In Service-Oriented Architectures, everything is a service and services can interact with each other when needed. Web services (or simply services) are loosely coupled software components that are published, discovered, and invoked across the Web. As the use of Web services grows, in order to correctly interact with the growing services, it is important to understand the business protocols that provide clients with the information on how to interact with services. In dynamic Web services environments, service providers need to constantly adapt their business protocols for reflecting the restrictions and requirements proposed by new applications, new business strategies, and new laws, or for fixing the problems found in the protocol definition. However, the effective management of such a protocol evolution raises critical problems: one of the most critical issues is to handle instances running under the old protocol when their protocol has been changed. Simple solutions, such as aborting them or allowing them to continue to run according to the old protocol, can be considered, but they are inapplicable for many reasons (e.g., the lose of work already done and the critical nature of work). We present a framework that supports service administrators in managing the business protocol evolution by providing several features, such as a set of change operators allowing modifications of protocols, a variety of protocol change impact analyses automatically determining which ongoing instances can be migrated to the new version of protocol, and data mining techniques inducing a model for classifying ongoing instances migrateable to the new protocol. To support the protocol evolution process, we have also developed database-backed GUI tools on top of our existing system. The proposed approach and tools can help service administrators in managing the evolution of ongoing instances when the business protocols of services with which they are interacting have changed.

In Service-Oriented Architectures, everything is a service and services can interact with each other when needed. Web services (or simply services) are loosely coupled software components that are published, discovered, and invoked across the Web. As the use of Web services grows, in order to correctly interact with the growing services, it is important to understand the business protocols that provide clients with the information on how to interact with services. In dynamic Web services environments, service providers need to constantly adapt their business protocols for reflecting the restrictions and requirements proposed by new applications, new business strategies, and new laws, or for fixing the problems found in the protocol definition. However, the effective management of such a protocol evolution raises critical problems: one of the most critical issues is to handle instances running under the old protocol when their protocol has been changed. Simple solutions, such as aborting them or allowing them to continue to run according to the old protocol, can be considered, but they are inapplicable for many reasons (e.g., the lose of work already done and the critical nature of work). We present a framework that supports service administrators in managing the business protocol evolution by providing several features, such as a set of change operators allowing modifications of protocols, a variety of protocol change impact analyses automatically determining which ongoing instances can be migrated to the new version of protocol, and data mining techniques inducing a model for classifying ongoing instances migrateable to the new protocol. To support the protocol evolution process, we have also developed database-backed GUI tools on top of our existing system. The proposed approach and tools can help service administrators in managing the evolution of ongoing instances when the business protocols of services with which they are interacting have changed.

The goal of this Thesis is to uncover, characterize, analyze, describe and define selected contemporary rules of etiquette, international business and diplomatic protocol in international business and diplomatic practice and point out the greatest deficiencies witnessed in practice. The research subject of this Thesis is, thus, the formal aspect of international business and diplomatic cooperation. Its output consists of recommendation on how to correctly apply these rules in practice. I would also like my paper to significantly contribute to the general knowledge of this fascinating and commonly useful knowledge. The structure of the Thesis as it was drawn up in context of its goals consists of three main chapters, introduction and conclusion. The first part of the Thesis deals with Social Etiquette. This part is not conceived as general rules of social intercourse. Instead, it concentrates mainly on the elaboration of contemporary general rules of social intercourse and etiquette to in the context of business and entrepreneurial activities, i.e. Business Protocol. The Thesis would also like to provide answers to the following questions: What is the current standard of social intercourse in the Czech Republic? What are the contemporary rules of social intercourse in the Czech Republic and how do they differ from the etiquette abroad? Can we claim that these rules are being observed? What leads our managers, businessman, diplomats etc. to observing these rules? In my Thesis I strive to evaluate contemporary rules applicable to social, business and diplomatic events as well as in written communication and to draw attention the lack of their knowledge. Another partial goal of the Thesis consists of using carried out analyses, evaluations, inquiries via questionnaires and comparative analyses to point out the differences in the rules of social intercourse, conduct and negotiation in different territories. The working hypothesis of this part of the paper is to indicate on the basis of the above mentioned allegations the relationship between the behaviour and conduct of managers of different provenience and the fact that they have different cultural background. Culture is learned not inherited. It is derived from the social environment not from genes and it must be clearly distinguished from human character and the character of individual people. Significant attention is, therefore, paid to the study of international customs and conventions, especially those of the countries which the representatives of Czech firms, enterprises and institutions most come into contact with. The presented Thesis does not have the ambition to come up with a definitive cookbook as to how to conduct oneself in a given situation within a given territory; it merely strives to point out the pitfalls, misunderstandings and blunders in conduct and barriers in communication and in business or any other professional negotiations. Unlike legal acts the rules of Etiquette are not binding. Laws apply to all and the state prosecutes their infringement. Unlike laws, the rules of Etiquette are not enforceable. Their only form of enforcement is the social pressure which the society effectuates on the individual. Thus, the standards of social conduct only apply to those willing to abide by them. The presented paper is an aggregate of the rules and its author's views. Another author's standpoint may differ. The second part of the Thesis concentrates on the sphere of Diplomatic Protocol in international business and diplomatic practice. The presented paper aims at describing the existing system of Foreign Service and diplomatic activities, presenting the diplomatic representations, consulates, missions and other representatives abroad, their functioning as well as their immunities and privileges. Diplomatic Protocol concerns the formal, not the material, content of international relations. Formal rules of social conduct in intercourse with diplomatic representatives of other countries, the etiquette and the ceremonies applied to the intercourse with these representatives form an integral part of the Diplomatic Protocol. In the initial part I define the very term Diplomatic Protocol and I strive to specify is subject. Successively I address individual respective parts of Diplomatic Protocol and diplomatic practice, such as the methods of establishing diplomatic relationships, the roles of diplomatic missions, ranks of diplomatic representatives and their immunities and privileges, the procedure related to the conferment of agrément and the termination of activity of the head of a diplomatic mission, official visits of foreign guests, organisation of international conferences, diplomatic correspondence, consular activities etc. In the course of its elaboration the presented Thesis should also offer answers to the following questions: What is the current international form, role and significance of the Diplomatic Protocol? What leads states to observing signed conventions? Which diplomatic immunities and privileges are at the moment among the most abused or violated? For the accomplishment of the goals set out in this Thesis I shall strive to outline the scale of theoretic approaches and based on the effective layout and international practice express my own conclusions. Among others, the paper also aims at promoting the development of skills of the current diplomat and acquainting them with the norms of diplomatic correspondence. The aforementioned part of the Thesis also sets out another rather easily attained objective: due to the inexistence of comprehensive publications on this topic to become a handbook and reference manual not only for the young adepts of this profession but for all who for some reason take interest in Diplomacy. It was an ambition of the author to assemble and explain terms, which those interested in the practical aspects of Foreign Service, may be confronted with. The paper reflects current diplomatic practice and takes into account Czech circumstances. The author is endeavouring to mediate the information and knowledge she gained through years of practice at representative offices abroad gained during her practical experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and through more than 20 years of practice in academic research and instruction of this area.

Avec l’utilisation croissante d’architectures logicielles indépendantes de la plate-forme et du langage dans le paradigme de l’architecture orientée services (SOA), la technologie de services web permet l’interopérabilité dynamique et flexible des processus métiers aussi bien au niveau intra qu’inter-organisationnel. Bien que la normalisation des services web permet de réduire l’hétérogénéité et rend plus facile leur interopérabilité, il y a toujours besoin de vérifier leur compatibilité en particulier dans le contexte inter-entreprises. Deux services sont compatibles si une collaboration entre eux est accomplie avec succès et que chacun puisse atteindre ses résultats attendus (états finaux). L’approche typique devant permettre à des services incompatibles d’interagir correctement est l’adaptation du service. L’adaptation consiste dans ce contexte à faire face principalement aux discordances relevées au niveau des interfaces de service (incompatibilités entre signatures de services) ainsi qu’aux discordances qui ont lieu au niveau des protocoles métiers (incompatibilité dans l’ordre des messages échangés entre services). On distingue deux principales techniques d’adaptation: modification de service ou synthèse d’un composant adaptateur. L’adaptation en termes de modification de service exige l’application de certaines mesures d’optimisation pour supporter les spécifications du service partenaire. Dans le cas où l’adaptation traite de la création d’un adaptateur, un composant autonome modère les interactions entre les deux services de sorte que l’interopérabilité soit obtenue. En d’autres termes, l’adaptateur compense les différences entre interfaces de services par conversion de données (c’est-à-dire par transformation de message) et celles entre protocoles métiers en réorganisant les échanges de messages ou en générant un message manquant.Nous nous concentrons ici sur le problème de la reconfiguration dynamique de l’adaptateur en presence d’évolution de protocols métiers. Après avoir traité de la vérification d’un adaptateur en exploitant des techniques structurelles existantes développées dans le cadre de la théorie des réseaux de Petri, nous établissons une identification des patrons de mise à jour d’adaptateurs ainsi que la mise en correspondance de ces patrons avec les différents types d’évolutions possibles au niveau des protocoles métiers des services web. Ce travail a abouti à la proposition d’un algorithme permettant, d’une part de détecter les patrons d’évolution adéquats suite à une évolution d’un des protocoles métier des services partenaires et, d’autre part et sous certaines conditions, la mise à jour à la volée de la specification du nouvel adaptateur obtenu ainsi que sa verification.Enfin, les expérimentations réalisées sur un prototype montrent les avantages en termes de temps et de coût de l'approche dynamique proposée par rapport aux méthodes statiques conduisant systématiquement à la regeneration complète de l’adaptateur. / The advent of Web service technologies in the paradigm of Service oriented architecture (SOA) enables dynamic and flexible interoperation of distributed business processes within and across organization boundaries. One of the challenges in working with heterogeneous and autonomous Web services is the need to ensure their interoperability and compatibility. The typical approach for enabling incompatible services to interact is service adaptation. The need for adaptation in Web services comes from the heterogeneity at the levels of service interface and business protocol. The service interface incompatibilities include service signature mismatches (e.g., message and operation name, number; the type of input/output message parameters of operations; and the parameter value constraint). The mismatches at the business protocol (or service behavior) level arise from the order constraints that services impose on messages exchanges (e.g., deadlock where both partner services are mutually waiting to receive some message from the other, and unspecified reception in which one service sends a message while the partner is not expecting it). In service interaction through adaptation, an adapter mediates the interactions between two services with potentially different interfaces and business protocols such that the interoperability is achieved, i.e., adapter compensates for the differences between their interfaces by data mappings, and between their business protocols by rearranging the messages exchanges or generating a missing message. In this dissertation, we focus on how to cope with the dynamic evolution of business protocol P of a given service (i.e., P is changed to P') that is adapted by an adapter in the context of service interaction. Web service specifications constantly evolve. For variety of reasons, service providers may change their business protocols. Therefore, it is important to understand the potential impacts of the changes arising from the evolution of service business protocol on the adapter.We present an approach to automatically detect the effects of business protocols evolution on the adapter and, if possible, to suggest fixes to update the specification of adapter on-the-fly. Besides, we propose a technique to verify the correctness of new adapter which is dynamically re-configured. Finally, we describe a prototype tool where experimentations show the benefits of proposed approach in terms of time and cost compared to the static methods aiming for complete regeneration of adapter or manual inspection and adaption of the adapter with respect to changes in the business protocols.

This thesis aims to provide complex view of business negotiations with Chinese partners, particularly with regard to intercultural differences and characteristics of business protocol. The thesis is divided into four chapters, focused on China as a territory, distinctions in culture and business, as well as selected business dealings between Czech and Chinese company. Knowledge of Chinese "game rules" and sufficient preparation are two essential preconditions for long-term success in the Chinese scene.

The aim of my master thesis was to specify the business and diplomatic protocol in France and answer several questions that I defined. Are there any differences between the facts that we read in books and guides about French business and diplomatic protocol, and the reality? Can we generalize French business protocol and say that it is valid for all sectors and generations of managers? Can we claim that French diplomatic protocol is valid all the time and every single president sticks to it? The first chapter explains all the key terms - protocol, business protocol, diplomatic protocol, business negotiation, etiquette. The second chapter focuses on French business protocol, especially organization and course of business negotiation, dress code and gift-giving etiquette, and finally characterizes a typical French company. The third chapter focuses on French diplomatic protocol, especially on all aspects conserning ambassadors in France. The fourth chapter represents the practical part and gives several practical examples of French business and diplomatic protocol. This part is based on four qualitative conversations with four experts on this domain.

La gestion des processus-métiers, des architectures orientées-services et leur rétro-ingénierie s’appuie fortement sur l’extraction des protocoles-métier des services Web et des modèles des processus-métiers à partir de fichiers de journaux. La fouille et l’extraction de ces modèles visent la (re)découverte du comportement d'un modèle mis en œuvre lors de son exécution en utilisant uniquement les traces d'activité, ne faisant usage d’aucune information a priori sur le modèle cible. Notre étude préliminaire montre que : (i) une minorité de données sur l'interaction sont enregistrées par le processus et les architectures de services, (ii) un nombre limité de méthodes d'extraction découvrent ce modèle sans connaître ni les instances positives du protocole, ni l'information pour les déduire, et (iii) les approches actuelles se basent sur des hypothèses restrictives que seule une fraction des services Web issus du monde réel satisfont. Rendre possible l'extraction de ces modèles d'interaction des journaux d'activité, en se basant sur des hypothèses réalistes nécessite: (i) des approches qui font abstraction du contexte de l'entreprise afin de permettre une utilisation élargie et générique, et (ii) des outils pour évaluer le résultat de la fouille à travers la mise en œuvre du cycle de vie des modèles découverts de services. En outre, puisque les journaux d'interaction sont souvent incomplets, comportent des erreurs et de l’information incertaine, alors les approches d'extraction proposées dans cette thèse doivent être capables de traiter ces imperfections correctement. Nous proposons un ensemble de modèles mathématiques qui englobent les différents aspects de la fouille des protocoles-métiers. Les approches d’extraction que nous présentons, issues de l'algèbre linéaire, nous permettent d'extraire le protocole-métier tout en fusionnant les étapes classiques de la fouille des processus-métiers. D'autre part, notre représentation du protocole basée sur des séries temporelles des variations de densité de flux permet de récupérer l'ordre temporel de l'exécution des événements et des messages dans un processus. En outre, nous proposons la définition des expirations propres pour identifier les transitions temporisées, et fournissons une méthode pour les extraire en dépit de leur propriété d'être invisible dans les journaux. Finalement, nous présentons un cadre multitâche visant à soutenir toutes les étapes du cycle de vie des workflow de processus et des protocoles, allant de la conception à l'optimisation. Les approches présentées dans ce manuscrit ont été implantées dans des outils de prototypage, et validées expérimentalement sur des ensembles de données et des modèles de processus et de services Web. Le protocole-métier découvert, peut ensuite être utilisé pour effectuer une multitude de tâches dans une organisation ou une entreprise. / Business process management, service-oriented architectures and their reverse engineering heavily rely on the fundamental endeavor of mining business process models and Web service business protocols from log files. Model extraction and mining aim at the (re)discovery of the behavior of a running model implementation using solely its interaction and activity traces, and no a priori information on the target model. Our preliminary study shows that : (i) a minority of interaction data is recorded by process and service-aware architectures, (ii) a limited number of methods achieve model extraction without knowledge of either positive process and protocol instances or the information to infer them, and (iii) the existing approaches rely on restrictive assumptions that only a fraction of real-world Web services satisfy. Enabling the extraction of these interaction models from activity logs based on realistic hypothesis necessitates: (i) approaches that make abstraction of the business context in order to allow their extended and generic usage, and (ii) tools for assessing the mining result through implementation of the process and service life-cycle. Moreover, since interaction logs are often incomplete, uncertain and contain errors, then mining approaches proposed in this work need to be capable of handling these imperfections properly. We propose a set of mathematical models that encompass the different aspects of process and protocol mining. The extraction approaches that we present, issued from linear algebra, allow us to extract the business protocol while merging the classic process mining stages. On the other hand, our protocol representation based on time series of flow density variations makes it possible to recover the temporal order of execution of events and messages in the process. In addition, we propose the concept of proper timeouts to refer to timed transitions, and provide a method for extracting them despite their property of being invisible in logs. In the end, we present a multitask framework aimed at supporting all the steps of the process workflow and business protocol life-cycle from design to optimization.The approaches presented in this manuscript have been implemented in prototype tools, and experimentally validated on scalable datasets and real-world process and web service models.The discovered business protocols, can thus be used to perform a multitude of tasks in an organization or enterprise.