Synchronizing one or more workflows using one or more synchronization-join activities that include synchronization logic

• US 6,397,192 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Notani, Ranjit N., Parasnis, Abhay V., Whipple, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/156,333
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201,203,323 705/9,7,8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer implemented method for workflow synchronization is provided. The first step comprises initializing the execution of a plurality of workflows. The next step is providing synchronization logic in at least one of the plurality of workflows. In the third step the execution of a workflow is paused until the synchronization logic is complete. In the final step the execution of the plurality of workflows continues.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing one or more workflows, comprising:

receiving, at a synchronization-join activity within a workflow, workflow information indicating completion of a first preceding activity within the workflow, the synchronization-join activity comprising synchronization logic for synchronizing two or more workflow activities, the synchronization-join activity operable to execute the synchronization logic;

according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, pausing the workflow at the synchronization-join activity until workflow information indicating completion of a second preceding activity is received at the synchronization-join activity;

receiving, at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow information indicating completion of the second preceding activity;

according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, resuming the workflow at the synchronization-join activity in response to receiving, at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow information indicating completion of the second preceding activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first preceding activity and the second preceding activity are within the same workflow.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising splitting the workflow prior to the synchronization-join activity, at a parallel activity split within the workflow, into a first workflow branch and a second workflow branch, the first workflow branch comprising the first preceding activity, the second workflow branch comprising the second preceding activity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first workflow branch is associated with a first enterprise and the second workflow branch is associated with a second enterprise.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first preceding activity is within a first workflow and the second preceding activity is within a second workflow.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising splitting the second workflow prior to the synchronization-join activity of the first workflow, at a parallel activity split within the second workflow, into a first branch within the first workflow and a second branch within the second workflow, the first branch comprising the second preceding activity.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second workflows are instances of different underlying workflows.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second workflows are different instances of the same workflow.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each workflow instance is identified by a global workflow identification enabling the synchronization-join activity to synchronize the different workflows.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first preceding activity is associated with a first enterprise and the second preceding activity is associated with a second enterprise that collaborates with the first enterprise.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization logic is specific to the workflow.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein workflow information indicating completion of a preceding activity comprises a result of that preceding activity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization-join activity temporally synchronizes workflow activities.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization-join activity synchronizes workflow activities by workflow state.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed on one or more software engines.

16. Software for synchronizing one or more workflows, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

receive, at a synchronization-join activity within a workflow, workflow information indicating completion of a first preceding activity within the workflow, the synchronization-join activity comprising synchronization logic for synchronizing two or more workflow activities, the synchronization-join activity operable to execute the synchronization logic;

according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, pause the workflow at the synchronization-join activity until workflow information indicating completion of a second preceding activity is received at the synchronization-join activity;

receive, at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow information indicating completion of the second preceding activity;

according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, resume the workflow at the synchronization-join activity in response to receiving, at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow information indicating completion of the second preceding activity.

17. The software of claim 16, wherein the first preceding activity and the second preceding activity are within the same workflow.

18. The software of claim 17, further operable to split the workflow prior to the synchronization-join activity, at a parallel activity split within the workflow, into a first workflow branch and a second workflow branch, the first workflow branch comprising the first preceding activity, the second workflow branch comprising the second preceding activity.

19. The software of claim 18, wherein the first workflow branch is associated with a first enterprise and the second workflow branch is associated with a second enterprise.

20. The software of claim 16, wherein the first preceding activity is within a first workflow and the second preceding activity is within a second workflow.

21. The software of claim 20, further operable to split the second workflow prior to the synchronization-join activity of the first workflow, at a parallel activity split within the second workflow, into a first branch within the first workflow and a second branch within the second workflow, the first branch comprising the second preceding activity.

22. The software of claim 20, wherein the first and second workflows are instances of different underlying workflows.

23. The software of claim 20, wherein the first and second workflows are different instances of the same workflow.

24. The software of claim 23, wherein each workflow instance is identified by a global workflow identification enabling the synchronization-join activity to synchronize the different workflows.

25. The software of claim 16, wherein the first preceding activity is associated with a first enterprise and the second preceding activity is associated with a second enterprise that collaborates with the first enterprise.

26. The software of claim 16, wherein the synchronization logic is specific to the workflow.

27. The software of claim 16, wherein workflow information indicating completion of a preceding activity comprises a result of that preceding activity.

28. The software of claim 16, wherein the synchronization-join activity temporally synchronizes workflow activities.

29. The software of claim 16, wherein the synchronization-join activity synchronizes workflow activities by workflow state.

30. The software of claim 16, wherein the software is executed on one or more software engines.

31. A system for synchronizing one or more workflows, comprising:

a first workflow activity;

a second workflow activity;

a synchronization-join activity within a workflow, the first workflow activity preceding the synchronization-join activity within the workflow, the synchronization-join activity operable to receive workflow information indicating completion of the first workflow activity, the synchronization-join activity comprising synchronization logic for synchronizing at least the first and second workflow activities, the synchronization-join activity operable to;

execute the synchronization logic;

pause, according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow at the synchronization-join activity until workflow information indicating completion of the second workflow activity is received at the synchronization-join activity;

receive the workflow information indicating completion of the second workflow activity; and

resume, according to the synchronization logic executed at the synchronization-join activity, the workflow at the synchronization-join activity in response to receiving the workflow information indicating completion of the second workflow activity.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first workflow activity and the second workflow activity are within the same workflow.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a parallel split activity within the workflow operable to split the workflow prior to the synchronization-join activity into a first workflow branch and a second workflow branch, the first workflow branch comprising the first workflow activity, the second workflow branch comprising the second workflow activity.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the first workflow branch is associated with a first enterprise and the second workflow branch is associated with a second enterprise.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the first workflow activity is within a first workflow and the second workflow activity is within a second workflow.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising a parallel activity split within the second workflow operable to split the second workflow into a first branch within the first workflow and a second branch within the second workflow, the first workflow branch comprising the synchronization join activity, the second workflow branch comprising a subsequent workflow activity within the second workflow.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the first and second workflows are instances of different underlying workflows.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the first and second workflows are different instances of the same workflow.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein each workflow instance is identified by a global workflow identification enabling the synchronization-join activity to synchronize the different workflows.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the first workflow activity is associated with a first enterprise and the second workflow activity is associated with a second enterprise that collaborates with the first enterprise.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the synchronization logic is specific to the workflow.

42. The system of claim 31, wherein workflow information indicating completion of a workflow activity comprises a result of that workflow activity.

43. The system of claim 31, wherein the synchronization-join activity temporally synchronizes workflow activities.

44. The system of claim 31, wherein the synchronization-join activity synchronizes workflow activities by workflow state.

45. The system of claim 31, further comprising one or more software engines collectively operable to execute the first workflow activity, the second workflow activity, and the synchronization join activity.