How it helps your business

Best for:Enterprise IT & OperationsFinancial Services & InsuranceHealthcare AdministrationPublic Sector & GovernmentSupply Chain & Logistics
YAWL (Yet Another Workflow Language) is an open-source workflow system based on rigorous academic research into workflow patterns. Unlike many commercial Business Process Management (BPM) suites that rely on informal, proprietary modeling semantics, YAWL's foundation is built on extend Petri nets. This mathematical backing allows organizations to design, verify, and execute highly complex business processes with guaranteed determinism and predictable behavior without edge-case bottlenecks.
The YAWL system is composed of an interactive Process Editor for visual workflow design, an Execution Engine that routes tasks, and an ecosystem of Custom Services that handle specific business logic (like sending emails, invoking Web Services, or rendering dynamic user forms).
In production environments, YAWL shines when dealing with complex resource allocations (e.g., "Assign this task to any Manager who did not approve the previous step") and dynamic, unstructured workflows requiring exception handling at runtime.

Key Benefits

  • Unmatched Pattern Support: Supports more of the definitive "Workflow Patterns" than almost any other commercial tool, allowing for complex branching, synchronization, and cancellation logic.
  • Formal Verification: Workflows can be mathematically verified for deadlocks and unreachability before ever being deployed to production.
  • Microservices Ready: The architecture natively supports decoupling the workflow engine from the task executors via web services.
  • Extensible Resource Management: Highly granular control over "who does what," including concepts like delegation, escalation, and separation of duties.

Production Architecture Overview

A standard production deployment of YAWL consists of several Java-based components deployed within an application server (like Apache Tomcat):
  • YAWL Engine: The core state machine coordinating control flow and data flow. It maintains the state of all running process instances in a backend relational database (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
  • Resource Service: Manages organizational data (participants, roles, capabilities) and handles task allocation and the work queue.
  • Custom Services: Java or REST-based microservices that the Engine calls to perform automated work (e.g., an EmailService or a PaymentGatewayService).
  • Web UI / Resource Portal: The front-end application where human participants log in to claim, start, and complete their assigned tasks.

How we deploy this for you

Security Hardened

Firewalls, SSL, and hardened kernels out of the box.

Performance Tuned

Optimized for speed with cache and DB fine-tuning.

Automated Backups

Daily off-site backups so you never lose your data.

Private Cloud

You own the server and the data. No middleman.

Implementation Blueprint

Prerequisites

YAWL is a Java application. For a production deployment, you'll need a robust Application Server and an external relational database.
# Update standard packages
sudo apt-update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install OpenJDK 11
sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk -y

# Install PostgreSQL for the backend database
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib -y

# Install Apache Tomcat 9
sudo apt install tomcat9 tomcat9-admin -y
shell

Database Configuration (PostgreSQL)

You should isolate YAWL data in its own database with a dedicated user.
sudo -u postgres psql

CREATE DATABASE yawl;
CREATE USER yawluser WITH PASSWORD 'secure_production_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE yawl TO yawluser;
\q
sql

Deploying the YAWL Components

Download the YAWL distribution (which includes the .war files for Tomcat deployment). In a production environment, you deploy the core engine and the resource service.
# Assuming you have downloaded the YAWL distribution ZIP
unzip yawl-x.y.zip -d /opt/yawl

# Copy the WAR files to Tomcat's webapps directory
sudo cp /opt/yawl/engine/yawl.war /var/lib/tomcat9/webapps/
sudo cp /opt/yawl/resourceservice/resourceService.war /var/lib/tomcat9/webapps/
shell
Configure the engine to point to the PostgreSQL database by editing the Hibernate configuration file inside the exploded yawl.war directory (or providing a separate hibernate.cfg.xml in Tomcat's classpath).
<!-- Example Hibernate overrides for PostgreSQL -->
<property name="hibernate.connection.driver_class">org.postgresql.Driver</property>
<property name="hibernate.connection.url">jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/yawl</property>
<property name="hibernate.connection.username">yawluser</property>
<property name="hibernate.connection.password">secure_production_password</property>
<property name="hibernate.dialect">org.hibernate.dialect.PostgreSQLDialect</property>
xml
Restart Tomcat to apply configurations:
sudo systemctl restart tomcat9
shell

Custom Service Integration (REST API)

Often, standard BPM tasks require speaking to your custom internal microservices. You can define a YAWL Custom Service simply by exposing a REST endpoint.
For example, a generic Node.js service answering to YAWL:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.use(express.text({type: 'application/xml'})); // YAWL Engine sends XML payloads

app.post('/my-custom-yawl-service', (req, res) => {
    // 1. Parse the incoming YAWL task XML payload
    console.log("Received task from YAWL engine:", req.body);
    
    // 2. Execute target business logic (e.g., updating an external CRM)
    updateCRM();
    
    // 3. Return success payload back to YAWL to complete the task
    const responseXML = `<response><status>Success</status></response>`;
    res.status(200).send(responseXML);
});

app.listen(8080, () => console.log('YAWL custom service listening on port 8080'));
javascript
You then register this service URL inside the YAWL Engine Admin console.

Security Practices

  • Network Isolation: The YAWL Engine should not be exposed to the public internet. Only expose the specific web portals or front-end applications that interact with the engine via APIs.
  • Reverse Proxy & SSL: Place an Nginx or Apache HTTP server in front of Tomcat to handle SSL/TLS termination. Provide human users access only via https://workflow.yourcompany.com.
  • Database Security: Run PostgreSQL securely; disable remote root access, only allow connections from the Tomcat server IP, and utilize regular scheduled backups using pg_dump.
  • Authentication: Integrate the YAWL Resource Service with your enterprise LDAP or Active Directory structure rather than maintaining isolated workflow user accounts.

Best place to host YAWL

We recommend Hostinger for its reliability and low cost. It's the perfect home for your new apps, featuring easy setup and 24/7 support.

Get Started on Hostinger

Compare Similar Tools

n8n

n8n

n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that enables developers to automate tasks, integrate services, and build complex workflows. It is production-ready, scalable, and extensible.

GitLab

GitLab

GitLab is a complete open-source DevOps platform that provides source code management, CI/CD pipelines, and collaboration tools. It is production-ready, scalable, and secure for enterprise deployments.

Openpilot

Openpilot

Openpilot is an open-source advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) that provides automated lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and driver monitoring capabilities for compatible vehicles. It enhances vehicle safety and convenience by leveraging computer vision and machine learning.

Professional Setup
$99one-time
Get Started
Free Setup Consultation

Need Help with Your Setup?

If you're not sure how to get started or want our team to handle the technical setup for you, we're here to help. We build custom business tools and automate your daily tasks so you can focus on growing your business.

Trusted by business owners at

Professional Setup

We install and secure any app on your private server for a one-time fee.

Custom Business Tools

We build bespoke dashboards and tools tailored to your specific needs.

Automate Your Work

Connect your apps and automate repetitive tasks to save time and money.

Included in every $99 setup

Security
Performance
SSL Setup
Private Cloud
Faster ImplementationQuick Turnaround
100% Free ConsultationFree Project Review