Method and System for Generating One Flow Models from Runtime Service Delivery Process

• US 20100004967A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumaran, Santhosh Badu, Chang, Huang-Yang, Saha, Debanjan, Ramakrishnan, Sreeram
• Application Number:
  US12/167,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A method and system for generating new abstractions for existing process models and modifying existing process models in order to generate new process models by mining run-time service delivery processes. The method and system also “learns” new abstractions for business process models by modifying existing models. The method and system generates new business process models utilizing an online learning mechanism that mines run-time service delivery processes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a business service request;

determining whether at least one matching business process model required to fulfill said business service request exists;

outputting said at least one matching business process model to a database of business process models when said matching business process models are found;

provisioning a service plan for executing said service request when no matching business process models are found;

outputting said service plan to said business process learning module;

partitioning at least one service task associated with said generated service plan; and

outputting said at least one service task to said business process learning module.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether business process models required to fulfill said business service request exist, further comprises:

searching a database of business process models for business process models that match said business service request.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

modifying said matching business process models.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein modifying said matching business process models includes adding attributes, indices, and descriptions.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

creating a new business process model from said at least one service task; and

outputting said new business process model to said database of business process models.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

mining said database of business process models for new business process abstractions; and

adding said new business process abstractions to said database of business process models.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service request includes an offered service definition.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining whether at least one business process model required to fulfill said business service request exist, comprises:

extracting said offered service definition from said service request; and

comparing said offered service definition to business process models stored in said database of business process models.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

triggering said business process learning module; and

incrementing a counter on said business process learning module.

10. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a business service request;

means for determining whether at least one matching business process model required to fulfill said business service request exists;

means for outputting said at least one matching business process model to a database of business process models when said matching business process models are found;

means for provisioning a service plan for executing said service request when no matching business process models are found;

means for outputting said service plan to said business process learning module;

means for partitioning at least one service task associated with said generated service plan; and

means for outputting said at least one service task to said business process learning module.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said means for determining whether business process models required to fulfill said business service request exist, further comprises:

means for searching a database of business process models for business process models that match said business service request.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for creating a new business process model from said at least one service task; and

means for outputting said new business process model to said database of business process models.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for mining said database of business process models for new business process abstractions; and

means for adding said new business process abstractions to said database of business process models.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for extracting an offered service definition from said service request; and

means for comparing said offered service definition to business process models stored in said database of business process models.

15. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for triggering said business process learning module; and

means for incrementing a counter on said business process learning module.

16. A method, comprising:

searching a database of business process models to determine whether business process models required to fulfill a business service request exist;

creating a service plan for executing said business service request when no matching business process models are found in said database;

outputting said service plan to a business process learning module;

creating at least one service task for performing said business service request;

outputting said at least one service task to said business process learning module;

modifying said existing business process models when a matching business process models are found in said database in order to learn new business process models; and

outputting said new business process models to said business process learning module.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a business service request;

determine whether at least one matching business process model required to fulfill said business service request exists;

output said at least one matching business process model to a database of business process models when matching business process models are found;

provision a service plan for executing said service request when no matching business process models are found;

output said service plan to said business process learning module;

partition at least one service task associated with said generated service plan; and

output said at least one service task to said business process learning module.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

search a database of business process models for business process models that match said business service request.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

modify said matching business process models.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein attributes, indices, and descriptions are used to modify said matching business process models.

21. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

create a new business process model from said at least one service task; and

output said new business process model to said database of business process models.

22. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

mine said database of business process models for new business process abstractions; and

add said new business process abstractions to said database of business process models.

23. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

extracting an offered service definition from said service request; and

comparing said offered service definition to business process models stored in said database of business process models.

24. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computer to:

triggering said business process learning module; and

incrementing a counter on said business process learning module.