Imixs-Workflow

Key takeaways

Imixs-Workflow belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Imixs-Workflow to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Imixs-Workflow from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Imixs Workflow is an open-source project, providing technologies for building Business Process Management solutions. The project focus on human based workflows used to execute and control workflows in organisations and enterprises. In difference to task-oriented workflow engines, which focus on automated program flow control (tasks), Imixs Workflow is a representative of an event-based workflow engine. Here, the engine controls the status of a process instance within a defined state-diagram. By entering an event, the state of a process instance can be abandoned or changed. In human-centric workflow engines, events usually occur by an interaction of the actor with the system, for example by approving or rejecting a business transaction. They can also be triggered by scheduled events. An example of this is an escalation of an unfinished task. The goal of the open-source project is to reduce the complexity of business applications by providing a flexible framework to implement business logic based on the BPMN 2.0 standard.

Naming The name Imixs is derived from the word Imix. Imix means the first day in the so-called Tzolkin calendar from Aztecs and Mayas. In this respect the word Imix is also used for the terms Earth, abundance, water lily and alligator.

Project Structure The open-source project provides a framework for various aspects of workflow technology. It aims to provide a flexible architecture for the general requirements of workflow management systems. Overall the project is separated into the following areas:

imixs-core – a java API to manage dataobjects and workflow models, supporting BPMN 2.0 imixs-engine – a Workflow-Engine based on the Java-Enterprise-Technology JEE imixs-jax-rs – a WebService API for platform independent integration into external IT systems imixs-faces – a JSF component library for web applications imixs-bpmn - a BPMN modelling tool based on Eclipse The project uses the configuration and build framework Apache Maven and publishes all artifacts into the Central Maven repository.

Technology The project is based on the Java Enterprise Architecture (JEE) and represents a scalable and transactional framework for workflow management solutions. A major goal of the technology is to simplify the software build process in modern business applications. The project takes advantage of the JEE component model, and allows to reuse all components without limiting the capabilities of the Java EE architecture. The technologies used includes:

EJB 3.1 – technology for a transactional business process management Java Persistence API vendor independent database access Java Authentication and Authorization Service for security BPMN 2.0 for modelling business workflows. The reference implementation is based on the GlassFish application server. JBoss and WildFly application servers are supported. By Using the Java Persistence API (JPA), the workflow engine is database independent and can be used with any relational SQL database.

Philosophy The Imixs-Workflow project focuses on Human task-centric workflows. This means that a business process is typically controlled by the user (actor). Imixs-Workflow manages the state of business objects and provides the user with information during a business process. For Example:

The current Status and Process Owner for each business object A Process History & Documentation for each business object Read- and Write Access (ACL) for each business object A Human task-centric workflow system assists users in starting a new process, finding and processing open tasks and helps users to complete current jobs in the defined way. The Workflow Engine automatically routes processed tasks to the next actor and notifies users about new tasks depending on the current process definition. The following illustration demonstrates the typical flow of a document or datasheet from one user to another controlled by a Workflow Management System.

Licence Imixs-Workflow provides the results of the project under the GPL with a dual-license model, to meet the usage and distribution requirements of different types of users.

History The Imxis workflow project was founded in 2005 by Imixs software solutions GmbH. In the year 2016 the open-source BPM platform Imixs-Office-Workflow was published. The project sources are hosted on GitHub.

References

External links Project-Website Code Repository – GitHub Imixs BPMN – Eclipse Plugin Imixs Modeler – Eclipse Plugin Imixs-Office-Worklfow - Open Source BPM Platform How to Model Business Rules You Shouldn’t Manage Your Business Processes With Excel Don't Model Business Behavior in Objects! Fachmagazin JavaSpektrum - BPM-Lösungen mit Imixs-Workflow

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Imixs-Workflow

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Imixs-Workflow claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Imixs-Workflow before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Imixs-Workflow ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Imixs-Workflow

In research: Imixs-Workflow appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Imixs-Workflow in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Imixs-Workflow is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Enterprise architecture, Software using the GNU General Public License, Workflow applications, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Imixs-Workflow outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Imixs-Workflow in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Imixs-Workflow means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Imixs-Workflow out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Imixs-Workflow in simple terms?

Imixs Workflow is an open-source project, providing technologies for building Business Process Management solutions. The project focus on human based workflows used to execute and control workflows in organisations and enterprises.

Why does Imixs-Workflow matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Imixs-Workflow?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Imixs-Workflow.