Semantion SOA Virtual Machine (SOA-VM) (Fig. 1) is a component-based service oriented pluggable architectural platform. SOA-VM is based on Semantion SOA Information Model (SOA-IM) and SOA Collaboration Semantics (SOA-CS) specifications.

SOA-IM enables full definition and modeling of all business process entities. The output of a business process model is the Collaborative Process Information Document (CPID), an XML document that contains all SOA-IM entities needed to deploy and execute the process.

SOA-CS enables integration of all SOA-VM architectural components. SOA-VM interprets CPID and with universal process semantics (SOA-CS) embedded in its components, enables process deployment and execution. Semantion SOA-VM provides a unique no-coding business process support. It can virtually execute any process without coding.

While Semantion offers all SOA-VM components except the Agent Framework and Portal, SOA-VM pluggable architecture enables fully open SOA-VM implementations where open standard-based or proprietary components, commercial or open source from any vendor can be used.

SOA-VM is 100% J2EE Java-based platform.

SOA-VM supports all four classes of collaborative processes identified by the Federated Enterprise Reference Architecture (FERA). A different set of components is required for each class:

Class 1: People using dedicated remote systems that are centrally administered (e.g. on-line banking, web sales, government services, etc.). Components required:

• Federation Server
• Federation Gateway
• Portal

Note: The Federation Server includes the Federation Manager, the Federation Registry, and the Securtity Provider. The Agent Interface Manager is bundled with the Federation Manager.

Class 2: People collaborating using multiple federated systems administered by multiple authorities, without requiring full reconciliation of the logic within those systems. Components required:

• Federation Server
• Federation Gateway
• Portal
• Built-in services (e.g. visualization, data analysis, reporting, etc.)

Class 3: Systems exchanging information within a process flow modeled in FERA ontology. Components required:

• Federation Server
• Federation Gateway
• Collaborative Process (CP) Flow Controller
• Agent Framework (optional for synchronous process execution)

Class 4: People collaborating using multiple federated systems, but requiring reconciliation of the business logic between the systems throughout the process execution. Components required:

• Portal
• Federation Server
• CP Flow Controller
• Federation Gateway
• Agent Framework
• Built-In Services (data analysis, visualization, monitoring, reporting, SLA/quality reporting, etc.)

Semantion SOA-VM includes:

• Federation Gateway
• Federation Server with Federation Manager and Federation Registry
• Collaborative Process (CP) Flow Controller with Process Flow Manager, Activity Manager, Decision Manager, Event Manager, and Process Flow Registry

All these components can also be purchased separately.

Federation Server 1.1

The Semantion Federation Server is a component of the Semantion SOA Virtual Machine (SOA-VM) (Fig. 1). It can be purchased as a separate component.

Collaborative contents and contexts are defined and stored on the Federation Server. The Federation Server is a bridge between the external world and the SOA Federation. The Federation Server:

• Coordinates all collaborative activities during the collaborative process execution.
• Stores and version-controls collaborative participants (federates) profiles, the gateway profile, security profiles, business process specifications, collaborative documents, business artifacts and web services information.
• Stores and version controls meta-schemas defining collaborative process flow definitions.
• Processes CPID.
• Communicates with the Gateway, the Portal and the Collaborative Process Flow Controller.

The main components of the Federation Server are:

• The Federation Manager
• The Agent Interface Manager
• The Federation Registry
• The Security Provider

The current release (1.1) of the Semantion Federation Server includes Semantion Federation Manager and Semantion Federation Registry with built-in Security Provider. The Agent Interface Manager will be included in the next release and it is needed if an Agent Framework is used.

Semantion Federation Manager 1.1

Semantion Federation Manager 1.1 is a central coordinator between federates and the SOA Federation. Semantion Federation Manager

• Manages all requests and responses from and to the federates.
• Interprets CPID.
• Uses Security Provider services to perform all needed security authentications and authorizations.
• Manages and queries meta-data and content stored in the Federation Registry.
• Communicates with and provides necessary information for the Agent Interface Manager that manages the interface with the Agent Framework.
• Communicates with and provides necessary information for the Process Flow Manager.

Semantion Federation Registry 3.1

Semantion Federation Registry 3.1 stores, version-controls, queries and maintains collaborative meta-data and content that include collaborative participants (federates) profiles, gateway profile, security profiles, business process specifications, collaborative documents, business artifacts and web services information.

Semantion Federation Registry 3.1 is a J2EE component-based multi-tier registry and repository that implements OASIS/ebXML Registry standard.

Collaborative Process Flow Controller 1.1

The CP Flow Controller includes:

• The Process Flow Manager
• The Activity Manager
• The Decision Manager
• The Event Manager
• The Process Flow Registry

Each collaborative process executed on the Semantion SOA Virtual Machine (SOA-VM) is a set of collaborative process flows and other collaborative entities that provide support for modeling of collaborative processes. The Process Flow Manager manages collaborative process flows. A collaborative process flow is a set of correlated events, activities and decisions that represent collaborations between roles.

In FERA-based SOA, an activity or a decision can be performed by: a web service or an agent or a person or a person using a system with inputs received from the SOA Federation.

The CP Flow Controller can be purchased as a separate component.

Process Flow Manager 1.1

The Process Flow Manager manages collaborative process flows and availability of inputs, outputs, criteria and choices for collaborative processes’ activities and decisions. For example, as soon as a reference to an input becomes available, the Process Flow Manager will retrieve all activities, decisions and events which the input is related to. Based on that information, the Process Flow Manager will send a message to the Activity Manager, or the Decisions Manager, or the Event Manager to start the activity or decision or fire the event’s associated trigger.

At any time, a collaborative process flow is at a specific stage controlled by the Process Flow Manager.

Process Flow Registry 3.1

The Process Flow Registry is fully supported by the Semantion Federation Registry 3.1. It manages all collaborative process flow informational entities: CollaborativeProcessFlow, Activity, Decision, Event, InputOutput, etc..

Event Manager 1.1

The Event Manager manages events. An event is a collaborative element that represents that something happens during the CP flow. Each event has a trigger that creates the event and one or more actions that are the consequences of the event. Events can be organized into clusters or combined to form compound events. They progress through stages in the life cycle whereby each stage change has a meaning to the participants. Events can take place in the SOA Federation context or in the systems that are federated. Other collaborative elements (e.g., users, agents, systems) can subscribe to or publish events.

The Event Manager creates event instances when trigger conditions are met and controls the stages of events based on their trigger and action confirmation availability.

Activity Manager 1.1

An activity is a task or an operation performed by either a SOA federate or a local SOA Federation agent.

The Activity Manager manages execution of activities communicating with the Process Flow Manager and the Process Flow Registry.

When all required inputs for an activity become available, the Process Flow Manager notifies the Activity Manager. The Activity Manager manages the execution of the activity based on the activity related information in the Process Flow Registry. The activity execution generates outputs that become inputs for another activity or criteria for a decision.

The Activity Manager also updates metrics if an activity generates metric information. A metric contains a quantifiable value that belongs to a specific argument that can be referenced in business rules that are used to dynamically control collaborative process flow during the collaborative process execution. Metrics are also used to measure collaborative processes and generate their patterns.

Decision Manager 1.1

Similar to an activity, a decision is made by either a SOA federate or a local SOA Federation agent.

The Decision Manager manages executions of decisions communicating with the Process Flow Manager and the Process Flow Registry.

When all required criteria for a decision become available, the Process Flow Manager notifies the Decision Manager. The Decision Manager manages the execution of the decision based on the decision related information in the Process Flow Registry. When a decision is made, a choice is generated and it becomes an input for another activity or a criteria for another decision.

The Decision Manager also updates metrics if a decision generates metric information.