generating correct epcs from configured c-epcs* jan mendlingvienna university of economics jan...

Generating Correct EPCs from Configured C-EPCs*

Jan Mendling Vienna University of EconomicsJan Recker Queensland University of TechnologyMichael Rosemann Queensland University of TechnologyWil van der Aalst Eindhoven University of Technology

* The research on the C-EPC is financially supported by SAP Research.

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Agenda

1. What is the idea of configurable reference models?

2. What are EPCs, what are Configurable EPCs?

3. How to derive correct EPCs from a configured C-EPC?

4. Conclusion

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Agenda

What is the idea of configurable reference models?

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From Reference Model of Instantiation

modification

X

Reference Model

X

Enterprise Model Process Instances

configuration

X

configurableReference Model

X

Enterprise Model Process Instances

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Agenda

What are EPCs?

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EPC symbols

EPC syntax rules:

• Alternate functions and events

• No OR and XOR split after events

Event

Function

Process Interface

Connectors

Control Flow Arc

EPC Symbols

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EPC example from the SAP reference model

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Agenda

What are Configurable EPCs?

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C-EPC Example

1

A

REQUIREMENTA = OFF Þ OR = AND

2

B

3

C

6

V

4

7

5

D E

V

configurable function

normal function

normal connector

guideline

configurable connector

requirement

GUIDELINED=ON ó E=ON

V

1

A

2

B

3

C

6

V

4

7

5

D E

V

X

Configurable EPC Configured C-EPC

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Agenda

How to derive correct EPCs from a configured C-EPC?

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Three steps to arrive at minimal model

Goal: Calculate Process Graph that is minimal for configured C-EPC

• Derive Configured Connectors

• Derive Configured Functions

• Apply Graph Reduction to Process Graph

Proof-of-Concept Implementation:

Input: C-EPC in EPC Markup Language (EPML) extension

Output: EPC in EPML

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Derive Configured Connectors

Configuration Decision

E1

Transformation

F1

XOR

E2 E3 E4

F2 F3 F4

XOR

E5

XOR

E1

F1

SEQ

E2 E3 E4

F2 F3 F4

XOR

E5

XOR

Result

SEQ(goto E2)

E1

F1

E2

F2

E5

XOR

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Derive Configured Functions

(a)

A

EP

A

EP

“optional”“off”“on”

Build-time Configuration Decision

EP/S

A

EP

XOR

XOR

A A

A

Ex

XOR

Z

XOR

any any anyany

(b)“optional”“off”“on”


ES ES

ES

ES ES

ES

(c)

A

EP

A

EP



A

EP

XOR

XOR

A A

A

Ex

XOR

Z

XOR

any any anyany

(d)“optional”“off”“on”


any any

any

any

any any any

any

do nothing

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Reduce Graph

(a)

A

EP

AND

ANY

EP EP

A

EP

AND

ANY

EP

(b) (d)

A

EP

XOR

ANY

A

EP

XOR

ANY

A

EP

AND

ANY

A

EP

AND

ANY

A

EP

XOR

ANY

EP E1 E2

A

EP

XOR

ANY

EP E12

(e)(c)

ANY

anyE

PC

1an

yEP

C2

anyE

PC

1an

yEP

C2

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The configurable ‚vicious circle‘ example

off

seq

opt

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Derive Configured Functions 1

off

opt

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opt

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Resulting EPC Process ModelIs functionexecuted?

yes

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yes

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Agenda

Conclusion

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Conclusion

• Configuration is promising to leverage reuse of reference models

• Configurable reference models make configuration choices explicit

• Future research:

• Tool support within ProM

• Engineering of configurable models

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Thank you for your attention!

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Agenda

What are the problems of deriving configured EPC?

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Example of a C-Function in a Sequence

Node context

A

EP

ES

Variant 1

A

EP

ES

Variant 1

A

Ex

ES

XOR

Z

EP

A

ES

EP

XOR

EP/S

Variant 3 Variant 5Variant 4



XORXOR

EP/S

Variant 1 Variant 2

A

EP

ES

XOR

XOR

A

ES

EP

XOR

XOR

A

EP

XOR

ES

XOR

skipA

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Agenda

How to derive configured EPCs?

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Why XML-based C-EPCs?

• Have C-EPCs machine-processable for

• Validation: are requirements met?

• Transformation: calculate EPC from C-EPC

• Interchange: separate modeling and deployment

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Configurable Functions

• Configurability: mark function as configurable

• Configuration: assign ON, OPT, or OFF to configurable function

<function id ='7' name='A'>

<configurableFunction>

<configuration value='off'/>

</configurableFunction>

</function>

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Configurable Connectors

• Configurability: mark connector as configurable

• Configuration: assign AND, XOR, OR, or SEQ to c-connector depending on c-connector type

<or id ='9'>

<configurableConnector>

<configuration value='and'/>

</configurableConnector>

</or>

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Further Configurability Aspects

• Configuration Requirements:constraints on the allowed configuration – must hold true

• Configuration Guidelines:advises on actual configuration – should hold true

• Configuration Order:recommended partial order identifying configuration sequences

<configurationRequirement idRefs=’list of xs:integer’>

<if xpath=’xpath-statement’/>

<then xpath=’xpath-statement’/>

</configurationRequirement>

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C-EPC Validator based on XSLT

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Conclusion



• Derivation of EPCs from C-EPCs


• Tool support


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Three steps to arrive at minimal model

Goal: Calculate Process Graph that is minimal for configured C-EPC

• Derive Configured Connectors

• Derive Configured Functions

• Apply Graph Reduction to Process Graph

Proof-of-Concept Implementation:

Input: C-EPC in EPC Markup Language (EPML) extension

Output: EPC in EPML

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Derive Configured Connectors

Configuration Decision

E1

Transformation

F1

XOR

E2 E3 E4

F2 F3 F4

XOR

E5

XOR

E1

F1

SEQ

E2 E3 E4

F2 F3 F4

XOR

E5

XOR

Result

SEQ(goto E2)

E1

F1

E2

F2

E5

XOR

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Derive Configured Functions

(a)

A

EP

A

EP



EP/S

A

EP

XOR

XOR

A A

A

Ex

XOR

Z

XOR

any any anyany

(b)“optional”“off”“on”


ES ES

ES

ES ES

ES

(c)

A

EP

A

EP



A

EP

XOR

XOR

A A

A

Ex

XOR

Z

XOR

any any anyany

(d)“optional”“off”“on”


any any

any

any

any any any

any

do nothing

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Reduce Graph

(a)

A

EP

AND

ANY

EP EP

A

EP

AND

ANY

EP

(b) (d)

A

EP

XOR

ANY

A

EP

XOR

ANY

A

EP

AND

ANY

A

EP

AND

ANY

A

EP

XOR

ANY

EP E1 E2

A

EP

XOR

ANY

EP E12

(e)(c)

ANY

anyE

PC

1an

yEP

C2

anyE

PC

1an

yEP

C2

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The configurable ‚vicious circle‘ example

off

seq

opt

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off

opt

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opt

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yes

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yes

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Agenda

Conclusion

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Conclusion




• Tool support


generating correct epcs from configured c-epcs* jan mendlingvienna university of economics jan...

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