Exception Handling Through a Workflow

Exception handling is a fundamental functionality of workflow management systems (WfMS). User involvement in exception handling is recognized as critical in various situations due to the unpredictability nature of the exceptions that can occur in a running workflow (WF) engine. The problem however is how to orchestrate human ad hoc interventions with a minimum impact on system integrity. The control flow and data integrity dimensions of the impact are analyzed. Our perspective is to allow the maximum latitude possible to user interventions while keeping system correctness. We propose a solution that uses a WF to guide users handling WF exceptions. Furthermore, we extended the WF engine with a propagation mechanism allowing users to involve multiple members of the organization in the exception handling WF. This solution is implemented in the OpenSymphony (OS) platform. The implementation details of the proposed solution in the OS platform are also given in the paper.

[1]  Jesus Favela,et al.  Groupware: Design, Implementation, and Use , 2003, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[2]  Pedro Antunes,et al.  Workflow Recovery Framework for Exception Handling: Involving the User , 2003, CRIWG.

[3]  Fabio Casati,et al.  Workflow Evolution , 1996, ER.

[4]  Manfred Reichert,et al.  Dealing with forward and backward jumps in workflow management systems , 2003, Software and Systems Modeling.

[5]  Amit P. Sheth,et al.  Transactions in Transactional Workflows , 1997, Advanced Transaction Models and Architectures.

[6]  Håvard D. Jørgensen.  Interaction as a framework for flexible workflow modelling , 2001, GROUP '01.

[7]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  Ad-hoc workflow: problems and solutions , 1997, Database and Expert Systems Applications. 8th International Conference, DEXA '97. Proceedings.

[8]  Shazia Wasim Sadiq,et al.  Handling dynamic schema change in process models , 2000, Proceedings 11th Australasian Database Conference. ADC 2000 (Cat. No.PR00528).

[9]  Clarence A. Ellis,et al.  A Workflow Change Is a Workflow , 2000, Business Process Management.

[10]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  Workflow Verification: Finding Control-Flow Errors Using Petri-Net-Based Techniques , 2000, Business Process Management.

[11]  W.M.P. van der Aalst.  Workflow management systemen: doel of middel , 2002 .

[12]  Amit P. Sheth,et al.  Transactions in transactional workflows" in advanced transaction models and architectures , 1997 .

[13]  Johann Eder,et al.  The Workflow Activity Model WAMO , 1995, CoopIS.

[14]  Sushil Jajodia,et al.  Advanced Transaction Models and Architectures , 2012, Springer US.

[15]  Pedro Antunes,et al.  Suporte À Intervenção de Operadores No Tratamento de Excepções Em Fluxos de Trabalho , 2003 .

[16]  Peter Dadam,et al.  Evaluation of Correctness Criteria for Dynamic Workflow Changes , 2003, Business Process Management.

[17]  Fabio Casati,et al.  Modeling exceptional behaviors in commercial workflow management systems , 1999, Proceedings Fourth IFCIS International Conference on Cooperative Information Systems. CoopIS 99 (Cat. No.PR00384).

[18]  Giorgio De Michelis,et al.  A Light Workflow Management System Using Simple Process Models , 2000, Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).

[19]  Johann Eder,et al.  Workflow recovery , 1996, Proceedings First IFCIS International Conference on Cooperative Information Systems.

[20]  Amit P. Sheth,et al.  Knowledge sharing, coordinated exception handling, and intelligent problem solving for cross-organizational business processes , 2001 .

[21]  Fabio Casati,et al.  Specification and implementation of exceptions in workflow management systems , 1999, TODS.

[22]  Umeshwar Dayal,et al.  A Transactional Model for Long-Running Activities , 1991, VLDB.

[23]  Mark Klein,et al.  A Knowledge-based Approach to Handling Exceptions in Workflow Systems , 2011, Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).

[24]  Giorgio De Michelis,et al.  Improving Flexibility of Workflow Management Systems , 2000, Business Process Management.

[25]  Clarence A. Ellis,et al.  Modeling and Enactment of Workflow Systems , 1993, Application and Theory of Petri Nets.

[26]  Frank Leymann,et al.  Workflow-Based Applications , 1997, IBM Syst. J..

[27]  Grzegorz Rozenberg,et al.  Dynamic change within workflow systems , 1995, COCS '95.

[28]  Maria E. Orlowska,et al.  On Capturing Exceptions in Workflow Process Models , 2000 .

[29]  Dickson K. W. Chiu,et al.  Web Interface-Driven Cooperative Exception Handling in Adome Workflow Management System , 2001, Inf. Syst..

[30]  Richard N. Taylor,et al.  Techniques for Supporting Dynamic and Adaptive Workflow , 2000, Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).

[31]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  Inheritance of workflows: an approach to tackling problems related to change , 2002 .

[32]  Pedro Antunes,et al.  Supporting direct user interventions in exception handling in workflow management systems , 2005 .

[33]  Wolfgang Reisig,et al.  Application and Theory of Petri Nets , 1982, Informatik-Fachberichte.