's BlogArchitecture & Process: What was WfXML-R doing at that conference? 1
Since Sandy Kemsley asked the question, I will try to attempt to explain this a second time.
Architecture & Process 2008 is a great avenue to expose users & architects to new key technologies.
Enterprise Architecture and current BPM initiatives are pretty much based on a SOAP-based architecture. This is a wonderful high-octane technology, if you and your pit crew can afford it. But this is reserved to an elite group targeting a niche market: Corporate America 500 that can afford it.
WfXML-R targets that rest of the market (or the remaining 80% of it) with a simpler approach based on several Web 2.0 standards and protocols including Atom/AtomPub, GData, OpenSearch and OpenID/OAuth to manage user authentication, secure transactions and user authority delegation to workflows. The last two standards were the final keystones to a RESTful architecture that can be used at the Enterprise level.
So what is this doing at this Conference? Hummmmm????
An RESTful interoperable and non-proprietary standard sponsored by the WfMC and the OpenGeoSpatial Consortium will be a huge achievement for this Community.
The OGC demonstrated three interoperable workflow engines during OWS-5 using WfXML-R inclusing OpenWFE and a BPEL engine. Hitachi Interstage and the SUNGARD Carnot may very well be next based on discussions we had this week.
It is at least satisfying that some other people such as Jason Woodruff got it right away and seem pretty excited about it. And yes, Jason, Interface 3 could be another one that ought to be included. But not this time! BPAF is next and I will let Michael zur Muelhen announce it very soon :).
RESTful WfXML accepted by the WfMC 4
After three days working with the WfMC technical committee in Washigton DC this week, Wf-XML will hopefully get its official RESTful bindings very soon. Keith Swenson has been extremely supportive and enthusiastic about the effort. We will probably see the Fujitsu Interstage engine sporting the new bindings following closely the efforts on the SUNGARD Carnot engine led by Michael zur Muehlen and Phil Hansen at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. There are rumors of a possible interoperability bake-off to be announced in a few months…Hummmm…Stand-by!
An intersting question came up. How do you explain the difference between SOAP and REST in less than 30 seconds without using any technical terms?
Let’s try this metaphor:
Toyota Camry: Great american favorite, inexpensive, easy to drive, low maintenance, last forever… You can pass it on to your kids.
Toyota Indy complete with Pit Crew Support – High technology, exciting, cool, expensive, needs that crew. Is this for your market?
Is this getting close?
New WfXML-R Prototype Effort at the Stevens Institute
As part of his Bachelor Thesis “The application of Wf-XML to scientific workflow: a satellite imaging case study” Philipp Hansen is currently working with us on a proof of concept prototype for WfXML-R at the Stevens Institute of Technology. His advisor there is Michael zur Muehlen.
He is following a two step approach. First step is the implementation of a WfXML-R interface for Sungard’s Carnot Workflow Engine, which already features the ASAP-based Wf-XML for workflow interoperability. This implementation will be tested with scientific workflows within NASA sensor web environment.
The second step is publishing and discovery of available workflows via APP according to the current WfXML-R version.
This will be the fourth implementation of WfXML-R for RESTFul Workflow Engines.
OWS-5 Interoperability Demo
St Louis, Mar 28, 2008
Just completed a full week of OGC meetings in St Louis. This is the conclusion of OWS-5 (OGC Web Services Interoperability Demo #5) with more than 30 participants.
The NASA SensorWeb is deeply involved in Earth Observation, Natural Resources & Environment. We presented our current ROA-based architecture used to support many pilots and operational demonstrations.
Flip through the presentation on Slideshare and
Watch the first 7mn video here
or this one here as a more technical oriented version (10mn .mov)
GeoBliki in Sensors Magazine
A great article from Sam Bacharach published in Sensors Magazine. The OGC SensorWeb Enablement is picking up some steam. We are greatly appreciative to NASA, one of our sponsors.
The OGC interoperability demonstrations such as OWS-4 and OWS-5, are crucial for standard adoption. As mentioned in the article, our focus for OWS-5 is in enterprise workflow scenarios (geobpms) for national or international emergency response such as fires or floods.