Title: Bridging the gap between business process models and service-oriented architectures with reference to the grid environment

Authors: Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Odeh, Richard McClatchey

Addresses: Centre for Complex Cooperative Systems, Department of Computer Science and Creative Technology, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, Bristol, UK. ' Centre for Complex Cooperative Systems, Department of Computer Science and Creative Technology, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, Bristol, UK. ' Centre for Complex Cooperative Systems, Department of Computer Science and Creative Technology, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, Bristol, UK

Abstract: In recent years, organisations have been seeking technological solutions for enacting their business process models using ad-hoc and heuristic approaches. However, limited results have been obtained due to the expansion of business processes across geographical boundaries and the absence of structured methods, frameworks and/or Information Technology (IT) infrastructures to enact these processes. In an attempt to enact business process models using distributed technologies, we introduce a novel architectural framework to bridge the gap between business process models and Grid-aware Service-Oriented Architectures (GSOA). BPMSOA framework is aligned with the Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) approach and is instantiated for role-based business process models [in particular Role Activity Diagramming (RAD)], using mobile process languages such as pi-ADL. The evaluation of the BPMSOA framework using the Submission process from the digital libraries domain has revealed that role-based business process models can be successfully enacted in GSOA environments with certain limitations.

Keywords: grid aware utility services; RAD business process models; metamodelling; pi-ADL; process enactment; model-driven engineering; model transformation; grid computing; service-oriented architecture; SOA; role activity diagramming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGUC.2011.042943

International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing, 2011 Vol.2 No.4, pp.253 - 283

Received: 29 Nov 2010
Accepted: 19 May 2011
Published online: 28 Mar 2015 *

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