What is Webflow?

Webflow is a customizable, web-based document assembly and workflow solution that can streamline any business process.

Webflow System Architecture

In recent years workflow based solutions have gained a lot of attention as tools for automating business process management and collaborating work across the Enterprise. Most popular implementations focus on messaging services across the enterprise and seriously lack in document generation capabilities.

Webflow solution consists of two parts, a framework component developed as an Internet Services Application Program Interface (ISAPI) to provide high performance and reliability required for high transaction web site. Active server pages are used for the programming of tasks user interface to provide low development cost and easy changes.

COM Components are developed in C++ using Active Type Library for maximum performance and low memory requirements. Webflow utilizes Doxess SQL DataPipe to provide accelerated SQL data delivery for both the Internet Server and Win32 Client gateways.

The ability to connect and use the webflow framework from the client application is the powerful feature of webflow. Webflow is designed to work entirely on the browser, including document generation and rendering subsystem. Webflow services can also be accessed from the users legacy Win32 application and our http DataPipe client gateway.

Webflow is designed to provide a web based workflow framework for implementing process management solutions. The framework provides the infrastructure for programming tasks and process escalations for any business process. It is particularly powerful for automating process that includes dynamically generated letters and documents normally required for financial, legal, real estate and Insurance institutions.

DataPipe is the product used to provide fast and reliable data delivery to the web based services. This product increases data transmission speed and improves programmer productivity.

Process Template

To implement a webflow process management solution, it is necessary to define the process and break it down into tasks, for each task the data and completion business rules need to be defined. The business rules will determine task and escalation rules that the flow should control.

Product flow

A workflow template is normally associated with “product”. The system can support multiple products, each product has its own workflow tasks and escalation, however a task may be included into any number of products flow. Tasks are not rigidly defined within a product process map. A process may dynamically change itself by calling an alternative task when required. This feature allows for building a very sophisticated process, but it is essential for implementing incremental changes to the process when required. This will allow implementing process changes one step at a time and eliminate delays, errors and possibility of down time.

Webflow Task Object

A task object is usually a step in the process that will require some sort of data input and a decision to mark it as completed. A task is usually assigned to a group of users or to a specific user in the group, but it may also be assigned for completion to a remote computer program. When a task is completed, the framework will dynamically create the next task(s) as determined by the business model. A task object will appear in the users’ in basket when its enable event is true, and may be completed only during its enabled period. At the end of the task enabled period, and if the task is not marked as completed, the task object will activate its own escalation procedure. The webflow framework may destroy a Webflow task object when certain event takes place in the process model, even before the user detects it. This feature truly enables dynamic process modeling and provides the capability of building powerful and effective process management systems.

Webflow Escalation Object

Webflow framework uses escalation objects to ensure data integrity and detecting errors associated with a process. Escalation object is created by the system and constantly evaluated to monitor process integrity. An escalation object will be destroyed when the error is resolved. An escalation object may become visible to the user when its enable event is true. Unlike tasks escalation that do not require user handling, they appear as results of business rules errors and will disappear when the user fixes the error. A webflow escalation may activate its own escalation procedure to create a higher escalation and may eventually bring the process to “Hold” status to stop any further work on the process. During an escalation object life cycle users may log information about actions taken to fix the error. Escalation object will capture such information and share it with other users. Users can force an escalation into the next level to accelerate the recovery action or to put the process on hold.

Webflow Log

Webflow framework maintains a log on all object events. This provides the user with information about events and when they take place in the process. It reports date and time, user name and the events that are responsible for the log. Log is also kept with user comments about any actions taken to resolve or escalate a process.

Asynchronous Operation

During a workflow web session the user may request the generation of a complex document or long report. Webflow framework has the capability of requesting such service from another web server in asynchronous manner. The user needs not to wait for the task to be completed; he or she may work on other tasks until the results become available to the user. This technique improves Internet server performance and reduces response time to the end user.

Deployment Architecture

Enterprise solution with high transaction numbers requires scalable and robust deployment. Webflow framework is designed to take full advantage of the Microsoft load balancing architecture for Information Internet Server (IIS). Multiple Internet servers will be deployed in parallel to provide the necessary processing power to support high transaction requirements. Service to the end user will continue even if one or more Internet server machine is failing.

Full redundancy parallel SQL server will provide the necessary robustness should any SQL server fails. Hard drives are stored on separate storage boxed with full mirroring.

Automatic load balancing and redundancy support also provided on the Document Engine deployment.