The Workflow Integration Service is a new addition to the Pharm2Phork project and we are still working out a few bugs. The service and web based client are based on the Oryx project at Google Code. Oryx was developed as a network based client server application for the development of BPEL 1/2, Petri Net's and assorted other flavours of workflow. The design is great and we have modified the system to incorporate our Pharm2Phork workflow models.

The workflow engine and client have full support for BPMN 2.0 and is perfect for modelling network applications like our workflows. It is also a good fit for the concepts employed in RDF which has been used in the backend replacing the Oryx Postgres server relational database. We still have a few issues in this arena and so the demos are actually still using the Postgres RDB for the moment. We hope to have this worked out by April/May 2010. Until then we have just left the Postgres support intact as well as the old workflow generator.

A poster with an overview of BPMN 2.0 can be pownloaded as a ptf here. This gives a pretty good idea of the basics. Our workflows are using this standard to describe the nodes and actors in individual supply chain transactions. All of the services, contacts, groups, devices etc. are incorporated in the client and are available as drag and drop icons. Properties are then added where required via the keyboard.

This process is intuative to use and allows you to clone processs from existing definitions only modifying the fields required. Recurring processes can be scheduled or manually cloned to allow for a bit of automation as well. Just drag on a strat event which can be triggered manually, via timer, email, received file in a certian directory .... . Next, define the steps by dragging an event to the form and select the actors, locations or events from a list (based on groups, types etc.). Then just define the completion event and we are done.

We are working on a set of templates that will allow you to generate these very quickly from the first few days of use and later, when you feel comfortable with the system, you can add your own templates as required. There will also be a group that will be able to build your templates for a very reasonable price.

The server side of the application stores and retrieves workflows as well as creating the actual workflow code used by the system to send and receive events for the specific transaction.

Below is a screenshot of the editor and we will have a manual and online video course available shortly to help you get started.