WfMC Interfaces

OBE implements several of the WfMC's Open Workflow Standards.

Interface 1: XPDL Workflow Metamodel

XPDL (XML Process Definition Language) is an XML dialect used to define portable workflow processes which conform to the WfMC workflow metamodel.  OBE supports all the core XPDL features and also provides various extensions. See this link for further details.

Interface 2: Worklist Client

WAPI (Workflow API) is an API to a WfMS (Workflow Management System). It also defines the meta-model for runtime process, activity and work item instances and the lifecycles associated with each.  The WAPI standard is defined in terms of the C language and also provides a COM binding.  OBE implements a Java language binding that was derived from the C binding by applying simple transformation rules which embodied Java language best practices. See this link for further details.

Interface 3: Tool Agent

The ToolAgent API is the API which acts on behalf of a WFMS to invoke external applications. OBE uses this API to invoke both external applications and internal custom or predefined procedures. See this link for further details.

Interface 4: Wf-XML

Interface 4 is an extensibility interface that enables communication between a WfMS and external programs.  The interface enables processes and their instances to be created, managed and queried using an asynchronous request-response protocol.  Wf-XML is the XML binding; there are also bindings to other formats such as MIME.  OBE does not currently support Interface 4. See this link for further details.

Interface 5: Audit Data

Interface 5 defines the format of the audit data which a conformant WfMS must generate during workflow enactment.  The Interface 5 API defines the audit record formats as C language structures - OBE implements a Java binding in which the structs are implemented as read-only JavaBeans and in which composition is replaced by inheritance. See this link for further details.