Workflow based and metadata driven reporting system

• US 20080034055A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Morgan Stanley
• Inventors: Goel, Amit, Walbaum, Mark, Das, Shubhendu
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A flexible metadata driven and workflow based report generation system is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the system comprises at least one client application on a client terminal and a report manager system. The client application allows a user to run a report from a user interface having the flexibility to choose various parameters that affect the content of the generated report. The report manager system comprises a metadata service and a workflow controller service. The metadata service is for retrieving report metadata (report name, parameter(s) and their parameter values) to be displayed on the user interface to allow the user to choose parameter values and run a report job. The controller is for receiving messages from the client terminal upon submission of a report job and, based on the received messages, sending messages to one or more service components for executing the report job in a sequence of determined discrete steps. A report workflow defines the steps to be invoked in the execution of a report and is stored in tables in a database accessible via the metadata service. The services components may include data accessors, formatting services, language translation services, bundling services, distribution services and/or scheduling services.

Claims

1. A workflow and metadata driven reporting system, comprising:

at least one client terminal for executing a client application that allows a user to select one or more reports for execution via a user interface; and

a report manager system in communication with the client application, wherein the report manager system comprises a metadata service and a workflow controller service, wherein the metadata service retrieves a list of one or more reports, one or more parameters for the reports, and parameter values using entries in a metadata database for display to the user via the user interface, and wherein the workflow controller service receives a report execution request, retrieves a workflow for each of the one or more reports from the metadata service, and sends a message to one or more service components for executing one or more tasks specified in the workflow for the one or more reports.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the workflow controller services receives the report execution request from the client application in a client session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the report manager system further comprises a job manager for storing a report job defined by the user during a client session, and wherein the workflow controller service receives the report execution request from a scheduler when the report job is scheduled to be run.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the service components send status messages back to the workflow controller service.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the job manager retrieves data about the report job to be displayed for the user on the user interface during a client session.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata service is for retrieving report metadata to be displayed on the user interface for the user based on entitlements of the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the report manager system is in communication, according to a transport independent protocol, with a plurality of client applications, each client application on a separate client terminal.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface allows the user to schedule the execution of the report job.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to specify an address for delivery of a finalized report.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to bundle multiple reports in a user-specified order.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to specify a file format for the one or more reports.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more service components include at least one of the following:

a data access component;

a language translation component;

a report formatting component;

a report bundling component;

or a report distribution component.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more service components include a report bundling component and a report distribution component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more service components further include at least one of the following:

a data access component;

a language translation component;

or a report formatting component.

15. The report generation system of claim 1, further comprising an administrative application in communication with the metadata service for provisioning the metadata database.

16. A method, comprising:

determining a list of one or more reports for a user based on entitlements of the user;

retrieving a list of parameters and parameter values for the one or more reports using entries in a metadata database;

supplying the list of reports, parameters, and parameter values to the user at a client terminal to allow the user to select one or more of the report for execution via a user interface at the client terminal;

receiving, by a workflow controller service, a report execution request;

obtaining, by the workflow controller service, a workflow for each of the one or more reports to be executed; and

sending, by the workflow controller service, a message to one or more service components for executing one or more tasks specified in the workflow for the one or more reports.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the workflow controller services receives the report execution request from a client application on the client terminal during a client session.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing a report job defined by the user, and wherein the workflow controller service receives the report execution request when the report job is scheduled to be run.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending, by the service components, status messages back to the workflow controller service.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending a report status update to the client application.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the report execution request from the client application includes a SOAP XML message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the messages sent by the workflow control service to the one or more components include SOAP XML messages.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising provisioning the metadata database to accommodate a new report.