以代理人技術為基礎來設計一個新的工作流程管理系統

Abstract

傳統的工作流程管理系統基本上是一個單一中央集中管理式的架構，這點從現今的網際網路系統觀點來看顯得慢又不適宜，其流程的執行會受到事先定義好的資源分配所限制，在任務排班上面也缺少其調度的彈性；它跟所有使用者之間的操作介面都是固定的，缺少了因人因環境而異的可變通性。基於以上所提及的種種不方便因素考量下，這篇論文引進了代理人的觀念技術到工作流程管理的技術上，藉由代理人本身所具備的性質以及其運作的機制來提出一個新的工作流程管理系統的模式，此架構對上述所提到的不方便性，提供一個合理而且有彈性的解決方式。

The traditional workflow management systems (WfMSs) are based on a centralized architecture, which need be modified to suit for the Internet technology nowadays. For example, a workflow is restricted to pre-defined resource allocation constraints, and the routing decisions of flow processes cannot be changed easily and dynamically, i.e. lack of schedule flexibility. The operation data filled in a manipulation interface is generally fixed and carried to all participants based on a process generator. It is not flexible to provide suitable views and operations for different participants or roles. Besides, if the operation data is small, it is not necessary to apply current big applications to interact with participants. Thus, this thesis introduces agent and artifact technologies into WfMSs and presents a new WfMS architecture that could provide adequate and flexible solutions to cope with these shortcomings.