[erlang-questions] Workflow process model

[Chris King]

You probably want to use a database (such as mnesia).  Processes won't
survive a system crash.  Use processes for more transient state machines
(such as client sessions).


On Tue, Oct 29, 2013 at 3:02 PM, Charles Irvine <chuck.irvine@REDACTED>wrote:

> I plan to write a BPM (Workflow) engine in Erlang. I’m struggling with
> what the process model ought to be. Suggestions would be greatly
> appreciated. Here’s the general structure of the system:
>
> Users construct a process model for an purposeful activity. Let’s say the
> activity is to fix a software defect. The process model is a set of tasks
> sequenced to achieve the goal of the process. The process model for fixing
> a defect would be:
>
> OpenDefect -> WriteCodeToFixDefect -> DeployFixCodeToTestEnv -> TestFix ->
> DeployCodeToProd
>
> A single instance of this flow of task completion I call a workflow
> instance. There may be a large number of such instances in progress
> concurrently. The state of a workflow instance is a set of outstanding
> tasks ready to be performed and what I call a workflow context. A workflow
> context is a set of informational artifacts accumulated as the workflow
> progresses.
>
> For example the state of defect resolution workflow instance might be an
> instance of the task WriteCodeToFixDefect and the context would be a defect
> description.
>
> I’ve considered making each such workflow instance a process but I
> hesitate to do this since a process may have a relatively long lifetime and
> there might be a long duration between significant events. For example, a
> defect might not get fixed for weeks or months and a long time could elapse
> between the time the defect is reported and the time that someone starts
> working on it.
>
> A little nudge or two from folks more skilled than me at this would be
> much appreciated.
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