Kevin HudsonOracle CorporationOctober 2001

Evolution of Workflow @ Oracle

from Application to Infrastructure

Brief History of Workflow @ Oracle

• 1993 – Oracle Applications Release 10 – Financials – Manufacturing– Human Resources

• Not Workflow as we would know it.– Order Entry – Order Cycle and Approvals– Purchasing – PO Approval– All “Workflow” capabilities built directly into the

application

Workflow Emerges• 1994 – Oracle Workflow

– Traditional Applications based Workflow– Complete API access to all services

• PL/SQL, • C • Java API

• Requirements driven by Oracle Applications– The move to Self Service Applications– Common rules engine for Oracle Applications– Common Worklist for Oracle Applications– Common configuration model for Oracle Applications

1995 Workflow Takes Hold

• New Applications see the light– Engineering Approval– Self Service Requisition– Self Service Expense Reports– Self Service Human Resource

• Predominately driven by the need for:– Worklist Approvals– Self Service Configuration

Expense Report Processing

Approved

ShortPay

AP Approval

Manager Approval

Server Validation Approve

Reject

Resubmit Report Abort

AP ApprovalProcess

End (Approve)

End (Reject)

Start DetermineWhich ProcessTo Start From

Manager(Spending)ApprovalProcess

RejectionProcess

Server SideValidationProcess

ShortpayUnverified

Receipt Items

AP Standard Expense Report Process

Expense Report Processing

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

YesAP AdjustmentMade Due To

Spending PolicyNonCompliance

Approved(Automatic)

Mark ExpenseReport AsApproved(Manual)

End (ShortPay)

Start AP ExpenseReport Review

Complete

End (Approved)

Inform PreparerThat ExpenseReport Has

Been Adjusted

Get AdjustmentText

Any J ustificationRequired for

Expense Report

Any ReceiptRequired For

Expense Report

Request AP ToReview For

compliance WithSpending Policy

All ExpenseLines Pass AP

Approval

Workflow Marches On

• Established Applications make the move to Workflow– Order Management– Purchasing– General Ledger– Account Receivable

• Workflow becomes a component of the Applications development platform

Non-Production Requests

Procurement Workflow

Approval Workflow

Receive

ASN

Pay on Receipt

AP

MRP/DRP Generated

Requirements

Create Requisitions

AutoRelease

Approved Supplier Lists

Standard POs

Supplier Schedules

Payment

Approved

Suppliers

EDI / Fax

Web

Internet Procurement 100% Lifecycle Automation

Search Catalog(Local or

TPN Register)

Content Loads/Updates

Workflow is much more than approvals

Release 11i Order Management Workflow

Order CyclesWorkflow Processes

Cycle ActionsWorkflow Functions

Cycle ApprovalsWorkflow Notifications

Workflow enforces business rules

Release 11i Order Management Workflow

EndHeader levelInvoice - Order

Book - Order,Manual

Close - OrderEnter

Order Flow - Generic with Header Level Invoicing

Unreserve

Close - LineCreate Supply -Line

Schedule - Line Header LevelInvoice - Line,

Deferred

Enter - Line EndShip - Line,Manual

Line Flow - Generic with Header Level Invoicing

Workflow Enabled e-Business Suite

• ERP– Order Management– Internet Procurement– Self Service Financials– Advanced Planning System– Projects

• HRMS– Candidate Offer – Career Management

Reviews

Release 11i highlights

CRM– Call Center– Service– Contacts– Support– Marketing– iStore

And many more...

RolesUsers

Directory Services

Notification Services

Send

Respond

Forward

Cancel

Query

Oracle Workflow Enabled Application

Oracle 9i server

Engine

Execution

Definition

Administration

Monitoring

Query

WorkflowBuilder

WorkflowLoader

WorkflowDefinition

Files

WorkflowDevelopment

Client

Oracle IAS

NotificationMailer

ApplicationServer

WebNotification

Worklist

WebMonitor

WebAnalysis

Tools

Browser Client

MailApplications

Workflow Components

Workflow Engine

• Heavily based on Oracle database technology– Database Queues (Used internally

by the Workflow Engine )– 100% audit trail in relational tables– Two Phase commit– Transactional Integrity– Scalability, Performance …

o7

Oracle Applications

Oracle Workflow

Oracle 9i

Server Side Architecture Ensures Optimal Performance

So What’s Wrong with all that?

• Nothing!– But… There’s a lot more to Workflow– But… The Oracle Platform has a lot more to offer.

• Workflow was too tightly bound to the applications– Great for Control but… what about collaboration?– What is at the center Workflow or the Applications– We needed to move with the technology– “We needed Business Events”

The Real Break through

• Applications Workflow meets Platform Workflow

OR• Oracle Applications meets Server Technology

OR• Kevin Hudson meets Dieter Gawlick

The Story Continues

• 1998 Workflow Business Event System– Manage Internal and External business processes

that span information system– Workflow process can be started or progressed by

a business event– Workflow activities can initiate a business event

• Workflow loosely bound to the application– Respond to and initiate Business Events

Business Event Driven Workflow• Business Events System

– EVENTs are things which have occurred that might be significant to other objects in a system, or to external systems. The set of possible events is pre-determined by the applications.

– Business Event != Message• Producing the event message may be costly and

should be avoided unless an active subscription requires it.

– Business Event != IT Event• Event Based Subscriptions is a super set of Publish/ Subscribe

– Publish Subscribe is necessary but not complete– Event Based Subscription is an extension over publish/subscribe

From Control To Collaboration

• The evolution from classical API driven Workflow towards business events driven Workflow– Applications raise business events– Workflow consumes business events– Workflow raise business events

• Workflow that can react and respond to Business Events that occur outside their domain– A whole new type of Workflow

• Essential for Application Integration (EAI)

Workflow Moving Down the Technology Stack

• Component of Oracle database technology– Database Queues (Used internally by the

Workflow Engine )– Database Queues ( Used for External

Communication )– Security, Performance, Scalability ( Only truly

achievable as part of the platform )– Database features become more tightly

integrated and consistent with Workflow• e.g LDAPo7

Oracle Applications

Oracle Workflow

Oracle 9i

Server Side Architecture Ensures Optimal Performance

Oracle 9i

With Workflow

Workflow as a component of the Infrastructure

• Provider and Consumer/driver of platform technology, – Consumes database platform (performance,

scalability,security )– Consumes messaging, queuing and pushes the

platform– Provides business events ( drives the requirements

into the platform )• Cooperates on Composite Events• Shows the need for LDAP integration

22

Model Driven Integration

Extends message broker model

Flexible Provides process

view Simple Requires a model

of the business process

ORDER ENTRY

W EB STORE

W AREHOUSE

HUMAN RESOURCES

CREDIT MANAGEMENT

DATA W AREHOUSE

SHIPPING

ACCOUNTING

W orkflow

Order EntryOrder Entry

WarehouseWarehouse

Web StoreWeb Store

WorkflowWorkflow

Credit ManagementCredit Management

AccountingAccounting

Human Resources

Human Resources

ShippingShippingData Warehouse

Data Warehouse

Inter-Enterprise Business Processes

Logistics

BankSupplier A

Supplier B

Internet

IntegrationHub

IntegrationHub

IntegrationHub

IntegrationHub

BusinessEventsSystem

Workflow Engine

Oracle Applications

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

Business Events (XML)

Workflow Business Event System Event driven Workflow processes

Business Events• New Order• Update Order• Cancel Order

RolesUsers

Directory Services

Notification Services

Send

Respond

Forward

Cancel

Query

Oracle Workflow Enabled Application

Oracle server

WorkflowEngine

Execution

Definition

Administration

Monitoring

Query

WorkflowBuilder

WorkflowLoader

WorkflowDefinition

Files

WorkflowDevelopment

Client

IAS

NotificationMailer

ApplicationServer

WebNotification

Worklist

WebMonitor

WebAnalysis

Tools

Browser Client

MailApplications

AQ AQ AQ

AQ AQ AQ

Business Event System

Send

Receive

Raise

Listen

Query

Workflow Components

Business Event Manager

RaiseLocal Events

ListenExternal Events

EventDispatcher

Rule Function

WorkflowProcess

SendBusiness Event

Matching Event Subscription Application

AQ

Event Manager

Workflow Engine

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

AQ

WF_OUT

WF_OUT

WF_IN

WF_IN

AQ Propagation

Event Manager

Workflow Agent Ping/Acknowledge Business Event System

Listen

AQ PropagationListen

Key Messages• One Oracle Workflow product

– Traditional applications based Workflow• Still needed

– e-business integration workflow • Business Events a welcome addition

• Leverages the Oracle technology stack– 9i– Database Queuing…– …