Fork in Activity Diagram
A fork in an activity diagram is a control node that splits the flow of control into multiple, concurrent flows. It allows for parallel execution of activities, where different sub-processes or tasks can be executed simultaneously. Forks are represented by a horizontal or vertical bar with multiple outgoing edges, with each edge leading to a different activity node.
Forks are used in conjunction with join nodes, which merge the concurrent flows back into a single flow of control. This combination of fork and join nodes allows for the modeling of complex, parallel behavior in a system.
Forks in Activity Diagrams
Modeling Parallel Processes: Forks are particularly useful in modeling systems with parallel processes or multi-threaded applications, where multiple tasks are executed concurrently. By using a fork node, you can easily depict the simultaneous execution of different activities, illustrating the system's parallel behavior clearly and concisely.
Resource Allocation: Forks can also be used to model the allocation of resources in a system. For instance, in a manufacturing process, multiple machines may be working concurrently to produce different parts of a product. A fork node can be used to represent the simultaneous allocation of resources to these machines.
Workflow Management: In workflow management systems, forks can be employed to model the parallel execution of tasks or activities. For example, in a document approval process, several people may need to review a document simultaneously. By using a fork node, you can represent the parallel flow of the document to multiple reviewers.
Load Balancing: Forks can also be utilized to model load balancing in distributed systems. When a system receives a high volume of requests, it can distribute the load across multiple servers or processes. A fork node can be used to represent this distribution of workload among different components in the system.
Diagram Example with Fork
In this diagram, the ProcessOrder fork allows for the parallel execution of checking stock availability and applying a discount code. The flows then merge back into a single flow at the CompleteOrder join node before moving on to the order confirmation step.
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