System and method for performing flexible workflow process execution in a distributed workflow management system
First Claim
1. A system for performing flexible workflow process in a distributed workflow management system that includes multiple computers, comprising:
- a workflow process management system operating on at least one of the computers to control execution of the workflow process which includes process instances;
a plurality of resources coupled to respective ones of the computers to carry out the process instances;
a plurality of state machines that comprisea process instance state machine that includes a plurality of states including (1) a compensation state that allows a failed process instance at a work node to be compensated such that resumption of execution of the failed process instance can be from a specified end compensation point, and (2) a suspended compensation state that allows the process instance in the compensation state to move to the suspended compensation state when the process instance becomes suspended;
a work node instance state machine for a work node instance manager that manages work nodes of the workflow process, wherein the work node instance state machine includes a plurality of states including the compensation state and the suspended compensation state; and
a rule node instance state machine for a rule node instance manager that manages rule nodes of the workflow process.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for performing flexible workflow process execution in a distributed workflow management system is described. The distributed workflow management system is formed by a computer network comprising a plurality of computers. Each computer has a processor, memory and input/output facilities. A workflow process management system operates on one or more of the computers to control the computer network in executing the workflow process. The workflow process includes at least one sequence of multiple actions. A plurality of resources is coupled to respective ones of the computers to carry out the multiple actions. A plurality of state machines are stored as computer-operable code in at least one memory and include a plurality of states interconnected by arcs logically forming a directed graph. The workflow management system further includes logic for instantiating each action with one state and logic for executing the logical sequence of the action as state transitions in each state machine.
439 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. A system for performing flexible workflow process in a distributed workflow management system that includes multiple computers, comprising:
-
a workflow process management system operating on at least one of the computers to control execution of the workflow process which includes process instances; a plurality of resources coupled to respective ones of the computers to carry out the process instances; a plurality of state machines that comprise a process instance state machine that includes a plurality of states including (1) a compensation state that allows a failed process instance at a work node to be compensated such that resumption of execution of the failed process instance can be from a specified end compensation point, and (2) a suspended compensation state that allows the process instance in the compensation state to move to the suspended compensation state when the process instance becomes suspended; a work node instance state machine for a work node instance manager that manages work nodes of the workflow process, wherein the work node instance state machine includes a plurality of states including the compensation state and the suspended compensation state; and a rule node instance state machine for a rule node instance manager that manages rule nodes of the workflow process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification