Chris, That is a huge help! My term serialize (which i might be using in the wrong context = probably should be replaced with SEQUENTIAL instead) means running 'things' (workflow instances, task instances) in a row instead of in parallel. So with that explained let me copy those questions to the top of this email, to see what your answers are:
> - You cannot use standard configuration to Serialize Workflows spawned from a single Event (So if an event spawns 4 workflows they will try to run in parallel by default, but can the workflow models be configured to run in a specific order?) > - [Can tasks be parallelized/serialized using config?] (Same use of serialize here, meaning if a Workflow Model has 3 tasks, will the workflow instance try to run all 3 tasks at once, or in sequence. What is the default behavior? And can we switch between the two using configuration?) Sure -- by creating a workflow with a single task. I'm not sure what serialized means? Are you talking about the functionality of the Workflow Instance repository, which (de-)serializes the Workflow Metadata, Task configuration and current status? Thanks Guys. -Cameron On Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 8:11 PM, Mattmann, Chris A (388J) < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Cameron, > > Looking good! Comments inline below: > > On Apr 26, 2011, at 8:56 PM, Cameron Goodale wrote: > > > Ok OODT List I am I think I am finally getting a formal OODT-WORKFLOW > > Education here. But I still have some questions related to Workflow in > > general. I hope to get some understanding and to also NAIL DOWN the > > vocabulary surrounding Workflow. I read the excellent Developer Guide > here: > > > http://oodt.apache.org/components/maven/workflow/development/developer.html > > but I still have some question I hope I can get clarified. > > Thanks for actually checking it out rather than first declaring that you > don't know what's going on! :) There are a lot of documentation like that on > the website and glad you found it useful. > > > > > Vocabulary (and a sort of TRUE/FALSE, so please correct the list I am > > making) > > > > > > Workflow Heirarchy: > > > > - Event > > - Workflow > > - Task = java class > > > > > > Event > > > > - This is where [ALL] workflows must begin. > > - An Event initializes 1 or more workflows > > - IF an Event initializes more than 1 workflow the workflows will run > in > > parallel > > Yep. > > > - You cannot use standard configuration to Serialize Workflows spawned > > from a single Event > > Not sure what this means? What do you mean by "Serialize"? > > > > - Events DO NOT generate an INSTANCE_ID > > Events don't -- Workflows that are turned into Workflow Instances do. The > Workflow Engine is responsible for setting and returning this ID as part of > creating a Workflow Instance from a Workflow (model). > > > > > > > Workflow > > > > - Workflows DO generate an INSTANCE_ID > > (Workflow Instances do -- Workflows are just models). > > > - Workflows must be used to initialize tasks > > - Workflows are a way to logically GROUP Tasks together > > - Workflows spawn 1 or more tasks > > Yep. > > > > > Task > > > > - Lowest atomic level > > - Tasks map to a single Java Class > > - [Can tasks launch non-Java Code?] > > Yep via system calls, via CAS-PGE, via the Script task, etc. > > > - [Can tasks be parallelized/serialized using config?] > > Sure -- by creating a workflow with a single task. I'm not sure what > serialized means? Are you talking about the functionality of the Workflow > Instance repository, which (de-)serializes the Workflow Metadata, Task > configuration and current status? > > > > - [Do tasks generate an INSTANCE_ID?] > > Nope, but they generate a TaskId, which is unique. > > > - [Can tasks pass input/output to each other?] > > Sure, via the common Metadata context. > > > > > > > I think that is enough questions/statements for now. I am eager to read > > your replies. > > Let me know what you think. > > Cheers, > Chris > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Chris Mattmann, Ph.D. > Senior Computer Scientist > NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 91109 USA > Office: 171-266B, Mailstop: 171-246 > Email: [email protected] > WWW: http://sunset.usc.edu/~mattmann/ > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Adjunct Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department > University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > -- Sent from a Tin Can attached to a String
