Method and system for hierarchical transactions and compensation

• US 6,625,602 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mehta, Bimal, Beckman, Brian, Mital, Amit, Andrews, Anthony, Levy, Marc, Meredith, Lucius Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPIEGEL, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/560,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/8, 707/9, 707/200, 707/201, 707/202
• US Class Current: 707/703
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method for executing a schedule in a workflow application is provided. The method comprises a hierarchical transaction commit rule allowing access to the data associated with an action in the schedule according to a transaction boundary and the state of the action. The invention further comprises selectively compensating at least one action according to a compensation parameter and at least one transaction boundary after abortion of another action. The invention further provides storing schedule state information to a storage medium based on a transaction boundary within the schedule. In addition, the invention provides for selectively obtaining at least a portion of the schedule state information from the storage medium, and selectively monitoring the schedule execution based on at least a portion of the schedule information obtained from the storage medium. Further provided, is a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of the above methods.

Claims

1. A method for executing a hierarchical transaction having a parent transaction and a sub-transaction, comprising:

executing an action associated with the sub-transaction; and

committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of the action associated therewith, thereby allowing access to data associated with the action according to a user redefinable transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-transaction has a transaction boundary associated therewith, further comprising committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of all actions within the transaction boundary of the sub-transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-transaction has a transaction boundary associated therewith, further comprising aborting the sub-transaction upon unsuccessful execution of an action within the transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing state information associated with the action in a storage medium upon recognizing a transaction boundary.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively compensating the action after abortion of another action associated therewith.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selectively obtaining at least a portion of the state information from the storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selectively monitoring a status of the action based on at least a portion of the state information obtained from the storage medium.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising selectively monitoring the state of the sub-transaction in the hierarchical transaction based on at least a portion of the state information obtained from the storage medium.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a facility for retrying failed actions according to at least one parameter before aborting a sub-transaction.

10. A method of executing a schedule with hierarchical transactions having a parent transaction and at least one sub-transaction within the parent transaction, comprising:

initiating an action within the sub-transaction;

executing the action; and

committing the sub-transaction upon completion of the action as per a user redefinable transaction boundary, whereby data associated with the action is unlocked.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selectively compensating an action according to a transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction after abortion of another action.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising employing the unlocked data to monitor a status of an action within the sub-transaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein employing the unlocked data comprises storing state information in a storage medium based on a transaction boundary associated with a sub-transaction.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for executing a hierarchical transaction having a parent transaction and a sub-transaction, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for:

executing an action associated with the sub-transaction; and

committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of the action associated therewith, thereby allowing access to data associated with the action according to a user redefinable transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the sub-transaction has a transaction boundary associated therewith, having further computer-executable instructions for committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of all actions within the transaction boundary of the sub-transaction.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the sub-transaction has a transaction boundary associated therewith, having further computer-executable instructions for aborting the sub-transaction upon unsuccessful execution of an action within the transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, having further computer-executable instructions for storing state information associated with the action in a storage medium upon recognizing a transaction boundary.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, having further computer-executable instructions for selectively obtaining at least a portion of the state information from the storage medium.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions for selectively monitoring a status of the action based on at least a portion of the state information obtained from the storage medium.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, having further computer-executable instructions for selectively monitoring the state of the sub-transaction in the hierarchical transaction based on at least a portion of the state information obtained from the storage medium.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, having further computer-executable instructions for selectively compensating the action after abortion of another action associated therewith.

22. A system for executing a hierarchical transaction having a parent transaction and a sub-transaction, comprising:

means for executing an action associated with the sub-transaction; and

means for committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of the action associated therewith, thereby allowing access to data associated with the action according to a user redefinable transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sub-transaction has a transaction boundary associated therewith, further comprising means for committing the sub-transaction upon successful completion of all actions within the transaction boundary of the sub-transaction.

24. A method of monitoring a schedule having a parent transaction, a sub-transaction, and state information associated therewith, comprising:

executing the sub-transaction according to the schedule; and

allowing access to at least a portion of the state information associated with the sub-transaction prior to completion of the parent transaction as per a user redefinable transaction boundary, thereby permitting use of the state information for event monitoring or history reporting.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein allowing access to the state information comprises storing state information in a storage medium when a transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction is recognized, and monitoring the state information in the storage medium.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein monitoring the state information comprises history reporting.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein allowing access to the state information comprises monitoring the state information when a transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction is recognized.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein monitoring the state information includes event monitoring.

29. A system for monitoring a schedule having state information, a root transaction, and a sub-transaction associated therewith, comprising:

means for executing the root transaction and the sub-transaction according to the schedule;

means for allowing access to at least a portion of the state information associated with the sub-transaction prior to completion of the parent transaction as per a user redefinable transaction boundary.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for allowing access comprises means for storing the state information in a storage medium when a transaction boundary associated with the sub-transaction is recognized, and means for obtaining the state information from the storage medium.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for obtaining the state information from the storage medium comprises means for history reporting.

32. The system of claim 29, further including a means for monitoring the state information.