Towards a framework and platform for mobile, distributed workflow enactment services on a possible future of ERP infrastructure

Abstract

In this paper we represent a workflow management system architecture that realizes a sweet spot between the robustness of a centralized master workflow management enactment service and the flexibility of distributed disconnected workflow management services. The architecture emerged in a concrete scenario with the requirement that traveling business agents can proceed working with their supporting enterprise application even if they are disconnected from the Internet and therefore disconnected from their enterprise IT infrastructure. So far, the solution deals with the data and workflow state facets of the problem and appropriate data and workflow state synchronization are key characteristics of the solution. On the visionary side, the realized architecture can be turned into a general framework for robust distributed workflow-based systems. Such architecture will generalize the central workflow enactment service to become a hub for distributing not only data and workflow state but also the mobile code that makes up the enterprise application. Then, the crucial element of such an architecture will be a sandbox virtual machine for the distributed slaves that interplay in data, workflow, and code synchronization.