Open alternatives to Windows Workflow
open-source, workflow, workflow-foundation
Solution
"Java side":
Apache ODE (Orchestration Director Engine) executes business processes written following the WS-BPEL standard. It talks to web services, sending and receiving messages, handling data manipulation and error recovery as described by your process definition. It supports both long and short living process executions to orchestrate all the services that are part of your application.
http://ode.apache.org/
OSWorkflow can be considered a "low level" workflow implementation. Situations like "loops" and "conditions" that might be represented by a graphical icon in other workflow systems must be "coded" in OSWorkflow.
http://www.opensymphony.com/osworkflow/
Shark is an extendable workflow engine framework including a standard implementation completely based on WfMC specifications using XPDL (without any proprietary extensions !) as its native workflow process definition format and the WfMC "ToolAgents" API for serverside execution of system activitie
http://www.enhydra.org/workflow/shark/index.html
Python side: http://bika.sourceforge.net/ http://www.vivtek.com/wftk/ I this will help you :-)
Problem
Pre-warning: There are some other questions similar to this but don't quite answer the question (these include: Alternatives to Windows Workflow Foundation?, Can anyone recommend a .Net open source alternative to Windows Workflow?) We are developing a system that is an event based state machine, currently we are investigating windows workflow, our system needs to be low latency in its response to events from a multitude of sources (xmpp, http, sms, phone call, email etc etc) coming into the system, scalable and resilient and most importantly customisable. For a variety of reasons (and due diligence) I am looking for open workflow engines that support functions similar to Windows Workflow Foundation (and more - if possible), mainly (but it doesn't matter too much if there are engines that don't support some features): - Persistence of long running tasks, and resumption of tasks on external events - High performance, low latency - Ability to develop custom actions - The ability to specify workflows dynamically - Tracking and tracing I am not constrained to platform or language, and I would love some help and tips from you guys so that I can start to investigate the engines more closely and any experiences you had with the engines. Paul.