System and method for invoking business functionality for a workflow

• US 20030097345A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Upton, Mitch
• Application Number:
  US10/271,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An application view component can represent a business-level interface to business functionality in an application or enterprise system. An application view component can be configured for, and can contain services related to, a single business purpose. Business-relevant data can be specified in the request document for these services, and can return business-relevant data in a response document. An application view component can combine this business-relevant data with stored metadata necessary for a resource adapter for the enterprise system. The adapter can take the combined data and execute a system-level business function. A business process management component can allow the application view component to be invoked as a business service.

This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

Claims

1. A system for managing workflow for application integration, comprising:

an application view component adapted to provide an interface to a resource for the client application;

a resource adapter adapted to invoke functionality in the resource and expose that functionality to the application view component; and

a process management component adapted to allow the application view component to be invoked as a service.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application view component is adapted to provide a business-focused interface.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application view component is adapted to provide an interface to an enterprise system for the client application.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the process management component is a business process management component adapted to allow the application view component to be invoked as a business service.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application view component is further adapted to provide a business-oriented way to access data in the resource.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

the application view component is further adapted to define a set of business functions on the enterprise system.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application view component is a stateless session bean.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a Java interface to the application view component, the Java interface allowing a Java application to pass XML to and from the resource.

9. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

the business process management component is further adapted to provide a GUI-based environment for designing business process workflows, the workflow capable of including application view events and services.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an enterprise system adapted to receive and send XML in response to a request from a client application.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a client application adapted to make requests.

12. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a workflow adapted to call the process management component to invoke the service.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

the workflow includes a task node capable of calling the process management component to invoke the service.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

the workflow includes an event node adapted to wait for a response from an asynchronous instance of the service.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

the workflow includes an event node adapted to wait for an application view event.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

the workflow is adapted to be started by an application view event.

17. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a process engine adapted to allow the graphical construction and maintenance of business processes, the business processes adapted to invoke functionality in an application through the functionality exposed by the resource adapter in response to an event generated by the client application.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the process management component is adapted to manage a business process to perform tasks selected from the group consisting of receiving events, selecting a subset of events, performing complex branched actions, generating complex messages, and sending the complex messages to application server clients.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the process management component is adapted to compile, test, and debug a business process.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the process management component is adapted to create a workflow.

21. A method for managing workflow for application integration, comprising:

deploying an application view component for an enterprise system, the application view component adapted to provide a business-focused interface to the enterprise system;

defining services and events for the application view such that the application view can be invoked as a business service; and

designating at least one node in the workflow adapted to invoke the application view as a business service.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

obtaining any required business logic for the workflow.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

defining the workflow using a business process management component.

24. A method for invoking enterprise system functionality from a workflow, comprising:

creating a task node in a workflow;

associating the task node with an application view component for a particular enterprise system, the application view component capable of being invoked as a service to expose functionality in the enterprise system; and

invoking the service from the task node.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising:

defining a set of business functions on the enterprise system.

26. A method for invoking business functionality for a workflow, comprising:

passing a request to a business process management component to invoke a business service for an enterprise system;

invoking an application view component adapted to provide a business-focused interface to the enterprise system; and

exposing business functionality in the enterprise system to the application view component using a resource adapter.

27. A method for invoking business functionality for a workflow, comprising

starting a business workflow containing at least one node;

invoking a business service in response to an event triggered by the node; and

exposing business functionality to the business service.

28. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

means for calling a business service from a workflow; and

means for invoking functionality in an enterprise system and exposing that functionality through the business service.

29. A computer program product for execution by a server computer for invoking business functionality, comprising:

computer code for calling a business service from a workflow; and

computer code for invoking functionality in an enterprise system and exposing that functionality through the business service.

30. A system for invoking business functionality, comprising:

means for calling a business service from a workflow; and

means for invoking functionality in an enterprise system and exposing that functionality through the business service.

31. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

object code executed by said processor, said object code configured to;

call a business service from a workflow; and

invoke functionality in an enterprise system and expose that functionality through the business service.

32. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium, comprising:

a code segment including instructions to call a business service from a workflow; and

a code segment including instructions to invoke functionality in an enterprise system and expose that functionality through the business service.