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Re: [jwt-dev] Extending JWT Plugin
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Hi Ralph
Thank you very much for taking the time to try JWT. I took a look at
Imixs back then (before JWT started) but I admit not as much as you !
Your email is very interesting. You've pointed out a number of possible
synergies we'd be willing to help you out on or even work on. Here are a
few remarks, I'll post more later this week, being in a bind right now -
and I'm sure Florian will have some too. Note that you'll find
additional interesting information & documents on the wiki at
http://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php/Java_Workflow_Toolbox_Project .
Ralph.Soika@xxxxxxxxx a écrit :
Hi,
as I posted before in the news group I want to understand which
extension points exists in the JWT Plugin. Let me try to explain some
of my thoughts of extending the JWT.
I am not sure but I believe that I and my college Gaby Heinle meet
some of you on Systems 2006 in munich?
Florian probably ^^
Imixs.org is a open source workflow project. We support different
technologies to build a workflow engine or workflow applications. So
we implement a JEE based Workflow Server (IX JEE Workflow)
(http://www.imixs.org/websites/imixs-org.nsf/chapter/3000.0020.?OpenDocument)
which for example can be used as a component in a JEE Application
Infrastructure.
Also the project supports an Eclipse based modelling tool (IX Modeler)
(http://www.imixs.org/websites/imixs-org.nsf/chapter/3000.0030.?OpenDocument).
Indeed, I noteed it to be one of the few complete open source BPM offerings.
So after I played around with the JWT Editor I think there are two
different approaches. The goal of the JWT is - as I understood - a
generic framework to support and integrate workflow engines. The IX
Workflow is an individual implementation of a human centric workflow
engine. As our workflow engine supports no monitoring tooling yet the
JWT Monitoring would be also very interesting for us and one point of
integration - or better cooperation. Open source projects should not
integrate but extend and empower each other ;-)
You are right. Open source and JWT's goals plead for such integration !
The monitoring layer is not implemented yet, though it is planned, but
will not be done before 2009. However we'd like to have some "start /
stop process" features available in eclipse to the developer before
that, we already have a generic API as well as its implementation on top
of the OW2 / Bull Bonita workflow engine.
From the modelling view I think you follow a generic way. Is XPDL the
current modelling fundament?
No, we use a "fair middle way" model, see wiki and especially
http://wiki.eclipse.org/JWT_Metamodel including comparisons with XPDL
and BPMN, however we're open to adding other "pivotal metamodels"
offering the full set of JWT features, at the condition its integration
is well validated through our samples and test framework. The point is,
graphical tools have for maintainability's sake to edit not any given
format but their own specific metamodels (the extreme being fully
generated graphical tooling like GMF) that can't be generic enough to
encompass concepts from as different BP point of views as e.g. BPEL and
XPDL, and standards have similar limitations. So we settled on the "well
thought" JWT model, and others are supported through transformations
(any kind - we've already use model transformation with ATL and XML
transformation with XSL technologies).
More about this : XPDL is seen as an "executable BP standard", BPEL
being another one, while standard (XPDL, BPEL) compliant engines may
support additional features in custom extensions. BPMN is seen as a help
to design visually and conceptually business processes, to share
diagrams between BP users, BP business designers, as well as a way to
ease the start of the BP developer's work.
The Imixs Modeller is more specific and focusing on the behavior of
teh IX Workflow Engine. So the Imixs Modeller is also working with
ProcessEntities and ActivityEntites an Transitions. But the main goal
is to configure what should happen during a transition inside the
workflow engine. So we model technical things like who should receive
an email or who will be granted read or write access (granting access
is one of the most important features in our implementation)
Security model ? nice, have to see more about this.
So on one Workflow Activity we model a lot of attributes (normally
more then 50). So this can not be mapped through the datatype package
from your model as I understood?
I guess datamapping is lacking for now, at least in the modeler. Though
we've planned to achieve support for proper service oriented databinding
by the end of the year. Note that SOA features will be backed (at least)
by the SCOrWare SOA / SCA platform ( http://www.scorware.org ) - SCA
being non-intrusive enough so using mere web services will work also.
So it would be interesting to combine this two modellers. The general
approach of modelling is important to get an understanding what
happens during the flow. but also the technical details should be
modelled.
As our modeller extend the ProtperyView form Eclipse which an
extendable dialog it is possible to combine the two modellers if you
support an extension point to handle an Object from the class
org.imixs.eclipse.workflowmodeler.model.ModelObject
This object implements the
org.eclipse.ui.views.properties.IPropertySource and is the basic class
of our technical representation of a ProcessEntity or an ActivityEntity.
But I know that graphical eclipse modellers are based on an individual
domain object model and it could be problematic to find a way handle
model objects from another plugin?
Indeed alas. Nonetheless I'd like to hear more about your needs. What
would JWT provide that Imixs Modeler lacks ? Could you give a precise
use case ?
As I sayed before the monitoring part of JWT is also interesting for
our project.
How is it possible to monitor an external Workflow Engine running in a
JEE Container?
I am interesting in reading also more about this part of your project.
Right now we have (expected to be put in the CVS shortly, or is it there
already ?) WorkflowService (instantiate, startActivity etc.) as local
interfaces, and provide their implementations as WS clients, while
providing in the SCOrWare project their configuration / implementation
in SCA allowing for any kind of binding (WS, RMI etc.), as well as said
Bonita Workflow Server implementation. This is expected also for
MonitoringService when we'll work on it, using either an
WorkflowEventHistory (event database) or WorkflowEventListener (dynamic
monitoring) point of view (or both, we'll see ;).
Regards
Marc
Ralph
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