1. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
4th IEEE Workshop on Agile Cooperative
Process-Aware Information Systems
An Architecture for Collaboration Patterns in Agile Event-Driven
Environments
Yiannis Verginadis
Dimitris Apostolou
Nikos Papageorgiou
Gregoris Mentzas
Information Management Unit
Institute of Communication and Computer
Systems
National Technical University of Athens

2. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

3. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Introduction
 Modern enterprises tend to form virtual but legally consolidated
schemas for collaborating (Virtual Organizations) in order to function
and survive in constantly changing grounds.
 Due to the dynamic nature of this environment, the flexible
decomposition of collaboration into reusable chunks is needed.
 The reuse of segments of collaborative work (Collaboration
Patterns) can constitute an advantage in collaborative
environments, where there is an increased need for modeling,
executing, monitoring and supporting the dynamic nature of
collaborations.
 The static workflow models become inappropriate, as independent
enterprises come together to share skills, core competencies and
resources.

4. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

5. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Concept of Patterns
 the word pattern has appeared almost entirely due to the
work of Christopher Alexander in architecture.
 he defined a pattern as a “morphological law that
explains how to design an artifact in order to solve a
problem in a specific context”. [Alexander et al., 1977]
 the first notable publication in the context of software
engineering was the book "Design Patterns: Elements of
Reusable Object-Oriented Software" by the so-called
Gang of Four [Gamma et al., 1995], that advanced the
popularity of patterns in computer science.

6. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Collaboration Patterns (1/2)
“A collaboration pattern is a prescription which
addresses a collaborative problem that may occur
repeatedly in the environment. It describes the
forms of collaboration and the proven solutions to
a collaboration problem and appears as a
recurring group of actions that enable efficiency in
both the communication and the implementation
of a successful solution. The collaboration pattern
can be used as is in the same application domain
or it can be abstracted and used as a primitive
building block beyond its original domain.”

7. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Collaboration Patterns (2/2)
 For a solid and unambiguous description of Collaboration
Patterns, we need a model that captures the important
aspects of a CPat.
 This model involves attributes that present the description
of the problem and its solution that the CPat can address
in a specific context.
 It also involves the triggering aspects along with the pre-
conditions that must hold, in order the execution of a
CPat’s solution to be meaningful.

8. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Collaboration Patterns Model

9. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

10. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs (1/2)
 The CPat lifecycle involves the following phases:
 Based on this lifecycle we have defined a number of Collaboration
Pattern Services (Design time & Run time)

11. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs (2/2)
 Design - time services - Collaboration Patterns
Editor (CPE)
 Create, edit, validate and simulate Collaboration Patterns in a
graphical environment
 Run – time services – Collaboration Patterns
Assistant (CPA)
 Recommender Services
 recommendation for initiating a new CPat.
 Awareness Services
 awareness on the on-going collaboration related to the “active”
CPats
 Analytics Services
 indicators and metrics associated to the past / ongoing
collaborations

12. ApproachInformation Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Approach
Execution of a CPat
=
Find & Instantiate appropriate CPat
(according to the Problem, Context, Pre-conditions,
Triggering)
+
Propose the activation of an “execution engine”
(to implement the solution, e.g. the workflow engine, the
activation of other tools, the triggering of a human task)

13. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

14. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations

15. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Design-Time Functionality
CPat Editor + Simulator
Creates full, templated CPats (pre/post conditions,
Triggers, Solutions, etc.) - OWL “file”
Links VO with CPats
Simulates CPats (e.g., check that they can be
triggered, finished, etc.)

16. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Run-Time Functionality
CPat Assistant
Presents activated CPats
Informs user for required actions
Presents analytics
Recommends CPats

17. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Run-Time Functionality
CPat Processing Layer
Validates CPats (OWL-DL restrictions/axioms)
Manages access and execution permissions
Instantiates CPats, Triggers
Generates rules from CPat OWL file
Instantiates CPat solution (Wf / checklist – like / hybrid)
Logs CPats in execution

18. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Run-Time Functionality
CEP Engine (Event Reasoner & Rule Engine)
Monitors/Process Simple Events
Identifies/Detects Complex Events
Executes Rules

19. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Run-Time Functionality
Ad Hoc Wf Engine
Implements CPat’s solution
Produces events that express the state of execution/collaboration
Enables adaptivity by allowing the modification of the actions described at CPat
instantiation or during run-time

20. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

21. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
CPat Withdrawal of VO Member (1/3)
< Withdrawal of VO No CPat 2 1.Involves an actions list:
Name:
Member> . VO Coordinator notifies all members
about the removal of a VO member.
Category: Strategic Pattern
VO Coordinator communicates details of
A VO member must be removed due to poor VO member (leaving) to all partners along
Problem: with the reason.
performance
VO member (leaving) completes final
VO lifecycle VO Operation tasks
phase: VO member (leaving) arrange final
Application Any financial and administrative issues.
Area: VO Coordinator updates knowledge base
Solution:
on leaving incident
Pre- (VO member presents poor performance) AND ( <Running and Supporting a Meeting>
Conditions: VO.Coordinator.canDecideForMemberRemoval ) (CPat 1) with all partners for undertaking the
VO Coordinator decides that VO member must be responsibilities of the leaving party.
removed OR VO member doesn’t participate in the VO Coordinator updates project plan.
Triggers: VO for X weeks (1.Doesn’t enter VO’s forum, 2. 2. It involves the usage of collaborative tools
Doesn’t appear in meetings, 3. Doesn’t reply to VO  GUI to the virtual collaboration space or
Coordinator mails ) e-mail or telephone.
GUI to knowledge base
Triggers of VO members that don’t agree > X% (variable)
Exceptions:
VO Coordinator, VO member (staying), VO Output Revised list of VO members
Roles: Revised project plan
member (leaving) Informati
on:
VO member list
Input
Information about the VO member (leaving) poor Y days (variable)
Information: Duration:
performance

22. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
CPat Withdrawal of VO Member (2/3)
<Running and Supporting a Meeting> (CPat 1) for
Exception: reaching consensus on undertaking the responsibilities
of the leaving party.
VO member(leaving) removed
Post-
Knowledge base updated
Conditions:
Project plan updated
1.Collaboration patterns that can be executed in parallel
to the specific pattern: < Running and Supporting a
Meeting CPat > (CPat1)
2.Collaboration patterns that can be executed sequential
Related CPats: to the specific pattern: <Conduct Search Over CPool
Partner Profiles> CPat, <Addition of a new partner>
CPat
3.Collaboration patterns that can be executed after the
termination of the specific pattern: <Running and
Supporting a Meeting> (CPat 1)

23. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
CPat Withdrawal of VO Member (3/3)

24. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Sketch of runtime execution of a CPat example
Reply to email
Event
Triggers
Forum access
Event
Attend Meeting
Event
Preconditions
Ad - for CPat
“VO Coordinator
decides for
partner removal”
Event
Facts:
1.canDecideForPartnerRemoval(?VOcoordinator)
Rule: IF Doesn’t enter VO
forum(?VOmember, ?Period) AND 2. performance (?VOmember) = “poor”
Doesn’t appear in
meetings(?VOmember, ?Period)
AND Doesn’t reply
(?VOmember,?VOCoordinator, Collaboration
?Period) Knowledge
THEN Doesn’t participate in
VO(?VOmember, ?Period)
ECA Rule: WHEN Doesn’t participate in VO ( ?VOmember, ?Period) OR VO CPat: Withdrawal of VO Member ( ?VOmember)
Coordinator decides for partner removal(?VOmember)
1. VO Coordinator notifies all members about the removal
IF (canDecideForPartnerRemoval(?VOcoordinator)) AND ( performance(?VO of (?VO member)
member)=“poor” )
2. VO Coordinator communicates details and reason for
THEN “Withdrawal of VO Member”( ?VOmember, ?VOmember list, …) member leaving (?VOmember)
3. . . .

25. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Sketch of implementation of CPat example (exception)
Triggers VO members
that don’t agree
> X% (variable)
Event
Preconditions for
Ad hoc the exception of a
CPat
Facts:
1. CPat(“Withdrawal of VOMember”)
(?VO,…) = “active”
Collaboration
Knowledge
ECA Rule: WHEN VO members that don’t agree > X% (variable) CPat: Running and supporting a meeting (?VO,…)
IF CPat(“Withdrawal of VOMember”) (?VO,…) = “active” 1. Meeting Organiser schedules the meeting (describe
reason, propose date)
THEN CPat(“Running and supporting a meeting”)(?VO,?subject,…)
2. Meeting Organiser selects meeting participants
3. ….

26. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Overview of presentation
 Introduction
 Collaboration Patterns
 Collaboration Pattern Services in VOs
 Architecture for Agile Process Aware Collaborations
 A Collaboration Pattern Example
 Conclusions

27. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Conclusions
 This work has been partially funded by the European
Commission regarding the strep project SYNERGY
(Supporting highlY-adaptive Network Enterprise
collaboration thRouGh semanticallY-enabled knowledge
services)
 We believe that this proposal can cope with the critical
challenges that a VO environment poses.
 Further work will be carried out in terms of implementing
this combination of EDA along with Collaboration
Patterns and validating it across real case scenarios in
VOs lifecycles.

28. Information Management Unit / ICCS of NTUA www.imu.iccs.gr
Thank you for your attention!!!