Method for re-executing a process on a computer system for fault correction

• US 5,819,022 A
• Filed: 08/15/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bandat, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Application Number:
  US08/515,665
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.13, 395/183.14, 395/712, 395/183.01, 395/181, 395/182.13, 395/182.14, 395/182.15, 395/701, 395/708, 364/130, 364/148
• US Class Current: 714/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for re-executing a process on a computer system is described wherein said process includes a number of activities which are executed by said computer system according to a workflow graph. Each of said activities requires for its execution at least one work item incarnation from another one of said activities, and each of said activities creates at least one work item incarnation to be used by another one of said activities. The method comprises the steps of a) identifying by a user one of said activities to be faulty and correcting it, b) evaluating by said computer system those ones of said activities which are influenced by said faulty activity with the help of said at least one work item incarnation created by said faulty activity, and c) executing by said computer system said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities according to said workflow graph. The described method has the advantage that all activities being incorrect due to the faulty activity are re-executed automatically by the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for re-executing a process on a computer system for fault correction

wherein said process includes a number of activities which are executed by said computer system according to a workflow graph,

wherein each of said activities requires for its execution at least one work item, in particular at least one work item incarnation, from another one of said activities,

and wherein each of said activities creates at least one work item to be used by another one of said activities,

said method comprising the steps of:

a) identifying by a user one of said activities, in particular a first one of said activities, to be faulty and correcting it;

b) evaluating by said computer system those ones of said activities which are influenced by said faulty activity with the help of said at least one work item created by said faulty activity; and

c) executing by said computer system said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities according to said workflow graph.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluating step b) comprises the steps of:

b1) evaluating by said computer system those ones of said activities which require for their execution said at least one work item created by said faulty activity;

b2) evaluating by said computer system those ones of said work items which are created by said activities found in the preceding step;

b3) evaluating by said computer system those ones of said activities which require for their execution said ones of said work items found in the preceding step; and

b4) repeating step b2) and step b3) until all activities are found which are influenced by said faulty activity.

3. The method according to claim 1

wherein a version number is assigned to each one of said activities, and

said executing step c) further comprises the step of:

assigning a new version number to said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities for distinguishing said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities from the respective corresponding activities executed formerly.

4. A computer system for re-executing a process for fault correction, wherein said process includes a number of activities which are executed by said computer system according to a workflow graph,

wherein each of said activities requires for its execution at least one work item, in particular at least one work item incarnation, from another one of said activities,

and wherein each of said activities creates at least one work item to be used by another one of said activities, said computer system comprising:

a) means for identifying by a user one of said activities, in particular a first one of said activities, to be faulty and correcting it;

b) means for evaluating by said computer system those ones of said activities which are influenced by said faulty activity with the help of said at least one work item created by said faulty activity; and

c) means for executing by said computer system said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities according to said workflow graph.

5. The computer system according to claim 4 wherein said evaluating means comprises:

b1) means for evaluating by said computer system of those ones of said activities which require for their execution said at least one work item created by said faulty activity;

b2) means for evaluating by said computer system of those ones of said work items which are created by said activities found in the preceding means;

b3) means for evaluating by said computer system of those ones of said activities which require for their execution said ones of said work items found in the preceding means; and

b4) means for repeating the evaluating of evaluating means b2) and evaluating means b3) until all activities are found which are influenced by said faulty activity.

6. The computer system according to claim 5 wherein a version number is assigned to each one of said activities, and

said executing means c) further comprises:

means for assigning a new version number to said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities for distinguishing said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities from the respective corresponding activities executed formerly.

7. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system said article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program code embodied in said medium which may cause the computer to:

re-execute a series of instructions for fault correction wherein said series of instructions includes a number of activities which are executed by said computer system according to a workflow graph, wherein each of said activities requires for its execution at least one work item, in particular at least one work item incarnation, from another one of said activities,

and wherein each of said activities creates at least one work item to be used by another one of said activities, said work items are assigned to said activities, respectively, which may cause the computer to;

a) identify with the aid of a user one of said activities, in particular a first one of said activities, to be faulty and correcting it;

b) evaluate those ones of said activities which are influenced by said faulty activity with the help of said at least one work item created by said faulty activity; and

c) execute said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities according to said workflow graph.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the computer program code may cause the computer to evaluate said influenced activities by causing the computer to:

b1) evaluate those ones of said activities which require for their execution said at least one work item created by said faulty activity;

b2) evaluate those ones of said work items which are created by said activities found in the preceding means;

b) evaluate those ones of said activities which require for their execution said ones of said work items found in the preceding means; and

b4) repeat the evaluation in b2) and b) until all activities are found which are influenced by said faulty activity.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7

wherein a version number is assigned to each one of said activities, and

wherein the computer program code may cause the computer to assign a new version number to said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities for distinguishing said corrected faulty activity and said evaluated activities from the respective corresponding activities executed formerly.