Integrating Context in WS-BPEL Processes

Previously, techniques of Context-Aware Computing were limited only to small scale monolithic applications. The advancement in Service-Oriented Computing technology allowed autonomous and heterogeneous applications to be exposed as Web Services and interconnected into service compositions. To enable handling of context information in applications, context information has to be made available within service compositions; hence, integrated in WS-BPEL processes. Through this means, new innovative context-enriched services can be built and provided using the convergence of context-aware computing and workflow technology. This diploma thesis describes the concept of integrating context information into WS-BPEL service compositions and addresses the topic of aggregating of context information obtained from multiple data sources. After surveying some of the current best practice and relevant literature in this area, this thesis presents a solution to the outlined problems based on the Integration Process Pattern work previously done at the Institute of Architecture of Application Systems at the University of Stuttgart.