System, method, and computer program product for workflow processing using internet interoperable electronic messaging with mime multiple content type

• US 6,393,456 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wallace, Andrew, Ambler, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US09/200,878
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/238, 709/205, 709/206, 709/223, 709/226-227, 709/224, 709/1, 709/100, 709/102-106, 709/107, 709/219, 709/249, 709/218, 705/5-9, 707/100-104, 707/500
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A client computer in a communications network with a server computer assembles a record set that has a MIME declaration header with a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow media type. The first client computer also assembles a binary file having therein an encoded workflow specification. The record set is then transmitted with the binary file to the communications network. A second client computer on the communications network receives both the record set and the binary file and begins decoding the workflow specification. The second client computer uses an application program to execute the decoded workflow specification so as to perform all or a portion of the workflow process that is specified therein. The workflow specification is optionally written in Extensible Mark-up Language (XML).

Claims

1. An electronic messaging system for transreceiving workflow specifications, the system comprising:

(a) means for encoding a workflow mail item in the form of an electronic mail item to produce a resultant encoded workflow mail item;

(b) means for transmitting the resultant encoded workflow mail item via a inter-server data communication path to a mail server computer by using a data communication protocol which is designed for exchange of electronic mail items in a wide-area network, wherein;

(i) said data communication protocol is the Extensible Mark-up Language (XML);

(ii) said encoding is executed using the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions code (MIME); and

(ii) said resultant encoded workflow mail item has a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the mail server computer has a decoding means for decoding said encoded workflow mail item, when received from said inter-server data communication path, the method further comprising:

(a) means for receiving the resultant encoded workflow mail item via the inter-server data communication path at the mail server computer by using a data communication protocol which is designed for exchange of electronic mail items in a wide-area network;

(b) means for decoding the workflow mail item to produce a resultant decoded workflow mail item; and

(b) using an application program resident on the mail server to execute the decoded resultant decoded workflow mail item.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein using an application program to execute the decoded workflow specification includes displaying at least as portion of the decoded workflow specification upon a display device.

4. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the decoded workflow specification includes one or more executable steps, and wherein the application program executes the one or more executable steps.

5. A method for publishing a workflow hypertext file set on a World Wide Web server machine, the method comprising:

(a) packaging the hypertext file set as a composite e-mail message on a client computer, including;

(i) embedding hypertext mark-up language commands into the hypertext file set;

(ii) creating a composite e-mail message containing a binary file having encoded therein a workflow specification; and

(iii) adding to the composite e-mail message a header containing a MIME declaration with a multipart content type, a content sub-type indicative of a workflow media type, and an identifier identifying the e-mail message as a hypertext file set;

(b) transporting the composite e-mail message over the Internet from the client computer to the World Wide Web server machine;

(c) unpacking the composite e-mail message to recover the hypertext file set, including;

(i) identifying the composite e-mail message as containing a hypertext document set by examining the header, and

(ii) decomposing the composite e-mail message into the hypertext file set and a decoded version of the workflow specification;

(d) processing the hypertext file set with an application program resident on the worldwide web server machine to execute the workflow specification.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein using an application program to execute the decoded workflow specification includes displaying at least as portion of the decoded workflow specification upon a display device.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the decoded workflow specification includes one or more executable steps, and wherein the application program executes the one or more executable steps.

8. A computerized method for performing workflow on a communications network including a plurality of network nodes networked to said communications network, each node having an associated agent the method comprising the steps of:

(a) issuing a workflow request on said communications network;

(b) in response to said workflow request, a server computer networked to said communications network building a workflow specification and a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification, the workflow specification including;

(1) a set of data containing a set of activities to be completed through the execution of at least one of a plurality of steps of said workflow, each of said steps being executable by a respective agent;

(2) status data indicating which steps have been executed in said workflow; and

(3) a databank containing one or more references, each reference being an address of an executable program, each executable program being executable on any of said nodes;

(c) said server transmitting said a MIME declaration header and said workflow specification to a selected network node associated with an agent authorized to perform, in accordance with said workflow specification, an appropriate step of said workflow.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said agent authorized to perform, in accordance with said workflow specification, said appropriate step of said workflow displays at least as portion of the workflow specification upon a display device.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein after said agent authorized to perform, in accordance with said workflow specification, said appropriate step of said workflow has so performed said appropriate step, said workflow specification updating said status data indicating which steps have been executed in said workflow.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said communications network includes a client computer networked to said server computer, and wherein issuing a workflow request on said communications network comprises:

transmitting from said client computer to said communications network said workflow request, said workflow request including a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification.

12. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions carried thereon in a software component for transreceiving workflow specifications, the software component functioning in a system comprising:

(a) means for encoding a workflow mail item in the form of an electronic mail item to produce a resultant encoded workflow mail item;

(b) means for transmitting the resultant encoded workflow mail item via a inter-server data communication path to a mail server computer by using a data communication protocol which is designed for exchange of electronic mail items in a wide-area network, wherein;

(i) said data communication protocol is the EXtensible Mark-up Language (XML);

(ii) said encoding is executed using the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions code (MIME); and

(iii) said resultant encoded workflow mail item has a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the mail server computer has a decoding means for decoding said encoded workflow mail item, when received from said inter-server data communication path, the method further comprising:

(a) means for receiving the resultant encoded workflow mail item via the inter-server data communication path at the mail server computer by using a data communication protocol which is designed for exchange of electronic mail items in a wide-area network;

(b) means for decoding the workflow mail item to produce a resultant decoded workflow mail item; and

(c) using an application program resident on the mail server to execute the decoded resultant decoded workflow mail item.

14. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein using an application program to execute the decoded workflow specification includes displaying at least as portion of the decoded workflow specification upon a display device.

15. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the decoded workflow specification includes one or more executable steps, and wherein the application program executes the one or more executable steps.

16. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions carried thereon in a software component for publishing a workflow hypertext file set on a World Wide Web server machine, the software component including one or more client processes for execution on a client computer and one or more server processes for execution on a server computer that is in a communications network with said client computer, said software component comprising the steps of:

(a) packaging the hypertext file set as a composite e-mail message on a client computer, including;

(i) embedding hypertext mark-up language commands into the hypertext file set;

(ii) creating a composite e-mail message containing a binary file having encoded therein a workflow specification; and

(iii) adding to the composite e-mail message a header containing a MIME declaration with a multipart content type, a content sub-type indicative of a workflow media type, and an identifier identifying the e-mail message as a hypertext file set;

(b) transporting the composite e-mail message over the Internet from the client computer to the World Wide Web server machine;

(c) unpacking the composite e-mail message to recover the hypertext file set, including;

(i) identifying the composite e-mail message as containing a hypertext document set by examining the header, and

(ii) decomposing the composite e-mail message into the hypertext file set and a decoded version of the workflow specification;

(d) processing the hypertext file set with an application program resident on the worldwide web server machine to execute the workflow specification.

17. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein using an application program to execute the decoded workflow specification includes displaying at least as portion of the decoded workflow specification upon a display device.

18. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the decoded workflow specification includes one or more executable steps, and wherein the application program executes the one or more executable-steps.

19. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions carried thereon in a software component for performing a workflow on a communications network including a plurality of network nodes networked to said communications network, each node having an associated agent, the software component including one or more client processes for execution on a client computer and one or more server processes for execution on a server computer that is in a communications network with said client computer, said software component comprising the steps of:

(a) issuing a workflow request on said communications network;

(b) in response to said workflow request, a server computer networked to said communications network building a workflow specification and a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification, the workflow specification including;

(1) a set of data containing a set of activities to be completed through the execution of at least one of a plurality of steps of said workflow, each of said steps being executable by a respective agent;

(2) status data indicating which steps have been executed in said workflow; and

(3) a databank containing one or more references, each reference being an address of an executable program, each executable program being executable on any of said nodes;

(c) said server computer transmitting said MIME declaration header and said workflow specification to a selected network node associated with an agent authorized to perform in accordance with said workflow specification, an appropriate step of said workflow.

20. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein said agent authorized to perform, in accordance with said workflow specification, said appropriate step of said workflow displays at least as portion of the workflow specification upon a display device.

21. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein after said agent authorized to perform, in accordance with said workflow specification, said appropriate step of said workflow has so performed said appropriate step, said workflow specification updating said status data indicating which steps have been executed in said workflow.

22. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein issuing a workflow request on said communications network comprises:

at least one of said client processes transmitting from said client computer to said communications network said workflow request, said workflow request including a MIME declaration header including a multipart content type and a content sub-type indicative of a workflow specification.