Fragmented Workflows Supported by an Agent Based Architecture

Within the distributed systems area, specific software solutions are required due to the distribution of systems and their users in time and space. A key role can be seen in the coordination of processes in this context. Applications that support the work of people and enterprises within such settings need to support requirements such as flexibility, autonomy, coordination and synchronization. An example is the coordination of distributed interorganizational workflows. The dynamic adaptation of workflows is of particular importance in this area, since enterprises need to dynamically adapt to changes in market and to new demands. Another example for such a setting, where a workflow needs to be constantly adopted are virtual enterprises e.g. production workflows, where changing partnerships lead to changing requirements. Based on the formal modelling technique of high-level Petri nets we use workflow nets and an agent framework, both tool supported. This leads directly to an innovative architecture in this field combining several former approaches with respect to their advantages.