Workflow database for scalable storage service

• US 20030115073A1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Todd, Stephen, Bober, Paul M., Blumenau, Steven M., Fisher, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method of managing workflows related to storage services provided by a service provider to a customer (via a management system) is presented. The management system includes a Web server and a workflow process. The Web server presents to a customer a task screen (or set of task screens) for a customer-selected work order request type so that the customer can prepare and submit a work order request to the management system. After receiving the work order request, the Web server uses information contained in and associated with the request to create a database object that includes some or all of the following elements: customer identifier; work order identifier, date/time of request; request state (e.g., new, open or closed); type of request; parameters or arguments to the request; and any textual description provided by the customer. The Web server stores the object in a database. The workflow process locates the new request in the database, performs the task specified by the request and closes the work order request by updating the object with the appropriate state. The workflow process generates a billable event corresponding to the work order request and enters that billable event in an account record of the customer that submitted the request. The account record can then be used to generate billing information. If the workflow process cannot complete the task successfully, an administrator of the service provider may perform the task, close the work order request and enter the billable event in the customer account record.

Claims

1. A method of managing workflows in a service provider environment in which a service provider provides data storage resources to a customer, comprising:

providing a customer with a list of types of work order requests based on a permission level associated with the customer, the work order requests comprising requests to manage storage configuration;

receiving a selection of a type of work order request from the customer;

enabling the customer to generate a work order request of the selected type in a work order request submission;

creating a database object based on the work order request; and

storing the database object in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling comprises:

providing to the customer at least one task screen corresponding to the selected type of work order request and usable by the customer to generate the work order request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the work order request comprises values of parameters specific to the selected type of work order request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database object comprises elements that include a customer identifier and the selected type of work order request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the elements further include a state to indicate status of the work order request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein state can be set to indicate a new work order request initially and later changed to indicate a closed work order request.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

assigning a work order request identifier to the work order request; and

providing the assigned work order request to the customer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the database object is stored in the database as a table entry, the table entry including fields to store information associated with each of the elements.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the elements further comprise the assigned work order request identifier and the work order request is stored in one of the fields in the table entry.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

processing the work order request using the table entry, processing comprising attempting to perform any tasks required to satisfy the work order request; and

updating the state based on the results of the processing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein updating comprises:

marking the state to indicate that the work order request is closed if such tasks are performed successfully; and

otherwise, marking the state to indicate a failure.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a billable event when the work order request is closed; and

storing the billable event in the database in association with the customer identifier and account information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein work order request submission is in the form of an email.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein work order request submission is in the form of HTTP.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein processing is managed by a workflow automation that periodically queries the database to locate any new work order requests based on the state in the table entry for each work order request.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing, updating, and the generating and storing of the billable event are handled by the workflow automation

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the workflow automation invokes other processes needed to perform the work order request.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein processing is managed manually by an administrator of the service provider.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing, updating, and the generating and storing of the billable event are handled manually by the service provider administrator.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing, updating, and the generating and storing of billable events are managed manually by the service provider administrator when the state indicates a failure.

21. A computer program product residing on a computer-readable medium for managing workflows in a service provider environment in which a service provider provides data storage resources to a customer, the computer program product comprising instructions causing a computer to:

provide a customer with a list of types of work order requests based on a permission level associated with the customer, the work order requests comprising requests to manage storage configuration;

receive a selection of a type of work order request from the customer;

enable the customer to generate a work order request of the selected type in a work order request submission;

create a database object based on the work order request; and

store the database object in a database.

22. An apparatus for managing workflows in a service provider environment in which a service provider provides data storage resources to a customer, comprising:

means for providing a customer with a list of types of work order requests based on a permission level associated with the customer, the work order requests comprising requests to manage storage configuration;

means for receiving a selection of a type of work order request from the customer;

means for enabling the customer to generate a work order request of the selected type in a work order request submission;

means for creating a database object based on the work order request; and

means for storing the database object in a database.