Matching algorithms for composing business process solutions with web services

Abstract

The automation of process integration with Web service technologies requires the automation of discovery and composition of Web services. This paper addresses these two problems in the Web service-based business process integration: the discovery of Web services based on the capabilities and properties of published services, and the composition of business processes based on the business requirements of submitted requests. The proposed solution comprises multiple matching algorithms, a micro-level matching algorithm, which matches the capabilities of services with activities in a process request, and macro-level matching algorithms, which are used to compose a business process by identifying services that satisfy the business requirements and constraints of the request. The solution from the macro-level matching algorithms is optimal in terms of meeting a certain business objective, e.g., minimizing the cost or execution time, or maximizing the total utility value of business properties of interest.