Using Domain Specific Languages and Domain Ontology in Workflow Design in Syndatis BPM4 Environment

Wiktor B. Daszczuk , Henryk Rybiński , Piotr Wilkin

Abstract

Defining professional workflows within Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) is not a simple task. Typically, this activity is dedicated to professionals having a high level knowledge and skills in this field, because many aspects of the workflow need to be linked: data model, presentation forms, process flow, synchronization, logical constraints, etc. Therefore in this situation, the work of a specialist is a bottleneck that limits the possibilities of effective workflow creation. The paper is devoted to a new architecture of WfMS, where workflow is defined by means of a set of files describing particular graphically designed various aspects of the workflow, with the use of XML-grounded Domain Specific Languages (DSLs). Each of the aspects has its own XML schema, defining its structure and constraints. An important property is that separate DSLs with their own schemas allow to some extent developing independently individual aspects of workflows (separation of concerns). On the other hand, the process of defining the aspects of the workflow is integrated with an application ontology, which supports automatization of design, and preserves consistency between the schemas, assuring completeness of the workflow.