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Created: April 16, 2003.
News: Cover StoriesPrevious News ItemNext News Item

OASIS Forms Web Services Business Process Execution Language TC (WSBPEL).

A new Web Services Business Process Execution Language TC is being formed at OASIS to continue work on the business process language published in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS) 1.0 specification. "Continuing the approach and design used in BPEL4WS, the work of the BPEL TC will focus on specifying the common concepts for a business process execution language which form the necessary technical foundation for multiple usage patterns including both the process interface descriptions required for business protocols and executable process models. BEA, IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Siebel intend to submit an updated Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS) version 1.1 specification at the first meeting of the TC. This revised document is a modularized and updated version of the original specification that clearly identifies the core concepts and required extensions for BPEL4WS. TC activity is not intended to specify bindings to specific hardware/software platforms and other mechanisms required for a complete runtime environment for process implementation." The TC Co-Chairs are Diane Jordan (IBM) and John Evdemon (Microsoft). The first meeting of the WSBPEL TC will be held by phone conference call on May 16, 2003.

WSBPEL Technical Committee Deliverables

The TC has the following deliverables:

  • The specification of the core elements and functionalities of BPEL4WS
  • An extension specification for business protocol description
  • An extension specification for executable process description

The two extension specifications for the usage patterns of business protocol description and executable process description are normative, mandatory extensions to the core specification and will include only the essential feature extensions required for the given usage pattern.

The scope of the Web Services Business Process Execution Language Technical Committee is the support of process mechanisms in the following areas:

a. Sequencing of process activities, especially Web service interactions
b. Correlation of messages and process instances
c. Recovery behavior in case of failures and exceptional conditions
d. Bilateral Web service based relationships between process roles

BPEL4WS Version 1.1 Bibliographic Information

"Business Process Execution Language for Web Services. [BPEL4WS.]" By Tony Andrews (Microsoft), Francisco Curbera (IBM), Hitesh Dholakia (Siebel Systems), Yaron Goland (BEA), Johannes Klein (Microsoft), Frank Leymann (IBM), Kevin Liu (SAP), Dieter Roller (IBM), Doug Smith (Siebel Systems), Satish Thatte (Microsoft - Editor), Ivana Trickovic (SAP), and Sanjiva Weerawarana (IBM). Version 1.1. 5-May-2003. 136 pages. Copyright (c) 2002, 2003 BEA Systems, International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAP AG, and Siebel Systems. This version of the BPEL4WS specification was made available by OASIS WSBPEL Technical committee co-chairs Diane Jordan and John Evdemon in a 2003-05-06 posting by Diane Jordan to the wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org mailing list [Subject: Information for the OASIS Open WS BPEL Technical Committee]. The version is identified as "a copy of the final version of the BPEL4WS V1.1 specification which the authors plan to submit at the first meeting [of the WSBPEL TC] on May 16, [2003]; please note that this version will not be active on the authors' websites until May 12, [2003]..." See the XML schemas.

Business Process Execution Language for Web Services. Version 1.1. 31-March-2003. 134 pages. By Tony Andrews (Microsoft), Francisco Curbera (IBM), Hitesh Dholakia (Siebel Systems), Yaron Goland (BEA Systems), Johannes Klein (Microsoft), Frank Leymann (IBM), Kevin Liu (SAP), Dieter Roller (IBM), Doug Smith (Siebel Systems), Satish Thatte (Microsoft - Editor), Ivana Trickovic (SAP), and Sanjiva Weerawarana (IBM). Copyright (c) 2002, 2003 BEA Systems, International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAP AG, and Siebel Systems. PDF source: IBM. Also in Word (.DOC) format [cache]

"Business Process Execution Language for Web Services." Interim Draft Non-final Version 1.1. 20-March-2003. 133 pages. By Tony Andrews (Microsoft), Francisco Curbera (IBM), Yaron Goland (BEA Systems), Johannes Klein (Microsoft), Frank Leymann (IBM), Dieter Roller (IBM), Satish Thatte (Microsoft - Editor), and Sanjiva Weerawarana (IBM). Copyright BEA Systems, International Business Machines Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation. Reference retained here provisionally for QA purposes. Source 2003-04-16: BEA dev2dev [normative .DOC format; cache]

Changes in BPEL4WS Version 1.1

Note: The BPEL4WS 1.1 version dated May 05, 2003 is different from BPEL4WS version 1.1 dated March 31, 2003 which was available at the time of this news story (April 16, 2003). See Section 4 "What Changed from BPEL4WS 1.0" in the May 05, 2003 version for updated information. See the DIFFs version providing a comparison between the BPEL4WS V1.1 document dated March 31, 2003 and the V1.1 document dated May 5, 2003; posted by Diane Jordan to the WSBLEP list on June 02, 2003; [source].

Section 4 of the BPEL4WS v1.1 specification summarizes the major changes between version 1.1 (March 31, 2003) and version 1.0 (July/August 2002). The BPEL4WS 1.1 specification "is an enhancement of the BPEL4WS 1.0 specification [incorporating] numerous corrections and clarifications based on the feedback received on the 1.0 version." Changes identifed as substantive include (in summary):

  • Core Concepts Clarification: "We believe that the two usage patterns of business protocol description and executable business process description require a common core of process description concepts. In the 1.1 version of the specification we clearly separate the core concepts from the extensions required specifically for the two usage patterns. The main body of the specification defines the core concepts. The Extensions for Executable Processes and the Extensions for Business Protocols are defined in separate sections at the end of the specification. The separation of core concepts from extensions allows features required for specific usage patterns to be defined in a composable manner..."
  • Feature enhancements: BPEL4WS version 1.1 adds (1) "Variables and correlation sets that are associated with scopes rather than with the process as a whole. This permits easier management of visibility and lifetime for variables and repeated initiation of local correlation sets to allow multiple correlated conversations during, e.g., iterative behavior. (2) Event handlers which permit a process or scope to be prepared to receive external events and requests concurrently with the main activity of the process or scope. This is especially helpful for events and requests that cannot be 'scheduled' relative to the main activity, but may occur at unpredictable times."
  • Other changes: XML Schema update; the term container for process data entities has been replaced with the more traditional variable; the 'Future Directions' section has been dropped.

BPEL4WS Version 1.1 Resources

Related Activities and Specifications

IPR Issues

Based upon news briefings, some analyst reports and trade press articles have stated that the IP in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services specification Version 1.1 is being contributed to OASIS "royalty free." The version 1.1 specification released 2003-05-06 confirms this claim (see below). The Charter published in the CFP does not address the matter.

The TC IPR statement as of 2003-05-06 4:00 PM EDT read: "Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WSBPEL) TC: OASIS is not aware of any statements or declarations regarding IPR related to the work of this technical committee."

The BPEL4WS specification version 1.1 as published on May 05, 2003 and posted to the OASIS website on May 06, 2003 reads (in part): "Permission to copy and display the 'Business Process Execution Language for Web Services Specification, version 1.1 dated May 5, 2003' (hereafter 'the BPEL4WS Specification'), in any medium without fee or royalty is hereby granted, provided that you include the following on ALL copies of the BPEL4WS Specification, or portions thereof, that you make: (1) A link to the BPEL4WS Specification at these locations: http://dev2dev.bea.com/technologies/webservices/BPEL4WS.jsp, http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-bpel/, http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnbiz2k2/html/bpel1-1.asp, http://ifr.sap.com/bpel4ws/, http://www.siebel.com/bpel; (2) The copyright notice as shown in the BPEL4WS Specification: BEA, IBM, Microsoft, SAP AG and Siebel Systems (collectively, the 'Authors') agree to grant you a royalty-free license, under reasonable, non-discriminatory terms and conditions, to patents that they deem necessary to implement the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services Specification... [continued]"

The "20-March-2003" 1.1 version reads (in part): Permission to copy, display, perform, modify and distribute the "Business Process Execution Language for Web Services" Specification, and to authorize others to do the foregoing, in any medium without fee or royalty is hereby granted for the purpose of developing and evaluating the "Business Process Execution Language for Web Services" Specification. BEA, IBM, and Microsoft (collectively, the "Authors") will grant a royalty-free license to third parties, under reasonable, non-discriminatory terms and conditions, to certain patents that they deem necessary to implement the "Business Process Execution Language for Web Services" Specification.

The subsequent "31-March-2003" 1.1 version reads differently. It reads (in part): The presentation, distribution or other dissemination of the information contained in this "Business Process Execution Language for Web Services, Version 1.1 Specification" ("BPEL Specification") is not a license, either expressly or impliedly, to any intellectual property owned or controlled by BEA or IBM or Microsoft or SAP or Siebel and\or any other third party. BEA, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Siebel and\or any other third party may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in the BPEL Specification. The furnishing of the BPEL Specification does not give you any license to BEA's or IBM's or Microsoft's or SAP'S or Siebel's or any other third party's patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. The name and trademarks of the Authors may NOT be used in any manner, including advertising or publicity pertaining to the BPEL Specification or its contents without specific, written prior permission. Title to copyright in the BPEL Specification will at all times remain with the Authors.

Unofficially, we are led to believe that the license terms for the BPEL4WS v1.1 specification from BEA, IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Siebel (as submitted) will be clarified by the authors at some time before the first TC meeting (May 16, 2003). The language of the "20-March-2003" statement is suggestive; the language of the 2003-05-05 version 1.1 release is also suggestive, if not complete.

From Collaxa: Significance of the BPEL4WS Submission

Collaxa's "Fast Facts on BPEL4WS 1.1 and Its Submission to OASIS" describes the significance of the submission of BPEL to OASIS as follows:

"Orchestration has been an area of Web services subject to a lot of confusion. Some of the confusion stems from the inherent complexity of asynchronous message-driven development paradigms and the associated developer learning curve. However, much of the confusion is related to the fact that there have been many competing standards trying to address choreography and orchestration. Last August's [2002] merger of Microsoft's XLANG and IBM's WSFL into BPEL4WS was a positive step in reducing this confusion."

"The submission of BPEL4WS 1.1 to OASIS goes one step further and positions BPEL4WS as the winner of the orchestration standards battle, both because of its technical merits and the political support from IBM and Microsoft. Submission to a standards organization allows BPEL4WS to garner an industry coalition that will stamp it as a de-facto industry standard and clarify any outstanding licensing questions."

"With XML Schema, SOAP, WSDL, WS-Security and BPEL4WS in place and WS-Addressing, WS-ReliableMessaging and WS-Transaction emerging, we have all the specs needed to build a standard-based, internet-scale backbone for application-to-application integration."

"It is now time to deliver the software infrastructure that will encapsulate those specs and empower developers to build loosely-coupled composite business flows."

[Business Flows: "SAP calls them 'xApps', Siebel calls them 'UAN', and SeeBeyond calls them 'ICAN' -- but they are really all the same and point out the industry convergence on a new genre of application."]

TC Support

Names, Affiliation, and Electronic Mail Addresses of members who support the formation of the OASIS TC and are committed to the Meeting Schedule and Purpose:

Principal references:
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