Intuitive transformation of UML2 activities into fundamental modeling concept petri nets and colored petri nets

Abstract

UML 2 activities constitute important modeling notations for specifying and modeling different types of behavior found in systems and object oriented behavior. Activity modeling is useful for understanding and defining web processing, web service composition, business process modeling, workflow modeling, systems integration, task management and low level tasks like software operations. Activity modeling is not just found in UML but also in languages like the systems modeling language (SysML) where activities are modeled using enhanced functional flow block diagrams (EFFBD), business process execution language (BPEL) and Agile. Activity modeling is not restricted to a particular use but can be successfully integrated into different approaches as required. UML 2 activities are classified into i) fundamental, ii) basic, iii) intermediate, iv) complete, v) structured, vi) complete structured and vii) extra structured. Each class is useful for a particular problem area. Eg structured activities address traditional programming language modeling, whilst fundamental and basic activities are ideal for high level business process modelling (Spiteri Staines, 2008).