Method and system for reusing components
First Claim
1. A method in a computer system for reusing components, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of components;
providing definitions of a plurality of workflow tasks, each definition identifying one or more of the plurality of components and optionally identifying for each identified component an data input rule and a data output rule, wherein the same component is identified in at least two definitions; and
executing the workflow tasks defined by the provided definitions by, for each component of a workflow task, when a data input rule is identified for the component, applying the identified data input rule to data for the workflow to generate input data;
executing the component, wherein the component generates output data based on any generated input data; and
when a data output rule is identified for the component, applying the data output rule for the component to the generated output data to update data for the workflow wherein multiple workflow tasks reuse the same component.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for executing workflow tasks. The workflow system dynamically generates definitions of workflow tasks (e.g., business applications) when a request to perform a task is received. Each definition identifies components of the workflow task and identifies a data input rule and a data output rule for each component. The workflow system executes a workflow task in accordance with its definition. To execute a workflow task, the workflow system executes each of its components. The workflow system maintains a data area for an executing workflow task containing data that is available for use by the components and available to be updated by the components.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method in a computer system for reusing components, the method comprising:
-
providing a plurality of components;
providing definitions of a plurality of workflow tasks, each definition identifying one or more of the plurality of components and optionally identifying for each identified component an data input rule and a data output rule, wherein the same component is identified in at least two definitions; and
executing the workflow tasks defined by the provided definitions by, for each component of a workflow task, when a data input rule is identified for the component, applying the identified data input rule to data for the workflow to generate input data;
executing the component, wherein the component generates output data based on any generated input data; and
when a data output rule is identified for the component, applying the data output rule for the component to the generated output data to update data for the workflow wherein multiple workflow tasks reuse the same component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method in a computer system for instantiating a workflow task, the method comprising:
-
providing a plurality of workflow plans, each workflow plan having a type and one or more steps, each step identifying a component and optionally identifying a data input rule and a data output rule;
receiving a workflow message identifying a type of workflow and identify initial data for the workflow task;
retrieving a workflow plan for the identified type of workflow; and
generating a workflow task based on the identified initial data of the workflow message and the retrieved workflow plan, the workflow task indicating the steps of the workflow plan. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A computer-readable medium containing a workflow plan comprising:
-
a data initialization rule; and
a plurality of steps, each step identifying a component, a data input rule, and a data output rule, the data input rule and the data output rule indicating how to generate input data for the component and how to update data of a workflow task based on output data of the component. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method in a computer system for executing a workflow task that reuses a component used by another workflow task, the method comprising:
-
for a plurality of components of the workflow task, transforming data of the workflow task to generate input data in a format that is expected by the component;
executing the component to generate output data from the generated input data; and
transforming the generated output data into data in a format that is expected by the workflow task wherein each workflow tasks that uses the component uses customized transformations for generating the input data and the output data so that the component can be shared by multiple workflow tasks. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification