Data processing system and method

1. A data processing system comprising:

first file conversion means for converting a set of file formats into an extended markup language format;

a software development tool; and

a workflow processing system;

wherein the software development tool comprises second file conversion means for rendering the extended markup language format into a unified modeling language format, means for graphic modification of the rendered file, third file conversion means for converting the unified modeling language format to the extended markup language format, and means for deploying an extended markup language format converted file to the workflow processing system.

2. The data processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a first graphical user interface providing a selection of a legacy file having one of the file formats of the set of file formats.

3. The data processing system of claim 1 , further comprising fourth file conversion means for converting the extended markup language format into a selected file format of the set of file formats.

4. The data processing system of claim 2 , further comprising a second graphical user interface providing a selection of one of the deployed extended markup language format converted files for instantiation thereof and initialization of respective workflow processing by the workflow processing system.

5. The data processing system of claim 1 , further comprising the workflow processing system being coupled to a set of application programs ( 160 ) for execution of the instantiated process.

6. The data processing system of claim 1 , further comprising the workflow processing system being coupled to a set of web services for execution of the instantiated process.

7. A data processing method comprising:

converting a legacy process description file into an extended markup language process description template;

rendering the extended markup language process description template in a unified modeling language format;

graphically modifying the rendered process description template;

converting the modified process description template from the unified modeling language format to the extended markup language format; and

deploying the extended markup language format converted modified process description template to a workflow processing system.

8. The data processing method of claim 7 , further comprising selecting one of the legacy process description files having a file format of a predefined set of file formats by means of a software developer's graphical user interface.

9. The data processing method of claim 7 , further comprising converting one of the extended markup language process description templates that has been obtained by converting the unified modeling language format to the extended markup language format into a selected one of the set of file formats.

10. The data processing method of claim 7 , further comprising selecting one of the deployed extended markup language format converted files for instantiation thereof and initialization of respective workflow processing by the workflow processing system.

11. The data processing method of claim 7 , further comprising using one or more web services for performing one or more of the steps of the workflow processing.

12. The data processing method of claim 7 , further comprising selecting one or more legacy process description files for definition of a combined workflow.

13. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform operations for data processing, the operations comprising:

converting a legacy process description file into an extended markup language process description template;

rendering the extended markup language process description template in a unified modeling language format;

graphically modifying the rendered process description template;

converting the modified process description template from the unified modeling language format to the extended markup language format; and

deploying the extended markup language format converted modified process description template to a workflow processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising selecting one of the legacy process description files having a file format of a predefined set of file formats by means of a software developer's graphical user interface.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising converting one of the extended markup language process description templates that has been obtained by converting the unified modeling language format to the extended markup language format into a selected one of the set of file formats.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising selecting one of the deployed extended markup language format converted files for instantiation thereof and initialization of respective workflow processing by the workflow processing system.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising using one or more web services for performing one or more of the steps of the workflow processing.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising selecting one or more legacy process description files for definition of a combined workflow.