Structural patterns for soundness of business process models

B.F. Dongen, van; J. Mendling; W.M.P. Aalst, van der

doi:10.1109/EDOC.2006.56

Structural patterns for soundness of business process models

B.F. Dongen, van, J. Mendling, W.M.P. Aalst, van der

Information Systems IE&IS

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The correctness of business process models is of paramount importance for the application on an enterprise level. A severe problem is that several languages for business process modelling do not have formal execution semantics which is a prerequisite to check correctness criteria. In this context, soundness defines a minimum correctness criterion that a process model should fulfill. In this paper we present a novel approach to reason about soundness based on so-called causal footprints. A causal footprint represents a set of conditions on the order of activities that holds for every case of a process model. We identify three kinds of error patterns that affect the soundness of a process model, namely the deadlock pattern, the multiple termination pattern, and the trap pattern. We use Eventdriven Process Chains (EPCs) and Petri nets to demonstrate the applicability of our approach for both conceptual as for formal process modelling languages. Furthermore, it can easily be applied to other languages, such as UML activity diagrams or BPEL. Based on the trap pattern, we prove that the .vicious circle., that is heavily discussed in EPC literature, is unsound.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC'06, Hong Kong, October 16-20, 2006)
Editors	P. Hung, Q. Li, D. Sparrow
Place of Publication	Piscataway
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
Pages	116-128
ISBN (Print)	0-7695-2558-X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/EDOC.2006.56
Publication status	Published - 2006
Event	10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2006) - Hong Kong, Hong Kong Duration: 16 Oct 2006 → 20 Oct 2006 Conference number: 10 http://www4.comp.polyu.edu.hk/~edoc06/

Conference

Conference	10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2006)
Abbreviated title	EDOC 2006
Country/Territory	Hong Kong
City	Hong Kong
Period	16/10/06 → 20/10/06
Internet address	http://www4.comp.polyu.edu.hk/~edoc06/

Access to Document

10.1109/EDOC.2006.56

Cite this

Dongen, van, B. F., Mendling, J., & Aalst, van der, W. M. P. (2006). Structural patterns for soundness of business process models. In P. Hung, Q. Li, & D. Sparrow (Eds.), Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC'06, Hong Kong, October 16-20, 2006) (pp. 116-128). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDOC.2006.56

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title = "Structural patterns for soundness of business process models",

abstract = "The correctness of business process models is of paramount importance for the application on an enterprise level. A severe problem is that several languages for business process modelling do not have formal execution semantics which is a prerequisite to check correctness criteria. In this context, soundness defines a minimum correctness criterion that a process model should fulfill. In this paper we present a novel approach to reason about soundness based on so-called causal footprints. A causal footprint represents a set of conditions on the order of activities that holds for every case of a process model. We identify three kinds of error patterns that affect the soundness of a process model, namely the deadlock pattern, the multiple termination pattern, and the trap pattern. We use Eventdriven Process Chains (EPCs) and Petri nets to demonstrate the applicability of our approach for both conceptual as for formal process modelling languages. Furthermore, it can easily be applied to other languages, such as UML activity diagrams or BPEL. Based on the trap pattern, we prove that the .vicious circle., that is heavily discussed in EPC literature, is unsound.",

author = "{Dongen, van}, B.F. and J. Mendling and {Aalst, van der}, W.M.P.",

year = "2006",

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note = "10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2006), EDOC 2006 ; Conference date: 16-10-2006 Through 20-10-2006",

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Dongen, van, BF, Mendling, J & Aalst, van der, WMP 2006, Structural patterns for soundness of business process models. in P Hung, Q Li & D Sparrow (eds), Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC'06, Hong Kong, October 16-20, 2006). IEEE Computer Society, Piscataway, pp. 116-128, 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2006), Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 16/10/06. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDOC.2006.56

Structural patterns for soundness of business process models. / Dongen, van, B.F.; Mendling, J.; Aalst, van der, W.M.P.
Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC'06, Hong Kong, October 16-20, 2006). ed. / P. Hung; Q. Li; D. Sparrow. Piscataway: IEEE Computer Society, 2006. p. 116-128.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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N2 - The correctness of business process models is of paramount importance for the application on an enterprise level. A severe problem is that several languages for business process modelling do not have formal execution semantics which is a prerequisite to check correctness criteria. In this context, soundness defines a minimum correctness criterion that a process model should fulfill. In this paper we present a novel approach to reason about soundness based on so-called causal footprints. A causal footprint represents a set of conditions on the order of activities that holds for every case of a process model. We identify three kinds of error patterns that affect the soundness of a process model, namely the deadlock pattern, the multiple termination pattern, and the trap pattern. We use Eventdriven Process Chains (EPCs) and Petri nets to demonstrate the applicability of our approach for both conceptual as for formal process modelling languages. Furthermore, it can easily be applied to other languages, such as UML activity diagrams or BPEL. Based on the trap pattern, we prove that the .vicious circle., that is heavily discussed in EPC literature, is unsound.

AB - The correctness of business process models is of paramount importance for the application on an enterprise level. A severe problem is that several languages for business process modelling do not have formal execution semantics which is a prerequisite to check correctness criteria. In this context, soundness defines a minimum correctness criterion that a process model should fulfill. In this paper we present a novel approach to reason about soundness based on so-called causal footprints. A causal footprint represents a set of conditions on the order of activities that holds for every case of a process model. We identify three kinds of error patterns that affect the soundness of a process model, namely the deadlock pattern, the multiple termination pattern, and the trap pattern. We use Eventdriven Process Chains (EPCs) and Petri nets to demonstrate the applicability of our approach for both conceptual as for formal process modelling languages. Furthermore, it can easily be applied to other languages, such as UML activity diagrams or BPEL. Based on the trap pattern, we prove that the .vicious circle., that is heavily discussed in EPC literature, is unsound.

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ER -

Structural patterns for soundness of business process models

Abstract

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