Mixing paradigms for more comprehensible models

TY - CHAP

T1 - Mixing paradigms for more comprehensible models

AU - Westergaard, Michael

AU - Slaats, Tijs

N1 - Conference code: 11

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Petri nets efficiently model both data- and control-flow. Control-flow is either modeled explicitly as flow of a specific kind of data, or implicit based on the data-flow. Explicit modeling of control-flow is useful for well-known and highly structured processes, but may make modeling of abstract features of models, or processes which are highly dynamic, overly complex. Declarative modeling, such as is supported by Declare and DCR graphs, focus on control-flow, but does not specify it explicitly; instead specifications come in the form of constraints on the order or appearance of tasks. In this paper we propose a combination of the two, using colored Petri nets instead of plain Petri nets to provide full data support. The combined approach makes it possible to add a focus on data to declarative languages, and to remove focus from the explicit control-flow from Petri nets for dynamic or abstract processes. In addition to enriching both procedural processes in the form of Petri nets and declarative processes, we also support a flow from modeling only abstract data- and control-flow of a model towards a more explicit control-flow model if so desired. We define our combined approach, and provide considerations necessary for enactment. Our approach has been implemented in CPN Tools 4.

AB - Petri nets efficiently model both data- and control-flow. Control-flow is either modeled explicitly as flow of a specific kind of data, or implicit based on the data-flow. Explicit modeling of control-flow is useful for well-known and highly structured processes, but may make modeling of abstract features of models, or processes which are highly dynamic, overly complex. Declarative modeling, such as is supported by Declare and DCR graphs, focus on control-flow, but does not specify it explicitly; instead specifications come in the form of constraints on the order or appearance of tasks. In this paper we propose a combination of the two, using colored Petri nets instead of plain Petri nets to provide full data support. The combined approach makes it possible to add a focus on data to declarative languages, and to remove focus from the explicit control-flow from Petri nets for dynamic or abstract processes. In addition to enriching both procedural processes in the form of Petri nets and declarative processes, we also support a flow from modeling only abstract data- and control-flow of a model towards a more explicit control-flow model if so desired. We define our combined approach, and provide considerations necessary for enactment. Our approach has been implemented in CPN Tools 4.

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-642-40176-3_24

DO - 10.1007/978-3-642-40176-3_24

M3 - Bidrag til bog/antologi

SN - 978-3-642-40175-6

T3 - Lecture notes in computer science

SP - 283

EP - 290

BT - Business Process Management

A2 - Daniel, Florian

A2 - Wang, Jianmin

A2 - Weber, Barbara

PB - Springer

T2 - 11th International Conference on Business Process Management

Y2 - 26 August 2013 through 30 August 2013

ER -