工作流管理规范综述

The Workflow Management Specification Overview

一、引言近几年来,工作流管理(Workflow Management)技术的研究与应用都取得了快速发展,许多软件开发商推出了自己的工作流产品。产品的繁多推动了技术应用的进步,使开发商可以把注意力集中到特殊的应用功能上,但同时也带来了技术的不兼容性,使得各种工作流产品之间、工作流系统同其他应用系统之间难以实现互操作。因此,必须要有一套规范化的工作流管理标准。工作流管理联盟(WfMC)正是在这样的形势下于1993年成立的。

Workflow Management is a fast evolving technology, many software vendors have WFM products available today in the market. To enable interoperability between heterogeneous workflow products and improve integration of workflow applications with other IT services,it is necessary to work out common specifications. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework to specifications for implementation in workflow products developed by the WFM Coalition. It provides a common 'Reference Model' for workflow management systems.