Throttling Events in Entity Lifecycle Management

• US 20170228253A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Layman, Andrew, Mamut, Tatyana, Bosworth, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 10,437,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

The disclosed declarative framework implements a machine for multi-step progression of interaction with an entity. The framework is usable for a broad range of applications—providing a simple rule-based authoring tool for specifying elements and components of a complex state machine, including state definitions, state transition triggers, state transition conditions and state transition actions. Case-status states, a first filtering condition, and a count parameter that specifies a limit on a number of times within a time period in excess of which additional events with characteristics that match will be ignored or discarded are usable to determine whether to ignore or process an incoming event—throttling the rate at which certain actions occur. A workflow engine gets loaded with instructions derived from the states and event filtering conditions, for handling incoming machine-generated events. Once defined, the state machine is automatically generated and implemented based on the declarative input provided.

Claims

1. A method of simplifying, for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the method including:

representing a plurality of case-status states in a workflow state machine that handles machine-generated events that are generated by machines without reliance on human-machine interaction;

for at least a first case-status state after a first event, recording in memory a first event filtering condition to determine whether to ignore or process an incoming second event;

initializing an integer count parameter of the first filtering condition that specifies a limit on a number of times within a time period, in excess of which additional events with characteristics that match each other will be ignored or discarded; and

loading a workflow engine with instructions to handle incoming machine-generated events, and executing the instructions that are selected responsive to at least the case-status states and the first event filtering condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the time period, ignoring the incoming second event in not triggering any workflow action responsive to the second incoming event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the events are received from a near real-time (NRT) event management framework that includes a message bus and a stream processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, where in the events include at least one of user click data, user purchasing behavior, device data and social media streams.

5. A system, including memory loaded with computer program instructions and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on the processors, which implement the method of claim 1.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on a processor, for implementing the method of claim 1.

7. A method of simplifying, for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the method including:

representing a plurality of case-status states in a workflow state machine that handles machine-generated events that are generated by machines without reliance on human-machine interaction;

for at least a first case-status state after a first event, recording in memory a first event filtering condition to determine whether to ignore or process an incoming second event;

wherein the first filtering condition includes a time parameter that specifies a once-only time period that starts with a first event, during which the second event with characteristics that match the first event will be ignored or discarded; and

loading a workflow engine with instructions to handle incoming machine-generated events, and executing the instructions that are selected responsive to at least the case-status states and the first event filtering condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, during the once-only time period, ignoring the incoming second event in not triggering any workflow action responsive to the second incoming event.

9. A system, including memory loaded with computer program instructions and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on the processors, which implement the method of claim 7.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on a processor, for implementing the method of claim 7.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions executable by a processor to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on a processor, implement actions comprising:

representing a plurality of case-status states in a workflow state machine that handles machine-generated events that are generated by machines without reliance on human-machine interaction;

for at least a first case-status state after a first event, recording in memory a first event filtering condition to determine whether to ignore or process an incoming second event;

initializing an integer count parameter of the first filtering condition that specifies a limit on a number of times within a time period in excess of which additional events, with characteristics that match each other, will be ignored or discarded; and

loading a workflow engine with instructions to handle incoming machine-generated events, and executing the instructions that are selected responsive to at least the case-status states and the first event filtering condition.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the events are received from a near real-time (NRT) event management framework that includes a message bus and a stream processing system.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, where in the events include at least one of user click data, user purchasing behavior, device data and social media streams.

14. A method of simplifying, for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the method including:

generating for display a data entry columnar GUI that accepts declarative input, which specifies a state machine implementing an automated multi-step progression of interaction with an entity, wherein the data entry columnar includes;

at least one column for states in the multi-step progression;

time-based transition triggers that cause state transitions;

event-based transition triggers, including definitions of conditions that cause state transitions;

throttling expressions, which include a time parameter that specifies a once-only time period that starts with a first event, during which a second incoming event with characteristics that match the first event will be ignored or discarded; and

receiving declarative input to the data entry columnar that defines state transition triggers which are alternatively specified by timers that cause state transitions upon expiration of a time period and by events that cause state transitions and that defines throttling expressions;

receiving declarative input to the data entry columnar that specifies selected alternative actions to perform responsive to the state transitions caused by at least one of time-based transition triggers and event-based transition triggers; and

saving the declarative input or a workflow constructed from the declarative input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, during the once-only time period, ignoring the incoming second event in not triggering any workflow action responsive to the second incoming event.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, when the entity is an electronic device, the states of the electronic device further include online, offline, standby, power up, power down, and extent of network connectivity.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on a processor, for implementing the method of claim 14.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on a processor, for implementing the method of claim 16.

19. A system, including memory loaded with computer program instructions and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on the processors, which implement the method of claim 14.

20. A system, including memory loaded with computer program instructions and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, to simplify for a non-programming user, creation of an entity management workflow, the instructions, when executed on the processors, which implement the method of claim 16.