Management and dynamic monitoring of deadlines in time-constrained workflows

A deadline assignment and monitoring method based on critical path was proposed for time management in time-constrained workflows. In the course of building time, the slack time and deadline of each activity were assigned. And then in run time, through monitoring workflow instance execution, the deadline and slack time of subsequent activities were timely reassigned. The proposed method not only improves the lack of the existing method in which all the paths in "OR" control structure were assigned the same deadline, but also properly adjusts workflow execution rhythm according to the current instance executions, and hence increases the anticipativity of subsequent activities in avoiding time violation in order to guarantee the effective execution of workflow time planning.