Scalable workflow management system

• US 20080209435A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Lan, Wang, Jin, Huang, Rou-Peng, Yang, Xiaohong, Baumgartner, Patrick J., Jacob, Sanjay, Tang, Zhenyu, Wang, Jeffrey A., Vogt, Robert L., Amirov, Anton P. Pavlovich, Dong, George R.
• Application Number:
  US11/710,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209435A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A scalable workflow management system is provided that includes queues for storing work items to be processed. Work items may be placed into the queues by front-end services executing within the workflow management system. When a work item is placed on a queue, it remains on the queue until an appropriate back-end service is available to de-queue the work item, validate the de-queued work item, and process the de-queued work item. Separate queues are provided for storing normal work items, work items generated according to a time schedule, and work items generated by job launching services. The state of operation of the workflow management system may be controlled by an administrative console application.

Claims

1. A method for providing scalability in a workflow management system, the method comprising:

providing one or more queues for storing one or more work items to be processed in the workflow management system;

placing the work items on the queues;

de-queuing work items from the queues; and

processing the work items de-queued from the queues.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the queues comprise a normal queue for storing normal work items in the workflow management system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the queues comprise a scheduler queue for storing work items generated according to a time schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the queues comprise a job queue for storing work items generated by one or more job launching services within the workflow management system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the work items on the queues comprises asynchronously placing the work items on the queues.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the work items are placed on the queues according to a time schedule.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the work items comprises a database change list submitted by a client application program.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating the work items after de-queuing the work items from the queues and prior to processing the work items de-queued from the queues.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A system for workflow management, the system comprising:

one or more queues for storing work items;

one or more front-end services for placing work items on the queues; and

one or more back-end services for de-queuing the work items from the queues and for processing the de-queued work items.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the queues comprise a normal queue for storing normal work items.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the queues comprise a scheduler queue for storing work items generated according to a time schedule.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the queues comprise a job queue for storing work items generated by one or more job launching services.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the front-end services comprise one or more asynchronous request services operative to asynchronously place work items on the queues.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the front-end services comprise one or more timed request services operative to place work items on the queues according to a time schedule.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the front-end services are executed on a first group of server computers and wherein the back-end services are executed on a second group of server computers.

17. A method for managing an operational state of a workflow management system, the method comprising:

providing an administrative console application program operative to receive a selection of one of a plurality of states of operation for the workflow management system; and

operating the workflow management system in a state of operation selected through the administrative console application program.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the states of operation for the workflow management system comprise an online state wherein work items may be placed in one or more queues and removed from the queues and an asynchronous offline state wherein work items may be placed on the queues but are not removed from the queues.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the states of operation for the workflow management system further comprise a locked state wherein one or more users of the workflow management system may read data from the workflow management system but not write data to the workflow management system.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 17.