Workflow-based coordination and cooperation in a service world

One of the most important roles of workflow technology in a service oriented environment is that of providing an easy to use technology for service composition (so-called "orchestration"). Another important composition model in this domain is based on the technology of "coordination protocols". We sketch the relation between orchestration and coordination protocols by describing two application areas of both technologies: the introduction of subprocesses to the service oriented world, and facilitating outsourcing by making splitting processes much easier. Cooperation aspects of workflow technology are emphasized by sketching the inclusion of human tasks in orchestrations. Finally, the benefit of combining semantic technologies with orchestrations is outlined ("semantic processes") which aims in simplifying the creation of orchestrations.