Notification Pattern

N Vernon ISYS604

Patterns
A PATTERN is a model that is sufficiently general, adaptable, and worthy of imitation that it can be reused It must be GENERAL so that it can apply to a meaningfully large set of possible instances or contexts It must be ADAPTABLE because the instances or contexts to which it might apply will differ in details It must be WORTHY because the instances or contexts to which it might apply are supposed to benefit by following the pattern rather than being impaired

Patterns and Reuse

In addition to improving designs (by replacing an ad hoc approach with a successful one) - patterns promote reuse Reuse has the immediate benefit of reduced implementation and maintenance costs Reuse has the longer term benefit of encouraging and reinforcing consistency and standardization Once patterns are identified they assist in analysis by simplifying structures and processes as they replace low-level specific descriptions with more abstract ones Reuse at more abstract levels enables interoperability between systems that follow patterns that differ at more concrete levels

Notification Pattern
This pattern comprises a notification activity that either informs about the completion of an activity execution or posts news inherent to the respective workflow application (e.g., a notification about the result of an approval process) (cf. Figure 1). In the present approach it is assumed that a notification activity status may eventually be sent if requested.

Notification pattern

Context
Various users of business applications should often be notified when certain events occur, or when certain conditions become true. For example, both customer and bank personnel might be interested in being notified when the customer account has been overdrawn. Business applications can be configured to create and send notifications automatically.

Problem
How do we notify users of business applications about changes in the REA entities?

Forces
There are different ways to contact users of business applications. The notification can range from a message box window on a computer screen to sending a letter to a specified address. Different users of business applications can be contacted in different ways. Some users can be contacted in multiple ways. The method of notification can vary, depending upon the user and upon the kind of notification. Different users are interested in different information resulting from the same change.

Solution
Notification is a specific unit of functionality that encapsulates the mechanism for notifying users of business applications. A notification pattern consists of two elements. The Address element contains the way to contact the economic agent. The Message element contains the information forwarded to the agent, as well as the logic determining when the agent is notified.

Solution Notification pattern

Design of Notification Pattern

Notification Pattern

Reference
Reference Thom,L., Jean Michael Lau1, Cirano Iochpe1,2, Jan Mendling3 EXTENDING BUSINESS PROCESS MODELING TOOLS WITH WORKFLOW PATTERN REUSE. Htt p://w ww.mendling.com/publications/07-ICEIS.pdf

Pavel Hruby 2006 Model-Driven Design Using Business Patterns. Sringer