DYNAMIC GENERATION OF PROCESSES IN COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20090172670A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostjancic, David V., Swanson, Michael D., Bobak, Mythili K., McConnell, Tim A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Workflows to be used in managing a computing environment are dynamically and programmatically created and/or activities are invoked, based on the current state of the environment. In creating a workflow, activities are conditionally included in the workflow based on the state of the environment. Different types of workflows may be created.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining that a workflow is to be created for a computing environment; and

programmatically creating, based on a current state of the computing environment, the workflow.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the programmatically creating comprises:

determining whether an activity is to be conditionally executed; and

including the activity in the workflow, in response to the determining indicating that the activity is to be conditionally executed.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow comprises one of a preparatory workflow, a recovery workflow, an undo workflow and a delta workflow.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the programmatically creating is further based on observed historical information of the computing environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising using the workflow to manage one or more aspects of the computing environment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is created as a transaction.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is other than an undo workflow, and wherein the method further comprises programmatically creating an undo workflow to correspond to the workflow.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the programmatically creating comprises inserting into the workflow one or more activities to be performed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

conditionally executing at least one activity of the workflow; and

monitoring completion status of the at least one executed activity.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more activities include at least one of one or more programmatic operations or one or more operations to be performed manually.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising obtaining an indication of an amount of time used to perform an activity of the one or more activities.

12. A system comprising:

a processing component to determine that a workflow is to be created for a computing environment; and

a processing component to programmatically create, based on a current state of the computing environment, the workflow.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the programmatically creating is further based on observed historical information of the computing environment.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the workflow is created as a transaction.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one processing component to conditionally execute at least one activity of the workflow and to monitor completion status of the at least one executed activity.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

determining that a workflow is to be created for a computing environment; and

programmatically creating, based on a current state of the computing environment, the workflow.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the programmatically creating is further based on observed historical information of the computing environment.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further comprising using the workflow to manage one or more aspects of the computing environment.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the workflow is other than an undo workflow, and wherein the method further comprises programmatically creating an undo workflow to correspond to the workflow.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further comprising:

conditionally executing at least one activity of the workflow; and

monitoring completion status of the at least one executed activity.