A dynamic approach to multi-transfer container management

This paper introduces a dynamic approach to manage the processing of client requests in a multi-transfer container transportation (MTCT) system. At the operational level, this type of system is faced with a continuously changing environment. In this context, the need for dynamic creation and adaptation of solutions is of utmost importance. The adopted approach is based on a two-layer framework that exploits workflow technology. The latter proposes a formalism to describe sequences of activities to be enacted when processing requests, hence reducing the need for manual, time-consuming management and organization. The proposed two-layer framework has a workflow layer that encapsulates the set of concurrently running workflows associated to client requests. A coordination layer is mainly responsible for the instantiation of new workflows to be inserted in the workflow layer and for modifications of running ones. These modifications are motivated by resource sharing issues or triggered by unanticipated/unexpected events. According to this two-layer framework, an implementation of a prototype for a MTCT system is finally presented.

, 2003