Thierry Jacquin

From legacy documents to XML: a conversion framework

We present an integrated framework for the document conversion from legacy formats to XML format. We describe the LegDoC project, aimed at automating the conversion of layout annotations layout-oriented formats like PDF, PS and HTML to semantic-oriented annotations. A toolkit of different components covers complementary techniques the logical document analysis and semantic annotations with the methods of machine learning. We use a real case conversion project as a driving example to exemplify different techniques implemented in the project.

A Platform-Independent Mechanism for Deployment of Business Processes Using Abstract Services

This paper deals with the problem of efficiently deploying business processes in service oriented environments with the purpose of enhancing operational agility and improving governance. Todays solutions rely on early coupling between the business process layer and the underlying service oriented architecture layer and this constrains evolution in either of the two layers to the ability of the other layer to adapt. The presented approach leverages abstract architectural mappings that indirectly connect business process activities with service-based assets. It consists of a deployment mechanism that is capable of taking these mappings and generating fully executable artifacts for a variety of runtime platforms. The deployment mechanism is encapsulated in a self-contained entity that is instantiated and executed each time a business process needs to be deployed. This entity contains all the necessary data for the deployment, while ensuring complete accountability of operations. This approach promotes late binding of processes to the underlying SOA and it has the potential to significantly increase the speed of implementing changes in business operations while ensuring long-term sustainability. In addition it promotes independent evolutions of processes and services while encouraging incremental convergence of the SOA towards the needs of the business domain.

Improving Process Robustness through Domain-Specific Model Transformations

Many forward-thinking organizations have adopted domain-specific languages (DSL) as the preferred method for describing business processes. Using DSL-based descriptions helps in removing uncertainty from the semantics of process models. DSLs can evolve in a managed way and with proper versioning of individual processes the original intentions of process designers can be preserved over time. However in collaborative projects, business processes written in different DSLs need to be converted to a common denominator format to facilitate exchange. Due to its widespread adoption, BPMN is ideally placed to serve as the exchange language for complex, cross-domain collaborations. This paper presents an approach for automatic two-way synchronization of domain-specific process models with BPMN diagrams. This approach can be valuable when collaboration between different stakeholders with different expertise is required, as well as when the company wants to leverage its investments in a BPM suite across its process portfolio. In addition, this approach ensures that changes to processes executed through the BPMS are valid with respect to their domain representations, minimizing the potential for runtime problems that are difficult to understand.

A web-based document harmonization and annotation chain: from PDF to RDF

We propose a demonstration of a Web-based document harmonization and annotation chain developed within the VIKEF integrated project. The chain integrates a combination of Web Services in order to access, harmonize and semantically annotate remote document collections. Annotations are then mapped onto RDF descriptions that serve as a basis for building semantic-enabled services to support community processes.

Xeproc©: a model-based approach towards document process preservation

Developed in the context of the EU Integrated Project SHAMAN, Xeproc© technology lets one define and design document processes while producing an abstract representation that is independent of the implementation. These representations capture the intent behind the workflow and can be preserved for reuse in future unknown infrastructures. Xeproc© is available under Eclipse Public Licence.

XML Processing in the Cloud: Large-Scale Digital Preservation in Small Institutions

Digital preservation deals with the problem of retaining the meaning of digital information over time to ensure its accessibility. The process often involves a workflow which transforms the digital objects. The workflow defines document pipelines containing transformations and validation checkpoints, either to facilitate migration for persistent archival or to extract metadata. The transformations, nevertheless, are computationally expensive, and therefore digital preservation can be out of reach for an organization whose core operation is not in data conservation. The operations described the document workflow, however, do not frequently reoccur. This paper combines an implementation-independent workflow designer with cloud computing to support small institution in their ad-hoc peak computing needs that stem from their efforts in digital preservation.