Timing constraint workflow nets for workflow analysis

The analysis of the correctness and rationality of a workflow model plays an important role in the research of workflow techniques and successful implementation of workflow management. This paper points out the relevant problems in the verification and analysis of a workflow model. It discusses two important properties: schedulability and boundedness of a workflow model considering timing constraints. To specify the timing constraints, WorkFlow net is extended with time information, leading to timing constraint workflow net (TCWF-net). This paper presents a model mapping method to convert a directed network graph (DNG) based workflow model, which is built by a graphic process modeling language extended with time information, into a TCWF-net. It then discusses its schedulability verification and synthesis. An algorithm to decompose an acyclic and free-choice TCWF-net into a set of T-components is presented, followed by a boundedness verification method. The usefulness of the research results is illustrated by an example.