UPDATING WORKFLOW NODES IN A WORKFLOW

• US 20090064171A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: WRIGHT, Russell Blake, MCCRIGHT, James Andrew, GLASER, Howard Justin, DRAEGER, David Robert, DAVIS, Matthew Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Provided a method, system, and article of manufacture for updating workflow nodes in a workflow. A workflow program processes user input at one node in a workflow comprised of nodes and workflow paths connecting the nodes, wherein the user provides user input to traverse through at least one workflow path to reach the current node. The workflow program transmits information on a current node to an analyzer. The analyzer processes the information on the current node to determine whether there are modifications to at least one subsequent node following the current node over at least one workflow path from the current node. The analyzer transmits to the workflow program an update including modifications to the at least one subsequent node in response to determining the modifications.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture including code implementing a workflow program and analyzer to cause operations to be performed by the workflow program and the analyzer, the operations comprising:

processing, by the workflow program, user input at one node in a workflow comprised of nodes and workflow paths connecting the nodes, and wherein the user provides user input to traverse through at least one workflow path to reach the current node;

transmitting, by the workflow program, information on a current node to the analyzer;

processing, by the analyzer, the information on the current node to determine whether there are modifications to at least one subsequent node following the current node over at least one workflow path from the current node; and

transmitting to the workflow program, by the analyzer, an update including modifications to the at least one subsequent node in response to determining the modifications.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the current node comprises the node in the workflow at which the user is currently working.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the update includes the modifications to at least one of the subsequent node and the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein determining whether there are modifications comprises determining whether there are modifications to at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node, wherein the transmitted update includes the determined modifications to the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow following the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow a fixed number of nodes from the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined comprises at least one node a fixed number of nodes following the current node in the workflow.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

applying, by the workflow program, the determined modifications to the workflow to update the workflow, wherein the user is enabled to continue working at the current node while the determined modifications in the update are applied to the workflow.

9. A system, comprising:

a computer readable medium including a workflow comprised of nodes and workflow paths connecting the nodes;

an analyzer program;

a workflow program is enabled to perform operations, the operations including;

processing user input at one node in a workflow comprised of nodes and workflow paths connecting the nodes, and wherein the user provides user input to traverse through at least one workflow path to reach the current node; and

transmitting information on a current node to an analyzer; and

wherein the analyzer program is enabled to perform operations, the operations including;

processing the information on the current node to determine whether there are modifications to at least one subsequent node following the current node over at least one workflow path from the current node; and

transmitting to the workflow program an update including modifications to the at least one subsequent node in response to determining the modifications.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the update includes the modifications to at least one of the subsequent node and the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein determining whether there are modifications comprises determining whether there are modifications to at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node, wherein the transmitted update includes the determined modifications to the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow following the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow a fixed number of nodes from the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the workflow operations further comprise:

applying the determined modifications to the workflow to update the workflow, wherein the user is enabled to continue working at the current node while the determined modifications in the update are applied to the workflow.

15. A method, comprising:

processing, by a workflow program, user input at one node in a workflow comprised of nodes and workflow paths connecting the nodes, and wherein the user provides user input to traverse through at least one workflow path to reach the current node;

transmitting, by the workflow program, information on a current node to an analyzer;

processing, by the analyzer, the information on the current node to determine whether there are modifications to at least one subsequent node following the current node over at least one workflow path from the current node; and

transmitting to the workflow program, by the analyzer, an update including modifications to the at least one subsequent node in response to determining the modifications.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the update includes the modifications to at least one of the subsequent node and the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether there are modifications comprises determining whether there are modifications to at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node, wherein the transmitted update includes the determined modifications to the at least one workflow path extending from the at least one subsequent node.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow following the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitted update includes modifications, additions or deletions to nodes and workflow paths in the workflow a fixed number of nodes from the at least one subsequent node for which the modifications are determined.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

applying, by the workflow program, the determined modifications to the workflow to update the workflow, wherein the user is enabled to continue working at the current node while the determined modifications in the update are applied to the workflow.