CloudSocket Roles
This page defines users and roles involved in CloudSocket. It heavily references the different types of process models used by the suite.
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Current approach
Business Process Designer
The Business Process Designer creates Business Process Models (Level-I processes) using the CloudSocket Design tool. The processes reference an Ontology provided by an Ontology provider. In practice, the Business Process Designer may be a Business Consultant or a CloudSocket Broker.
Executable Process Designer
The Executable Process Desiger creates an Executable Business Process (Level-II process) based on a Business Process Model; mapping tasks to a workflow of service invocations. In practice, the Executable Business Designer may be a 'Technical' Consultant, a service provider, or a CloudSocket broker.
Deployable Process Modeller
The Deployable Process Modeller builds a BPaaS Cloudlet based on an Executable Business Process (Level-III process); mapping references to service types to service instances offered by service providers. In practice, the Executable Business Designer may be a 'Technical' Consultant, a service provider, or a CloudSocket broker.
CloudSocket Broker
The main task of the broker besides the fact that it can be contributing to defining the various models is that it selects deployable (Level-III processes) and offeres them to its users (Business Process Users). Hence, it takes a Level-III process and renders it to something executable. Hence, a CloudSocket Broker is the responsible to publish the business process. Moreover, it is the responsible to manage the discovery, orchestration, deployment and execution of services on the cloud, allowing the customer to use and exploit them. The broker is someone who acts as an intermediary between two or more parties during the negotiation, acting as intermediary between the purchaser of the cloud computing service and the sellers of that business process as a service.
Business Process User
User of CloudSocket in the sense that it unlocks a Business Process for a dedicated group of end users (the tenant).\\
End User
The actual person/set of persons interacting with the Business Process realised through the Cloudlet, e.g. a case worker in a personnal department. Very likely that this person belongs to the same institution as the operator.
BPaaS Provider
Offers one or multiple business processes to Business Process Users. Runs these under its own control either using own hardware or further P/IaaS offerings.
External Service Provider
Organization installing, executing and managing a service instance that Level-III processes can be bound to. Also, the External Service Provider autonomously defines SLAs for the Service and is responsible to fulfill such SLA. He is paid according to the usage of the Service he provides.
Proposal to discuss
Classification
We use the classification as stated in [1]:
A (Business) actor is an organisational entity able to perform certain behavior.
A (Business) role is the responsibility of performing a certain behavior to which an actor can be assigned.
Actors
CloudSocket Organisation
(Rejected) Alternatives: CloudSocket Broker
Possible roles: CloudSocket Broker, BPaaS Provider, Business Consultant.
End-User Organization
Possible roles: Business Process User, End User.
Cloud Provider
Possible roles: BPaaS Provider, SaaS Provider, PaaS Provider, IaaS Provider.
Third-party Supplier
Does this intersect with Cloud Provider? Or should we have this more fine-grained? E.g. Third-party Consultancy, Third-party
Possible roles: BP Designer, Ontology Expert, Workflow Designer, Business Consultant, Technical Consultant.
Roles
Business Process Designer
(Rejected) Alternatives: Process Designer
Designs a Process
Business Process Designer
The Business Process Designer creates Business Process Models (Level-I processes) using the CloudSocket Design tool. The processes reference an Ontology provided by an Ontology provider. In practice, the Business Process Designer may be a Business Consultant or a CloudSocket Broker.
Workflow Designer
(Rejected) Alternatives: Executable Process Designer
The Executable Process Designer creates an Executable Business Process (Level-II process) based on a Business Process Model; mapping tasks to a workflow of service invocations. In practice, the Executable Business Designer may be a 'Technical' Consultant, a service provider, or a CloudSocket broker.
Deployable Process Modeller
(Rejected) Alternatives: System Architect / BPaaS Allocator (/ Cloud Infrastructure Designer?)
The Deployable Process Modeller builds a BPaaS Cloudlet based on an Executable Business Process (Level-III process); mapping references to service types to service instances offered by service providers. In practice, the Executable Business Designer may be a 'Technical' Consultant, a service provider, or a CloudSocket broker.
This is a role responsible for concretizing a BPaaS and setting up its suitable configuration as well as its adaptation capabilities.
Kyriakos: This represents a better name with respect to Deployable Process Modeller. In addition, there is a problem in the second sentence in the definition of the Deployable Process Modeller.
Is this also what is meant by "cloud infrastructure designer" (D4.1)?
Consultant
Consults an organisation when designing a BPaaS. It can be discriminated into a Business and Technical Consultant. Some good definitions can be found on Section 6.7 of the D4.1 Deliverable.
Needed for semantic lifting.
Technical Consultant
(D4.1) Support BPMN usage for Workflows. Creation of Workflow Models.
Business Consultant
(D4.1) Support BPMN usage for Business Processes KPI Modelling. Metadata completion.
Ontology Expert
Supports semantic lifting and evolving and managing the ontology.
Can this be classified as Consultant?
CloudSocket Broker
(Rejected) Alternatives: / Business Process Broker / Broker / CloudSocket Operator (in D4.1)
The main task of the broker besides the fact that it can be contributing to defining the various models is that it selects deployable (Level-III processes) and offeres them to its users (Business Process Users). Hence, it takes a Level-III process and renders it to something executable. Hence, a CloudSocket Broker is the responsible to publish the business process. Moreover, it is the responsible to manage the discovery, orchestration, deployment and execution of services on the cloud, allowing the customer to use and exploit them. The broker is someone who acts as an intermediary between two or more parties during the negotiation, acting as intermediary between the purchaser of the cloud computing service and the sellers of that business process as a service.
The CloudSocket Broker is physical person or an organization whose business is creating BPaaS Bundles and selling them to Business Process Users via the Marketplace.
(D4.1) The Broker is designing a BPaaS in order to offer it on the marketplace. Hence the broker uses the BPaaS Designer to design the respective business process. (Intersection with Process Provider!) Broker and Process Provider are allocating necessary resources for Cloud deployment. Hence the broker with the help of the process provider or service provider is allocating the process by adding deployment relevant information such as data structure of control flow.
(D4.1) providing and maintaining the environment to manage BPaaSs.
(D4.1) is responsible for designing and publishing BPaaS bundles in the CloudSocket platform
CloudSocket Operator
It is the one offering the BPaaS platform through which a BPaaS Provider can offer its BPaaSs. It could also be specialized into 5-6 sub-roles mapping to the respective environments that need to operate and be integrated in order to comprise the BPaaS platform.
Kyriakos: can be actually replaced by BPaaS provider as the broker, in the way we define it, actually offers pre-packaged BPaaSs to its clients
Design Environment Operator
Provides the Design Environment to be used.
Allocation Environment Operator
Provides the Allocation Environment to be used.
Execution Environment Operator
Provides the Execution Environment to be used.
Evaluation Environment Operator
Provides the Evaluation Environment to be used.
Marketplace Environment Operator
Provides the Marketplace Environment to be used.
Cloud Provider
(Rejected) Alternatives: External Service Provider / Cloud Service Provider / Process Provider
(D4.1) Broker and Process Provider are allocating necessary resources for Cloud deployment. Hence the broker with the help of the process provider or service provider is allocating the process by adding deployment relevant information such as data structure of control flow. Process Provider offers processes in the cloud in form of a market place to the end user. The market place for the end user offers a set of different processes the user can select from. Each Broker has its own marketplace, hence this is a front end device offered by the process provider and hosted by the broker
(D4.1 any difference to process providers?) Service Provider offers services that could realize part of the process of the broker. These services are published in the Registry Environment.
Kyriakos: As Cloud Service Provider, this role can be specialized to the roles of BPaaS Provider, SaaS Provider, PaaS Provider and IaaS Provider
BPaaS Provider
Offers one or multiple business processes to Business Process Users. Runs these under its own control either using own hardware or further P/IaaS offerings.
SaaS Provider
(Rejected) Alternatives: External Service Provider / Atomic Service Provider
Organization installing, executing and managing a service instance that Level-III processes can be bound to. Also, the External Service Provider autonomously defines SLAs for the Service and is responsible to fulfill such SLA. He is paid according to the usage of the Service he provides.
In D4.1 is stated "Independent Software Vendor (aka Cloud Service Provider)" - is there any difference to SaaS Provider?
PaaS Provider
Provides services in terms of platforms.
IaaS Provider
Provides services in terms of infrastructure.
BPaaS Customer
(Rejected) Alternatives: Business Process User, Business User
User of CloudSocket in the sense that it unlocks a Business Process for a dedicated group of end users (the tenant).
Pays the CloudSocket Broker for BPaaS deployment.
Business skilled BP User
Purchasing BPaaS bundles. Assessing business requirements, costs. etc.
Technical skilled BP User
Dealing with Execution Environment. Managing execution BP instances.
Kyriakos: Should be renamed into BPaaS Client to indicate that we deal with an organisation which desires to purchase and exploit a particular BPaaS offered by a BPaaS Provider.
BPaaS Participant
(Rejected) Alternatives: End-User / Human Worker
The actual person/set of persons interacting with the Business Process realised through the Cloudlet, e.g. a case worker in a personnal department. Very likely that this person belongs to the same institution as the operator.
Kyriakos: I propose to rename it to BPaaS Participant which can be further specialized into BPaaS Knowledge Worker.
Software Developer
Develops sopftware which will lead to completing the required functionality of a BPaaS. In case there is a need for a software which is not available (via external SaaS or open-source software libraries).
Business Engineer
Responsible for defining strategic business requirements/goals and respective organisational business processes.
Proposal for level-based classification
In a discussion with Kyriakos and Joaquin, a classification based on two levels was proposed:
Level I:
Actors: Organizations
Roles: Roles that can only be played by Organizations
Level II:
Actors: Individuals and departments
Roles: Roles that can only be played by individuals and departments. Those roles can belong to one or more Level-I-role(s).
Example:
(Roles used in example are not yet considered in the definitions above)
Level-I-Actor: CloudSocket Organisation
Level-I-Role: CloudSocket Broker, CloudSocket Support
Level-II-Actor: CloudSocket Employee
Level-II-Role: CloudSocket Administrator, CloudSocket Advisor
[1] http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/archimate2-doc/chap03.html
[2] M. Weske. Business Process Management - Concepts, Languages, Architectures. Springer, 2007.
Funding Partners
Horizon 2020