Based On J2ee Flexible Workflow Engine Design

To acquire preponderance over global competition, enterprise must rapidly response the market's requirements, constantly adjust their organization mode and their business process. Workflow management is a tool to realize Computer Support Collaboration Work, it can realize the management of workflow entirely or partially automatically. It is convenient for reasonable disposition of personnel and resource, the supervision, examination of workflow to improve working efficiency.To make the workflow management system carry out the work to flow the change of logic according to the actual circumstance flexibly, to adapt the new changes in the process of enterprise running, to respond to the requirements of market, we are forced to improve the flexibility of workflow management system.The flexibility of workflow means, with the help of definition of workflow model and the engine of workflow, that workflow can adapt to the new changes of the enterprise business process without redefinition.Workflow engine is the kernel of the workflow management system. It interprets the process description and controls the instantiation of processes and sequencing of activities, adding work items to the user worklists, and so on.This research aims at realizing the flexible workflow engine and applying it to the system of product data management system, by referring to WfMC, adopting the method of layer design and using the J2EE/EJB technology. Firstly, this thesis introduces the structure of workflow management system and the model of workflow reference and provides theoretical basis. Secondly, this thesis explains the J2EE/EJB technology in detail and provides technical support. Finally, this thesis analyzes and designs the functions and system structures of flexible workflow engine. And it introduces the detailed design and realization of workflow engine meta-model XPDL. Layering design and flexible workflow engine have the following characteristics: safety, expanding and stability, and canbe applied to the project of Tianbo PDM run by Information Industrial Bureau of Shandong Province. It is proved that flexible workflow engine can improve the flexibility of PDM and enterprises can respond to the market changes quickly and improve competition ability and management efficiency.