Evolution of Service Processes by Rule Based Transformation

The notion of service is closely coupled with the notion of process in general and of workflow in particular. Processes capture the coordination logic for the various resources involved in the realisation of the service content. Moreover, processes drive the actual delivery of a service. Internal processes underpin the capabilities of a service provider. Delivery processes underpin contractual agreements between service providers and consumers. In both cases, the ability to adapt service processes in response to changing environmental conditions is fundamental. Change must be rapid but at the same time accurate and consistent. In this paper, we present the framework for automated process transformation developed within the context of the FRESCO (Foundational Research on Service Composition) initiative. The conceptual part of the framework builds on the standard workflow meta-model proposed by the WfMC (Workflow Management Coalition). The change logic is expressed by transformation rules that can be automatically applied to the processes underpinning a service. The technical part of the framework specifically targets Web service platforms and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language).