The Workflow Model Based On UML Activity Diagram

The Workflow technology is the business process core technology, because that it can achieves modeling, simulation, ptimization, management and integration, and finally automation. Technologys in workflow, one of the key issues is the study of workflow model theory. The quality of the workflow model is significant meaning to implementation and performance of the entire workflow management system. How to build a simple, flexible dividend performance and accord the standards of workflow model is the focus of development and the concern of users. Now, the workflow model based on UML Activity Diagram has became a hot theoretical research. And, UML 2.0 Activity Diagram has improved many shortages of UML1.X, it could be more accurately described the workflow.This paper researches into the workflow model based on UML 2.0 Activity Diagram. First of all, this paper has a in-depth study on the theory of the workflow model, presents a four-layer framework of the workflow—meta-model layer, model layer, instance layer and implementation layer, gives a new three-dimensional expansion on the basis of the WfMC′s workflow meta-model and the theorys from predecessors. The process meta-model is as the core of the three-dimensional meta-model, organization meta-model, resource meta-model and rule meta-model are its three latitudes, and the various datas of workflow are in the space of three latitudes. Refining the elements of the workflow model, enumerating the existed methods of workflow modeling and its improvement directions. Secondly, after summarizing the new identitys of UML2.0 Activity Diagram and analyzing its application advantages in workflow model, we integrate the new features of UML Activity Diagram and the expansion capacitys of UML, propose a model based on UML 2.0 Activity Diagram--named WfMU2AD, present its elements of various sub-model and the mapping to the elements of UML 2.0 Activity Diagram,give its six basic routing structures and eight rules of modeling. Finally, we give a simple workflow model based on WfMU2AD and have demonstrated this method, and have a conclusion that this modeling method is suitable for the description of workflow model.