Unit-of-Work

A unit-of-work is a task that is completed by one individual and whose completion is not directly dependent on the completion of any other task.

Note that a unit-of-work is a user-related task unit while a transaction—at least in software discussions—is a program- or database-related task unit.

Example: An Order Clerk taking an Order is a unit-of-work.

Taking the Order is the unit-of-work the user is focused on. The database may well treat creating each Order Item, Creating Shipping Information, Creating Billing Information, and so on as individual transactions.

Units-of-Work cover many time scales depending on what is being done. System transactions are typically—at least with today's technology—very short duration tasks.

Last Modified January 2003. Send your comments?

©2002, 2003 John M. Artim