Workflow services architecture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An automated workflow services system comprising:
- an action composition service operable to compose a plurality of actions into an activity flow, wherein the composition service is accessible as a service by a client program;
a constraint service operable to provide available options according to stored constraints, wherein the constraint service is accessible as a service by the client program; and
a tracking service operable to provide progress of the activity flow, wherein the tracking service is accessible as a service by the client program.
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Abstract
An automated workflow services system can accommodate a wide variety of workflow scenarios. A composition service, a constraint service, and a tracking service can be provided to client programs. The composition service can support client-directed instantiation of actions for activity flows. Activity flows can be based on an activity model, constructed on an ad hoc basis, or a combination thereof. Actions can be added to an activity flow at execution time of the activity flow. The tracking service can track messages to and from the actions.
63 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An automated workflow services system comprising:
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an action composition service operable to compose a plurality of actions into an activity flow, wherein the composition service is accessible as a service by a client program;
a constraint service operable to provide available options according to stored constraints, wherein the constraint service is accessible as a service by the client program; and
a tracking service operable to provide progress of the activity flow, wherein the tracking service is accessible as a service by the client program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An automated workflow service system comprising:
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an activity flow composition service operable to communicate with a client via a SOAP-based protocol and instantiate a plurality of instantiated actions in response to requests from the client, the activity flow composition service further operable to add an instance of an action to an activity flow at execution time of the activity flow responsive to communication from the client;
a fact store comprising a plurality of facts extracted from a plurality of knowledge bases via knowledge base adapters having respective schemas for the knowledge bases;
a constraint service operable to communicate with the client via the SOAP-based protocol and operable to enforce constraints based on an identity of a participant actor of the activity flow, the constraint service further operable to enforce constraints based on facts in the fact store; and
a tracking service operable to track messages to and from the instantiated actions.
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18. An automated workflow services system comprising:
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composition means operable to compose a plurality of actions into an activity flow, wherein the composition means is accessible as a service by a client program;
constraint means operable to provide available options according to stored constraints, wherein the constraint means is accessible as a service by the client program; and
tracking means operable to provide progress of the activity flow, wherein the tracking means is accessible as a service by the client program.
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19. A method of providing automated workflow services, the method comprising:
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at a service, receiving a request from a client program to instantiate an action as part of an activity flow and instantiating the action responsive thereto;
at the service, receiving a request for options available during execution of the activity flow and providing a list of options responsive thereto; and
at the service, receiving a request for a status of the activity flow and providing status information responsive thereto. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of accomplishing workflow processing for a document, the method comprising:
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initiating an activity flow, wherein the activity flow assigns a plurality of tasks associated with the document to a plurality of actors; and
responsive to actions by the actors on the tasks, updating a status of the activity flow. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification