Semantics and architecture of global transaction support in workflow environments

We present an approach to global transaction management in workflow environments. The transaction mechanism is based on the well-known notion of sagas, but extended to deal with arbitrary process structures including cycles and savepoints that allow partial compensation. We present a formal specification of the transaction model and transaction management mechanisms in set and graph theory, providing clear, unambiguous transaction semantics. The specification is straightforwardly mapped to a modular architecture, the implementation of which is applied in the prototype of a commercial workflow management system. The loosely-coupled nature of the resulting system allows easy distribution using middleware technology.

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