Adaptive Web processes using value of changed information

Abstract

Web process composition is receiving much attention as an important problem for the services oriented computing community. Most compositions built by planning methods use a pre-defined model of the process environment. These methods have assumed that the information in the models and consequently the compositions remain static and accurate throughout the life cycle of the Web process. We describe an approach that accounts for the dynamic nature of services by formulating a system that queries external sources intelligently. We give a method for measuring the value of change that revised information may potentially introduce in the Web process. We provide an algorithm that calculates and uses this value to optimally adapt the Web process to possible changes in the environment. Using two realistic scenarios, we show our idea and compare its performance to alternative approaches. © 2006 Springer-Verlag.