[news.eclipse.technology.ecomm] Re: Workflow Automation

[Scott Lewis <slewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Michail,

Michail Heinmann wrote:
> Hi ,
>
>
>
> it sounds pretty good.
>
>
>
> If you would like to add a really workflow automation functionality, then it 
> make sense to call it not a communication, but a collaboration project (the 
> software development collaboration is trendyJ)

We would like to be able to provide a framework that was useful for both 
 communications and collaboration/workflow applications.

This team will be able to some of the application-level work to support 
workflow, but will be looking for other plugin developers/teams to 
assist with this specifically.

> 1) Do you have an idea about the concrete approaches in the project? Are 
> there any drafts?

Several of the project team members have work that they've done 
(building Eclipse plugins) that they can/will be able to contribute.  If 
you are interested in my own work in this area, feel free to check out: 
 http://www.composent.com/plugins

> 2) How would you like to design the workflows?
>
> -         High Level Petri Networks?
>
> -         eEPK a la ARIS?
>
> -         other methods?

We haven't yet looked closely at high-level models for 
designing/describing workflows.  We could probably use some assistance 
with making such selections...if you and/or others are willing to 
provide input.

> 3) Can you please provide me an example of the workflow functionality?

Ecomm will initially look to provide communications infrastructure for 
basic workflow...e.g. file transfer, IM/chat, etc.  In the longer term, 
we hope to integrate some of the communications capabilities with things 
like EMF (Eclipse Modeling Framework) to allow the creation and sharing 
of models.  So, for example, in a software development scenario, a 
system architect might create a UML model of a system and (using ecomm 
and a defined workflow) have this model transmitted automatically to 
other team members.  The model could be transformed (using EMF) to 
present 'views' and capabilities for editing the model appropriate to a 
given role...e.g. to developers, managers, testers, etc.  Further, as 
comments/changes/approval/etc were accumulated they could automatically 
be communicated back to the other interested/relevant team members 
(again through ecomm-provided communications services).

You asked for an example of supporting workflow...the above isn't a 
great one, but it's meant to show the value of combining the various 
pieces which Eclipse provides:  tools integration, user interface 
integration, ecomm-provided communications services, EMF-provided model 
creation and transformation.

> After I will get an example, I would like to provide you the information 
> about the interesting actual topics in the workflow area (adoptive aspects, 
> ad hoc changes, structure and behaviour analysis). I hope, I can provide 
> some constructive contribution to the discussion.

Yes, I suspect you can.  Please do provide thoughts/comments.  This area 
(defining workflows, etc) is a little way off for this project (we've 
got a number of 'framework' level things to get out and there is some 
thinking to do about available standards in the area of workflow 
specifications), but we would certainly welcome ideas about 
compelling/valuable 'app' level work, existing approaches, relevant 
technologies, etc.

Scott


> Good luck,
>
> M.H.