Actually the conceptual model of EPN (event processing network) can be thought as a kind of data flow (although I prefer the term event flow - as what is flowing is really events). The processing unit is EPA (Event Processing Agent). There are indeed two types of input to EPA, which can be called "set-at-a-time" and "event-at-a-time". Typically SQL based languages are more geared to "set-at-a-time", and other languages styles (like ECA rule) are working "event-at-a-time". From conceptual point of view, an EPA get events in channels, one input channels may be of a "stream" type, and in other, the event flow one-by-one. As there are some functions that are naturally set-oriented and other that are naturally event-at-a-time oriented, and application may not fall nicely into one of them, it makes sense to have kind of hybrid systems, and have EPN as the conceptual model on top of both of them...
On Event Processing Agents implies a “new” event processing reference architecture with terms like,
(1) simple event processing agents for filtering and routing,
(2) mediated event processing agents for event enrichment, transformation, validation,
(3) complex event processing agents for pattern detection, and
(4) intelligent event processing agents for prediction, decisions.
Frankly, while I generally agree with the concepts, I think the terms in On Event Processing Agents tend to add to the confusion because these concepts in On Event Processing Agents are following, almost exactly, the same reference architecture (and terms) for MSDF, illustrated again below to aid the reader.
Multiple channels and types of events…
… executing in multiple Inference Agents (Event Processing Agents on an Event Processing Network)…
… where Events drive Production Rules with associated (shared) data…
… and event patterns (complex events) are derived from the simple events and also drive Production Rules via inferencing…
… to lead to “real-time” decisions.
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