A fully distributed architecture for large scale workflow enactment

Abstract

Standard client-server workflow management systems are usually designed as client-server systems. The central server is responsible for the coordination of the workflow execution and, in some cases, may manage the activities database. This centralized control architecture may represent a single point of failure, which compromises the availability of the system. We propose a fully distributed and configurable architecture for workflow management systems. It is based on the idea that the activities of a case (an instance of the process) migrate from host to host, executing the workflow tasks, following a process plan. This core architecture is improved with the addition of other distributed components so that other requirements for Workflow Management Systems, besides sealability, are also addressed. The components of the architecture were tested in different distributed and centralized configurations. The ability to configure the location of components and the use of dynamic allocation of tasks were effective for the implementation of load balancing policies.