WFXML

This document represents a workflow protocol that aims for interoperable, reliable, and practical interactions between services using HTTP protocol. This protocol is based on Wf-XML and extended for the sake of enterprise EDI applications.

Wf-XML defines more precise interfaces and data model than WfMC interface4, using URI to identify a resource that enables easy inquiries to a resource. Wf-XML provides the interfaces to search for process instances of each process definition in addition to the interface to create and terminate a process instance. We developed a practical enterprise EDI system using Wf-XML (to be exact, we used SWAP, origin of Wf-XML). As a result, Wf-XML is proved to be useful for developing EDI systems. However, we need to add some tags and interfaces to Wf-XML because Wf-XML falls short of some essential functions for EDI systems, that is, asynchronous messaging and multiple messaging. Enterprise interoperability will not be promoted if each system needs to add or modify a protocol respectively.

Wf-XML defines more precise interfaces and data model than WfMC interface4, using URI to identify a resource that enables easy inquiries to a resource. Wf-XML provides the interfaces to search for process instances of each process definition in addition to the interface to create and terminate a process instance. We developed a practical enterprise EDI system using Wf-XML (to be exact, we used SWAP, origin of Wf-XML). As a result, Wf-XML is proved to be useful for developing EDI systems. However, we need to add some tags and interfaces to Wf-XML because Wf-XML falls short of some essential functions for EDI systems, that is, asynchronous messaging and multiple messaging. Enterprise interoperability will not be promoted if each system needs to add or modify a protocol respectively.