Systems and methods for configuration driven integration of services in business process models agnostic of workflow systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing workflow systems require manual reconfiguration and retesting of services across multiple workflows whenever a service changes, leading to inefficiency and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A centralized service registry and transient data store are used to manage service configurations and data interactions, allowing seamless integration of services in business process models without manual rewiring, using a service executor to handle generic service calls and data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual reconfiguration of services is performed for each workflow when a service changes, then service integration accuracy is maintained, but deployment time and maintenance effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service registry as an intermediary component that stores service configuration details and a service executor that acts as a mediator between BPMN workflows and actual services. When a service changes, only the service registry entry needs to be updated, and the service executor automatically retrieves and applies the updated configuration to all affected workflows, eliminating manual reconfiguration while maintaining integration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The service configurations, including service names, parameters, data formats, and interaction details, are pre-registered and stored in the service registry before being used by workflows. This preliminary action allows the system to have service change information ready in advance, so when a service changes, the updated configuration is already available in the registry for automatic retrieval and application, reducing deployment time.
2Manufacturing precision
If service configurations are customized for each individual workflow, then service integration precision is improved, but system complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The service registry serves as a universal configuration repository that stores service details applicable to multiple workflows. The service executor provides a universal interface that handles service invocations across different BPMN workflows using a standardized approach. This universal structure reduces system complexity while maintaining precise service integration through centralized configuration management.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating custom service integration logic for each workflow, the system creates a standardized service executor that copies and applies service configurations from the registry to various workflows. This copying mechanism allows precise service integration to be replicated across multiple workflows without increasing system complexity, as the same proven configuration template is reused.
3Productivity
If services are reused across multiple workflows, then productivity and automation efficiency improve, but maintenance effort increases when services change
Solution Approach 1:
The service registry acts as an intermediary that decouples service definitions from workflow implementations. When a service is reused across multiple workflows, each workflow references the service configuration in the registry rather than having embedded configuration. When the service changes, maintenance effort is reduced because only the registry entry needs to be updated, and the service executor automatically propagates changes to all consuming workflows.
Solution Approach 2:
Service configurations are preliminarily defined and stored in the service registry with all necessary details including service names, parameters, data formats, and interaction protocols. This preliminary configuration allows services to be reused across multiple workflows without increasing maintenance effort, as the pre-defined configuration serves as a single source of truth that can be efficiently updated and propagated.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for configuration driven integration of services in business process models agnostic of a workflow system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving, at a service executor, a generic service call from a business process management notation (BPMN), wherein the generic service call includes a service name parameter, wherein the service name parameter is associated with a service task of the BPMN, and wherein the service name parameter is associated with a service. The service executor can construct a call to the service including required data from a transient data store. The service executor can then receive return data from the service, store the data in the transient data store and respond to the BPMN that the service task has been completed.