Cognitive learning workflow execution

• US 10,552,779 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, Molly, Brunner-McDonald, Kirsten, Bryant, Charlie, Siconolfi, Philip, Walle, Marna
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Benjamin C
• Application Number:
  US15/795,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20190129748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

Technical solutions are described for execution of a machine-assisted workflow, the workflow including a sequence of workflow steps. An example method includes pulling a preliminary update for the workflow from a data source and modifying the workflow dynamically. The method further includes selecting a workflow step, pulling an updated information for the workflow step from the data source and modifying the workflow step dynamically using the updated information. The method further includes retrieving, from the data source, first preview information, the first preview information indicative of previews of one or more operations from the updated workflow step. The method further includes to the first preview information, executing the updated workflow step. The method further includes accumulating execution information including second preview information based on the execution and pushing the execution information to the data source upon completion of the workflow step.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for execution of a machine-assisted workflow, the method comprising:

selecting a workflow for interactive execution, the workflow comprising a sequence of workflow steps;

pulling a preliminary update for the workflow from a data source and modifying the workflow dynamically;

selecting a workflow step from the workflow for execution;

pulling updated information for the workflow step from the data source and modifying the workflow step dynamically using the updated information to create an updated workflow step;

retrieving, from the data source, first preview information, the first preview information indicative of previews of one or more operations from the updated workflow step;

in response to the first preview information, executing the workflow step using the updated workflow step, the execution comprising changing a target system;

accumulating execution information comprising attributes associated with execution of the workflow step and second preview information based on the execution of the workflow step; and

pushing the execution information to the data source upon completion of the workflow step.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the preview information comprises a sequence of screenshots of the one or more operations from the updated workflow step.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first preview information is pushed to the data source based on another execution of the workflow.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the first preview information being indicative of not performing the execution, skipping the execution of the workflow step.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the workflow step comprises modifying an operation being performed by the workflow step.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first preview information is identified based on a unique identifier of the workflow step.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second preview information is associated with the unique identifier of the workflow step prior to pushing the preview information to the data source.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured for machine-assisted workflow execution comprising;

selecting a workflow for interactive execution, the workflow comprising a sequence of workflow steps;

pulling a preliminary update for the workflow from a data source and modifying the workflow dynamically;

selecting a workflow step from the workflow for execution;

pulling updated information for the workflow step from the data source and modifying the workflow step dynamically using the updated information to create an updated workflow step;

retrieving, from the data source, first preview information, the first preview information indicative of previews of one or more operations from the updated workflow step;

in response to the first preview information, executing the workflow step using the updated workflow step, the execution comprising changing a target system;

accumulating execution information comprising attributes associated with execution of the workflow step and second preview information based on the execution of the workflow step; and

pushing the execution information to the data source upon completion of the workflow step.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the preview information comprises a sequence of screenshots of the one or more operations from the updated workflow step.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first preview information is pushed to the data source based on another execution of the workflow.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the workflow execution further comprises, in response to the first preview information being indicative of not performing the execution, skipping the execution of the workflow step.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein updating the workflow step comprises modifying an operation being performed by the workflow step.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first preview information is identified based on a unique identifier of the workflow step.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second preview information is associated with the unique identifier of the workflow step prior to pushing the preview information to the data source.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to provide machine-assisted workflow execution comprising:

selecting a workflow for interactive execution, the workflow comprising a sequence of workflow steps;

pulling a preliminary update for the workflow from a data source and modifying the workflow dynamically;

selecting a workflow step from the workflow for execution;

pulling updated information for the workflow step from the data source and modifying the workflow step dynamically using the updated information to create an updated workflow step;

retrieving, from the data source, first preview information, the first preview information indicative of previews of one or more operations from the updated workflow step;

in response to the first preview information, executing the workflow step using the updated workflow step, the execution comprising changing a target system;

accumulating execution information comprising attributes associated with execution of the workflow step and second preview information based on the execution of the workflow step; and

pushing the execution information to the data source upon completion of the workflow step.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the preview information comprises a sequence of screenshots of the one or more operations from the updated workflow step.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first preview information is pushed to the data source based on another execution of the workflow.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the workflow execution further comprises, in response to the first preview information being indicative of not performing the execution, skipping the execution of the workflow step.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein updating the workflow step comprises modifying an operation being performed by the workflow step.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first preview information is identified based on a unique identifier of the workflow step, and wherein the second preview information is associated with the unique identifier of the workflow step prior to pushing the preview information to the data source.