A framework for the development and execution of horizontal Protocols in open BPM systems

A new generation of open Business Process Management (BPM) systems based on the service-oriented architecture and Web service technologies has recently emerged. The general tendency for these systems should be governed by the integration of independent Web-service specifications. Web services requirements guide the description, execution and choreography of business process and the implementation of frameworks for supporting the coordination, synchronization and creation of business transactions. However, a wide variety of open research issues related to the lack of maturity of the involved specifications makes the development of standard-based BPM systems difficult. In this paper we propose an abstract architecture inspired by Web service specifications to overcome these difficulties. Also, a particular, implementation based on the Nets-within-Nets paradigm and the Renew tool is presented. The result is an executable infrastructure able to run business processes (their workflows and coordination protocols) as well as the horizontal protocols that guarantee a coherent outcome of their whole execution, such as the WS-Atomic Transaction protocol.