003．4 (待刊)
2 范玉顺．工作流管理技术基础．清华大学出版社，2001：51-52 43-45 79
3 Workflow Management Coalition. Workflow and Internet WfMC white paper,1998:10-11
4 Dath S, Kochut K, Miller J, et al. ORBWork: a reliable distributed CORBA-based workflow enactment system for Meteor2. http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/lib/download/SD+96.ps
5 Miller J, Sheth. WebWork: Meteor2's web-based workflow management system. http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/lib/download/MP+97.ps
6 袁潜龙，吴朝晖，潘云鹤．WPDL语言与工作流建模
7 Muth P, Wodtke D, Weissenfels J, et al. From Centralized Workflow Specification to Distributed Workflow Excution[J]. JIIS Special Issue on Workflow Management, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998,10(2): 159-184
8 Tadao Murata. Petri Nets: Properties, Analysis and Applications Proceeding of the IEEE.1989,77(4)
9 Miler J A, Sheth A P, Kochut K J, et al. CORBA-Based Run-Time Architecture for Workflow Management Systems[J]. Journal of Database Management. 1996,7(1): 16-27
10 Smith T. The Future of Workflow Software[A]. INFORM[C]. 1993: 50-51
11 汪涛，黄力芹，吴耿锋．工作流管理的发展历程和趋势．计算机工程与科学．2001，23(1)：98-99
12 Schael T. Workflow Management for Process Organizations[R]. Lecture Notesin Computer Science, Vol.1096.Springer-Verlag,1996
13 张德壮，李俊海，耿继秀．工作流管理系统综述计算机应用．2000，20(5)：34
14 A. Sheth. Proc. Of the NSF workshop on workflow and process Automation in Information Systems. Technical report, University of Georgia, UGA-CS-TR-96-003, July 1996.
15 Mohan C. Recent Trends in Workflow Management Products, Standards and Research. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/exotica/wfnato97.ps
16 t. Cai, P. Gloor, and S. Nog. DartFlow: A Workflow Management System on the Web using Transportable Agents. Techical report, Dartmouth College, 1997 http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/reports/Cai,Ting.html
17 史美林，杨光信，向勇，武尚广．一个基于Web的工作流管理系统．软件学报．1999，10(11)：1152-1154
18 Lioe M, WikarskiD, HanY. Higher-Order Object Nets and Their Application to Workflow Modeling[Z]. Forschungs-berichtedes FB Informatik 95-34,Technische Universitat Berlin, 1995
19 John A. Miller, Amit P. Sheth, Krys J. Kochut, Large Scale Distributed Information System Lab (LSDIS). The future of Web-based Workflows.
20 Miller J A, Sheth A, Kochut K, et al. The Future of Web-Based Workflow[Z].Large Scale Distributed Information Systems Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, 1998
21 汪涛．基于Petri网的工作流管理模型研究及其应用．武汉华中理工大学博士学位论文，1999-06
22 黄力芹，汪涛，吴耿锋．工作流管理系统的分类及其和CSCW的关系计算机工程．2001，27(4)：55，111
23 范玉顺，曹军威．复杂系统的面向对象建模、分析与设计．清华大学出版社，2000
24 Mohan C. Recent trends in workflow management producrs, standards, and research, http://www.almaden.ibm.com/u/mohan/wfnato97.ps
25 Kappel G, Rausch-Schott S, Retschitzegger W. Coordination in Workflow Management Systems - A Rule-Based Approach[R] Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol 1364. Spring-Verlag. 1998: 99-120
26 http://www.actionworksmetro.com/metro/products
27 李建强，范玉顺．基于Petri网的工作流模型性能分析方法。计算机应用．2001．21(6)：4-6
28 Wokflow Management Coalition. Iinterface 1: Process specification language:An Analysis of Existing Representations. Technical Report NISTIR, National Institute of Standards and Technoligy, Gaithersburg, MD, 1997
29 van der Aalst W M P, van Hee K M, Houben G J. Modeling Workflow Management Systems with high-Level Petri Nets[A].In:DeMichelis G,Ellis C,Memmi G,eds.Proc 2ndWorkshop on Computer-Supported Coorperative Work,Petri Nets and Related Formalisms[C],1994:31-50
30 郭晔．基于Web的分布式工作流管理系统．微电子与计算机．1999．4：33-36
31 Stainar Carlsen: Organizational Perspectives of Workflow Technology
32 宋玉银，褚秀萍，蔡复之．基于时间Petri网的实时并行设计过程建模研究．计算机集成制造系统
33 范玉顺，张军．面向对象的Petri网方法及其在软件工程中的应用
34 Stainar Carson. Organizational Prospective of Workflow Technology. Information System Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,Norway,1995.9
35 杨景．管理信息系统建模的对象模板法．计算机研究与发展，1995．1
36 曾隽芳，邹益仁，叶正明．一种基于模板的系统开发方法．计算机工程与应用．2001．1
37 史美林，向勇，杨光信等．计算机支持的协同工作理论与应用．电子工业出版社，2000年：172-173
38 胡朝晖，陈奇，俞瑞钊．面向对象的网络聊天服务器系统的设计．计算机应用．2000，20(8)：44-46
39 戴梅萼．Java的线程机制．电子技术应用．2000，(4)：24
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