Controlling commands in workflow management systems

摘要

A method and system for providing selective command control within a WorkFlow Management System (WFMS). The WFMS includes a model of a business process. The model defines process activities as nodes of an arbitrary graph and control flows as directed edges of the graph. Upon receiving an issued command directed to a process instance of said model, a it is determined whether the current activity is defined in a command sphere. The command sphere is a sub-graph of the arbitrary graph and defines one or more permissible commands (i.e., commands which can safely be executed during the current activity). The issued command is executed only if it is defined as permissible within the relevant command sphere.