The concept of transaction originates from database research. It is a key technology to ensure the reliabilityand consistency of information. The flat transaction model is not suitable to current complex and distributed applica-tions since it lacks the semantic support for complex applications. In this paper, we survey two approaches to solvethe problems of the flat transaction model: extended transaction models and transactional workflows. We then pre-sent the transaction specifications and major commercial products of transaction processing technologies. Finally, weprospect the trend of these technologies.
