Skip to main content

Actors/Agents/Roles

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Database Systems
  • 29 Accesses

Synonyms

End user; Player; Work performer; Workflow participant

Definition

A resource that performs the work represented by a workflow activity instance.

This work is normally manifested as one or more work items assigned to the workflow participant via the worklist.

Key Points

These terms are normally applied to a human resource, but it could conceptually include machine-based resources such as an intelligent agent.

Where an activity requires no human resource and is handled automatically by a computer application, the normal terminology for the machine-based resource is invoked application.

An actor, agent, or role may be identified directly within the business process definition or (more normally) is identified by reference within the process definition to a role, which can then be filled by one or more of the resources available to the workflow system to operate in that role during process enactment.

Cross-References

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 4,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 6,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nathaniel Palmer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Palmer, N. (2018). Actors/Agents/Roles. In: Liu, L., Özsu, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8265-9_829

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics