Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Validation of Families of Business Processes
Gerd Groner 1 , Christian Wende 2 ,MarkoBoskovic 3 , Fernando Silva Parreiras 1 ,
Tobias Walter 1 , Florian Heidenreich 2 , Dragan Gasevic 3 , and Steffen Staab 1
1 WeST Institute, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany
{ groener,parreiras,walter,staab } @uni-koblenz.de
2 Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany
{ c.wende,florian.heidenreich } @tu-dresden.de
3 Athabasca University, Canada
{ marko.boskovic,dragang } @athabascau.ca
Abstract. A Software Product Line (SPL) is a set of programs that
are developed as a whole and share a set of common features. Product
line's variability is typically specified using problem space models (i.e.,
feature models), solution space models that specify the realization of
functionality and mapping models that link problem and solution space
artifacts. In this paper, we consider this concept in the scope of families
of business processes, whose specificity is that the solution space is de-
fined with business process models. Solution space models are typically
specified as model templates, and thus in the rest of the paper we will
refer to business process model templates. While the previous research
tackled the concepts of families of business processes, there have been
very limited research on their validation.
Keywords: business
process
families,
well-formedness
constraints,
validation, process model variability, configuration.
1
Introduction
The increasing number of software systems with similar required functionality
has led software engineers to move from development of single software systems
to the development of Software Product Lines (SPLs). A SPL is a set of software
systems that share most of the features [1]. Because of the shared commonalities,
development of families improves reusability and is more cost effective [2].
ASPL 1 is typically specified with three kinds of models: problem space mod-
els , solution space models and mapping models [3]. Problem space models define
available features of the members of the SPL, as well as their interdependen-
cies. They are typically used by stakeholders for selection of desired features of
the product. The set of selected features is called configuration . Solution space
models are comprehensive models that specify the realization of complete SPLs.
In this paper, we focus on business process families, i.e., families whose solu-
tion space models are business process model templates. Business process model
1 In this paper, we will use product line and software family interchangeably, even
though one can easily argue that they can not be considered synonymous.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search