(DBWORLD) Reminder: DEXA Workshop on Workflow Management in Scientific and Engineering Applications

Gottfried Vossen (vossen@helios.uni-muenster.de)
Wed, 16 Apr 1997 14:37:02 -0500 (CDT)

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CALL FOR PAPERS

DEXA Workshop on Workflow Management in Scientific and Engineering Applications

2 September 1997

in conjunction with 8th International DEXA Conference 1997, Toulouse, France

1. Description

Workflow management has gained increasing attention recently, since it allows
the combination of a data-oriented view on applications, which is the
traditional one for information systems, with a process-oriented one in which
activities and their occurrences over time are modeled and supported properly.
Workflow management has thus far been considered mostly in business
applications, and a number of workflow management systems for business
applications are already commercially available. Since
workflow management combines influences from a variety of disciplines,
including cooperative information systems, computer-supported
cooperative work, groupware systems, or active databases, it has recently
attracted the attention of non-business application domains as well. In particular,
workflow management is of increasing interest to scientists and to engineers
who, for example, carry out experiments in a laboratory (e.g., soil analysis,
DNA sequencing), design work in a computerized environment or perform once-off
processes (such as critical detector assembly). What such applications share
is the fact that processes to be executed are frequently (sequences of) events
with undetermined outcomes or outcomes which can evolve as the experiment
advances, so that the structure of the entire process is difficult to determine
in advance. Nevertheless, modeling, execution control, and documentation (for
the purpose of reuse) are highly relevant. From a workflow point of view, the
important features found in these applications include flexibility in structuring
and modeling workflows with a complex (or nested) inner structure of individual
steps, the treatment of failures which can be more complex than dealing
with ordinary cases, or system functionality features such as browsing and
visualization, documentation, or coupling with external tools, e.g., for analysis.

The domain of scientific applications (in particular in the
natural sciences) and that of engineering applications thus seem particularly
appropriate for the exploitation of workflow technology, since they involve
processes in which humans and machines interact in considerable numbers,
and could benefit from the automation in the execution of such processes.
However, the requirement for workflow management in these areas differs
significantly from those in business. Consequently, there has been little work
so far towards an in-depth understanding of the relevant issues. It
is the goal of the proposed workshop to contribute towards closing this gap.
In the light of the demanding questions and of the fact that commercial
developments in the workflow management area have so far ignored scientific
and engineering applications, this workshop seeks to bring together researchers
in the field and aims at advancing the knowledge about scientific workflow
management.

2. Topics of Interest

We particularly encourage contributions from researchers who conduct projects
in the domains described above and who are willing to share their experiences
with a broader audience.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

-- modeling tools for incomplete and ad-hoc workflows
-- dynamic modification of workflow specifications
-- platform independence
-- experience from application areas such as geoprocessing,
molecular biology, laboratory management, mechanical and
electrical engineering
-- experiences in using commercial workflow management tools for
scientific applications
-- integration of workflow management and product data management
-- laboratory information management systems
-- exploitation of Internet technology
-- exploitation of distributed systems technology in workflow management
-- architecture of scientific workflow management systems
-- distribution issues and platforms

3. Submissions

Short original contributions regarding the above or related issues are welcome.
Detailed abstract papers should be in English and not exceed 5 double spaced
pages or 1000 words. The cover page should include the title, name and affiliation
of the author(s), contact address, email, fax and telephone. Final papers should
not exceed 10 single spaced pages.

Papers should be sent electronically (postscript) not later than
21 April 1997 to the following address:

vossen@helios.uni-muenster.de

Due to the explorative nature of a workshop, submissions will mainly be read
for relevance of the respective contribution to the topic of the workshop.
The DEXA workshop proceedings will be published by IEEE Computer Society Press.

4. Timetable

Submission deadline 21 April 1997
Notification of acceptance 12 May 1997
Final paper due 26 May 1997

5. Organization Committee

Anthony Bonner, University of Toronto, Canada
Gerti Kappel, University of Linz, Austria
Jean-Marie Le Goff, CERN, Switzerland
Richard McClatchey, University West of England, UK
Amit Sheth, University of Georgia, USA
Helmut Thoma, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland
Gottfried Vossen, University of Muenster, Germany (chair)
Mathias Weske, University of Muenster, Germany

6. Further Information

Further information can be obtained from the DEXA Workshop Chairperson:

Prof. R.R. Wagner
Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW)
University of Linz
A-4040 Linz
Austria

Phone: +43 732 244962
Fax: +43 732 243989
Email: rrw@faw.uni-linz.ac.at

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