SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING FLEXIBLE WORKFLOW PROCESS COMPENSATION IN A DISTRIBUTED WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A system and method for performing flexible workflow process compensation in a distributed workflow management system is described. A computer network includes a plurality of interconnected computers. Each computer includes a processor, memory and input/output facilities. The distributed workflow management system operates over the computer network. A plurality of resources perform the workflow process is performed with each resource operatively coupled to at least one of the computers. A process definition diagram includes computer-readable instructions stored in the memory of at least one of the computers and contains a role specification of process activities for performing the workflow process. A resource manager maps the role specification of process activities to at least one of the resources at runtime. A workflow process engine executes each process activity using the mapped resource and compensates a failed process activity responsive to the process definition diagram.