BPEL引擎监控平台的设计与实现

WS-BPEL作为WEB服务复合事实上的标准正引起越来越多的关注，它可以用来整合物理上分布的服务，构建复杂的业务流程。复合服务的执行依赖于分布的自治的第三方服务，其实际行为可能与预先指定的行为约束不一致；此外，由于复合服务的动态性和灵活性，其本身在运行期间可能发生动态调整，以适应不断变化的业务环境，因此需要对复合服务的行为在运行期进行连续的监控，保证复合服务的正确执行。同时，通过对复合服务的运行时监控，可以获取执行期间的各种性能信息，从而为流程的优化和动态的服务选择提供依据。 本文首先对业务流程运行时的监控需求进行了分析，然后针对这些监控需求，结合BPEL流程的特点，设计了一种新型的基于事件的监控需求描述语言Mon-BPEL，它可以精确的刻画功能性和非功能性的监控需求。相对于其他基于事件的监控需求描述语言(如 Event Calculus，Past LTL等)，Mon-BPEL可以方便的刻画流程执行事件序列之间的时序关系，同时，它具有简洁易懂，用户友好等特点。 此外，本文研究了基于AOP技术的业务流程监控机制。论文设计了一种针对BPEL语言的AOP扩展方案，以支持对业务流程运行期的动态监控。通过将监控需求映射为方面，从而分离了关注点，降低了业务流程开发的复杂度，提高了流程的可维护性。接着给出了Mon-BPEL监控需求表达式的的自动机语义，并基于自动机理论对监控需求表达式进行计算，检查指定的监控需求是否违背。最后，论文探讨了Aspect的动态编织机制，将监控功能引入BPEL引擎。 论文最后给出了监控平台在OnceBPEL引擎中的实现，并将前面提到的研究成果引入其中,通过实验对系统的功能及性能进行了测试与评估。

BPMN与BPEL双向转换系统的设计与实现及其应用

随着SOA和业务流程管理BPM技术日益成熟，基于业务流程的开发得到越来越广泛的应用。BPMN是由国际标准组织BPMI所制定的业务流程描述语言，制定了标准化的图形符号用于流程的设计和交流。WS-BPEL是面向服务计算中服务复合层重要的技术规范，WS-BPEL支持通过组合分布异构的服务形成复杂的业务流程。BPMN和BPEL模型之间存在差异，跨越两者之间的鸿沟实现无缝转换是当前服务计算中的关键问题之一。现有的BPMN到BPEL转换方法对用户建模限制太大，并且转换后的BPEL不能直接部署和运行，自动化程度不高。现有BPEL到BPMN转换方法缺少对复杂BPEL结构的转换。 针对这些问题，论文设计了一套双向模型转换方法。首先分析了现有BPMN到BPEL的转换方法。然后根据分析结果对已有的BPMN到BPEL转换方法进行扩展，并着重解决了路由OR和并发多实例Multi-instance的语义分析和转换这一难点问题，减少了用户建模时的限制，转换得到的可直接执行的BPEL，提高了自动化程度。在此基础上，设计了BPEL到BPMN的转换方法，采取自上而下的扁平化策略来将嵌套块结构的BPEL控制流转换成为平整无层次的流程图结构，其中分析了Link设置不同条件时的语义并分别转换到对应的BPMN结构，解决了复杂BPEL结构的转换。 最后，我们在流程设计平台OnceBPD（Once Business Process Designer）实现了双向转换功能，能够将BPMN模型转换为BPEL模型，得到的BPEL文件可以部署和运行在OnceBPEL流程执行引擎。还可以将BPEL模型装换为BPMN模型，并应用于OnceBPEL引擎监控信息的可视化，实现了在OnceBPD中直观、形象的显示流程监控。

事件驱动的BPEL引擎架构设计与实现

WS-BPEL(Web Service Business Process Execution Language，简称BPEL)是Web服务规范族中服务复合层的重要标准。BPEL支持通过对Web服务的编制(Orchestration)来构建业务流程，从而使编程人员能够集中关注业务逻辑。BPEL引擎系统是一个支持BPEL语言描述的业务流程运行的服务器中间件系统，使用BPEL引擎可以执行BPEL语言编写的业务流程。作为一个网络服务器系统，BPEL引擎将不可避免的处理大量的并发请求。如何设计实现BPEL引擎使之能高效的处理并发将是高性能BPEL引擎设计的关键问题。 并发服务器系统通常采用多线程和事件驱动两种并发模型。传统上大多数服务器软件都建立在多线程(或多进程)模型的基础上。但在高负载条件下，过多的线程和线程间的上下文切换会造成系统较大的开销，这些开销是导致系统性能下降的主要原因。事件驱动模型是一种只采用少量固定数量线程的并发模型，一般说来，它的伸缩性更好，并且有更高的处理效率。 本文对高并发服务器系统中所使用的事件驱动模型进行了分析和研究，并且结合BPEL语言规范的特点，提出了事件驱动的BPEL引擎实现技术方案。论文重点研究了BPEL事件结构和有限状态机(Finite State Machine，简称FSM)刻画BPEL流程和活动行为的原理，针对BPEL语言语法特点，构造了完整的BPEL FSM模型，包括了状态空间和基于ECA(Event-Condition-Action)模式的状态转移规则。 在基于事件驱动模型的BPEL引擎架构原理的指导下，我们设计并实现了基于事件驱动模型的OnceBPEL2.0引擎系统。并且，我们对采用多线程模型实现的OnceBPEL1.0系统和采用事件驱动模型实现的OnceBPEL2.0系统进行了性能测试和分析比较。从我们的测试数据和分析结果可以看出，采用事件驱动模型的OnceBPEL2.0系统比采用多线程模型的OnceBPEL1.0有了较大的性能提升。

BPEL流程监视的可视化实现

When a BPEL process is executed,it is necessary to dynamically monitor the process.BPEL is a executable language,which is not suitable for visual monitoring.On the other hand,BPMN is designed to visually describe business process and is more intuitive for monitoring.To visually monitor a BPEL process, transformation from BPEL to BPMN is necessary.However,current study of transformation from BPEL to BPMN does not support the transformation of"link"activity.Besides,no work has been done to add supplementary information into BPMN during transformation.In this paper,we transform nested BPEL process into a flat BPMN process graph without hierarchy through applying a flattening strategy.Especially, we analyze various scenarios of the transformation of link activity,and provide a method to deal with it. Besides,we analyze the mapping between BPEL activities and BPMN graph,through which we found out that some supplementary information cannot automatically obtained from BPEL process.These supplementary information need to be added during transformation.At the end of this paper,we present the structure of our monitoring tool which is based on our transformation algorithm.

基于BPEL的Web Service组合的数据流分析测试方法

随着Web Service组合变得越来越复杂,通过测试来保证服务质量和可靠性也变得越来越重要.将传统数据流分析方法扩展用于Web Service组合测试,提出了一种基于BPEL的Web Service组合的数据流分析测试方法.该方法基于一个测试模型:Web Service组合测试模型WSCTM,该测试模型可以捕获Web Service组合的数据流接口.采用基于服务的模型WSCTM,数据流可以从3个视点来分析:服务间、服务内和服务实现构件间.从而,Web Service组合的数据流测试可以在三层上得到实现.基于以上方法,可得到Web Service组合的定义-使用链,最终可产生满足既定测试标准以获得需求Web服务组合质量要求的测试路径.

基于BPEL的工作流引擎的研究和实现

在企业大量地部署信息化系统之后，系统的弊端逐渐暴露，主要表现在：各系统建设在异构平台上，缺乏互操作性，形成信息孤岛；系统与工作流程粘度高，不能便捷的改变流程以满足市场快速变化的需要；系统间通信困难，难以有效地协调；不能同企业外的系统互通以增强企业间的业务联系。在现有的系统不能有效地满足企业需求的背景下，开发新的工作流系统来整合已有的信息系统，既可以满足企业的需求，又可避免浪费企业在信息化建设方面的投资，成为企业应用技术新的发展方向。 本文首先详细研究了早期工作流系统的特点和弊端，从业务人员和管理者的角度对信息系统提出新的功能要求；然后对当前主流的技术和标准进行研究分析，旨在寻找一种支持业务流程快速改变和部署、可跨平台通信、能有效地协调各信息系统的解决方案。在深入研究COM、CORBA、RMI、Web Service、BPEL等技术的基础之上，采用以Web Service为业务单元、应用BPEL语言将Web Service组合成为业务流程的方式作为解决方案。 在此基础上，本文根据软件分层思想，设计并实现了一个六层模式的BPEL引擎，并针对BPEL引擎的分层特点设计一套模块组合方案，可以根据需求扩展和替换其中的引擎组件。为更好地实现系统集成，本文对BPEL的端点引用机制做了修改和扩展，使其不仅能够集成默认的Web Service端点，还能直接集成系统中已有的流程和实现定义接口的子系统。同时深入研究面向服务的软件架构和企业服务总线技术，将引擎设计为插件软件，运行在满足JBI标准的企业服务总线上，进一步降低了BPEL引擎同其他系统的耦合性。 最后，以国内某家电公司的运营环境为背景，设计一套测试案例以检验BPEL引擎的功能完备性和性能可靠性；分析结果表明BPEL引擎满足用户的要求并具备一定的稳定性。

Geração de processos WS-BPEL com base em um algoritmo de reescrita de regras

Web services are computational solutions designed according to the principles of Service Oriented Computing. Web services can be built upon pre-existing services available on the Internet by using composition languages. We propose a method to generate WS-BPEL processes from abstract specifications provided with high-level control-flow information. The proposed method allows the composition designer to concentrate on high-level specifi- cations, in order to increase productivity and generate specifications that are independent of specific web services. We consider service orchestrations, that is compositions where a central process coordinates all the operations of the application. The process of generating compositions is based on a rule rewriting algorithm, which has been extended to support basic control-flow information.We created a prototype of the extended refinement method and performed experiments over simple case studies

INFRAWEBS BPEL-Based Editor for Creating the Semantic Web Services Description

INFRAWEBS project [INFRAWEBS] considers usage of semantics for the complete lifecycle of Semantic Web processes, which represent complex interactions between Semantic Web Services. One of the main initiatives in the Semantic Web is WSMO framework, aiming at describing the various aspects related to Semantic Web Services in order to enable the automation of Web Service discovery, composition, interoperation and invocation. In the paper the conceptual architecture for BPEL-based INFRAWEBS editor is proposed that is intended to construct a part of WSMO descriptions of the Semantic Web Services. The semantic description of Web Services has to cover Data, Functional, Execution and QoS semantics. The representation of Functional semantics can be achieved by adding the service functionality to the process description. The architecture relies on a functional (operational) semantics of the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS) and uses abstract state machine (ASM) paradigm. This allows describing the dynamic properties of the process descriptions in terms of partially ordered transition rules and transforming them to WSMO framework.

A Framework for Design-Time Testing of Service-Based Applications at BPEL Level

Software applications created on top of the service-oriented architecture (SOA) are increasingly popular but testing them remains a challenge. In this paper a framework named TASSA for testing the functional and non-functional behaviour of service-based applications is presented. The paper focuses on the concept of design time testing, the corresponding testing approach and architectural integration of the consisting TASSA tools. The individual TASSA tools with sample validation scenarios were already presented with a general view of their relation. This paper’s contribution is the structured testing approach, based on the integral use of the tools and their architectural integration. The framework is based on SOA principles and is composable depending on user requirements.

Introduction to the First International Workshop on Empirical Research in Business Process Management (ER-BPM 2009)

Providing effective IT support for business processes has become crucial for enterprises to stay competitive. In response to this need numerous process support paradigms (e.g., workflow management, service flow management, case handling), process specification standards (e.g., WS-BPEL, BPML, BPMN), process tools (e.g., ARIS Toolset, Tibco Staffware, FLOWer), and supporting methods have emerged in recent years. Summarized under the term “Business Process Management” (BPM), these paradigms, standards, tools, and methods have become a success-critical instrument for improving process performance.

Patterns-based evaluation of open source BPM systems: The cases of jBPM, OpenWFE, and Enhydra Shark

In keeping with the proliferation of free software development initiatives and the increased interest in the business process management domain, many open source workflow and business process management systems have appeared during the last few years and are now under active development. This upsurge gives rise to two important questions: What are the capabilities of these systems? and How do they compare to each other and to their closed source counterparts? In other words: What is the state-of-the-art in the area?. To gain an insight into these questions, we have conducted an in-depth analysis of three of the major open source workflow management systems – jBPM, OpenWFE, and Enhydra Shark, the results of which are reported here. This analysis is based on the workflow patterns framework and provides a continuation of the series of evaluations performed using the same framework on closed source systems, business process modelling languages, and web-service composition standards. The results from evaluations of the three open source systems are compared with each other and also with the results from evaluations of three representative closed source systems: Staffware, WebSphere MQ, and Oracle BPEL PM. The overall conclusion is that open source systems are targeted more toward developers rather than business analysts. They generally provide less support for the patterns than closed source systems, particularly with respect to the resource perspective, i.e. the various ways in which work is distributed amongst business users and managed through to completion.

Conformance checking of service behavior

A service-oriented system is composed of independent software units, namely services, that interact with one another exclusively through message exchanges. The proper functioning of such system depends on whether or not each individual service behaves as the other services expect it to behave. Since services may be developed and operated independently, it is unrealistic to assume that this is always the case. This article addresses the problem of checking and quantifying how much the actual behavior of a service, as recorded in message logs, conforms to the expected behavior as specified in a process model.We consider the case where the expected behavior is defined using the BPEL industry standard (Business Process Execution Language for Web Services). BPEL process definitions are translated into Petri nets and Petri net-based conformance checking techniques are applied to derive two complementary indicators of conformance: fitness and appropriateness. The approach has been implemented in a toolset for business process analysis and mining, namely ProM, and has been tested in an environment comprising multiple Oracle BPEL servers.

Realising dead path elimination in BPMN

The Web Service Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) lacks any standard graphical notation. Various efforts have been undertaken to visualize BPEL using the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN). Although this is straightforward for the majority of concepts, it is tricky for the full BPEL standard, partly due to the insufficiently specified BPMN execution semantics. The upcoming BPMN 2.0 revision will provide this clear semantics. In this paper, we show how the dead path elimination (DPE) capabilities of BPEL can be expressed with this new semantics and discuss the limitations. We provide a generic formal definition of DPE and discuss resulting control flow requirements independent of specific process description languages.

Complex events in business processes

Flow-oriented process modeling languages have a long tradition in the area of Business Process Management and are widely used for capturing activities with their behavioral and data dependencies. Individual events were introduced for triggering process instantiation and activities. However, real-world business cases drive the need for also covering complex event patterns as they are known in the field of Complex Event Processing. Therefore, this paper puts forward a catalog of requirements for handling complex events in process models, which can be used as reference framework for assessing process definition languages and systems. An assessment of BPEL and BPMN is provided.