Method and system for optimizing request shipping in workflow management systems

• US 6,832,201 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Leymann, Frank, Roller, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOYCE, ANDRE D
• Application Number:
  US09/443,606
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for optimizing request shipping within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems holding a distributed application the usage of which realizes a process model underlying said application is proposed in which said process model comprises a business process consisting of a plurality of activities to be performed on said application systems by a plurality of users, including shipping of activity requests between a local application system owning said business process and a plurality of remote application systems performing said activities with the help of a plurality of users.

The basic idea is to optimize the assignment of the users to the appropriate application system in such a way that the number of remote work item requests is optimized. The inventional method can be advantageously applied to workflow management systems. The optimization process involved comprises applying a so-called ‘optimization function’ reflecting the overall costs for request shipping and additional costs for performing the business process.

Claims

1. A method, in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model,

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities,

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity,

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to trigger said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users, said WFMS work item, when selected by a particular one of said users, starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

the step of gathering (110) optimization data comprising,

determining (112) the number of WFMS activities being executed for said business process,

determining (113) the set of users receiving WFMS activity execution requests during execution of said business process,

determining (114) the number of remote WFMS receiving remote WFMS activity execution requests,

determining (115) for which activities remote WFMS activity execution requests are generated

applying (120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a differentWFMS, such that said costs are optimized.

2. A method, in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model,

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities,

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity,

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to trigger said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users, said WFMS work item, when selected by a particular one of said users, starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

the step of gathering (110) optimization data comprising,

using analytical and/or discrete simulation to determine optimization data

applying (120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a differentWFMS, such that said costs are optimized.

3. A method, in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model,

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities,

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity,

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to trigger said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users, said WFMS work item, when selected by a particular one of said users, starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

the step of gathering (110) optimization data comprising,

using audit trail information to determine optimization data

applying (120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a differentWFMS, such that said costs are optimized.

4. A method, in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model,

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities,

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity,

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to trigger said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users, said WFMS work item, when selected by a particular one of said users, starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

applying (120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a differentWFMS, such that said costs are optimized,

reducing the number of WFMS by combining different WFMS.

5. A computer program product stored on computer usable medium, comprising computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform a method, in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model,

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities,

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to truer said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users said WFMS work item when selected by a particular one of said users starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

the step of gathering (110) optimization data comprising,

determining (112) the number of WFMS activities being executed for said business process,

determining (113) the set of users receiving WFMS activity execution requests during execution of said business process,

determining (114) the number of remote WFMS receiving remote WFMS activity execution requests,

determining (115) for which activities remote WFMS activity execution requests are generated,

applying 120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a different WFMS such that said costs are optimized.

6. A computer program product stored on computer usable medium, comprising computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform a method in a workflow management system (WFMS), for optimizing sending of WFMS activity execution requests within a plurality of distributed networked computer systems,

said WFMS comprising an owning WFMS administrating execution of a business process by interpretation of a corresponding WFMS process model

said WFMS process model comprising a plurality of WFMS activities

said WFMS process model defining potential control flow within said WFMS process model,

wherein said WFMS process model separates processing of said potential control flow by said WFMS from implementation of said WFMS activities,

said owning WFMS being responsive to its decision to pass control to a next WFMS activity by performing steps of,

determining a multitude of users allowed to potentially perform said next WFMS activity,

determining a multitude of remote WFMS administrating execution of said next WFMS activity by said users,

sending WFMS activity execution requests for said next WFMS activity to said remote WFMS to trigger said remote WFMS to include WFMS work items in work lists of said users said WFMS work item when selected by a particular one of said users, starting execution of said next WFMS activity,

said WFMS performing steps of,

gathering (110) optimization data influencing costs of said sending WFMS activity execution requests,

the step of gathering (110) optimization data comprising, using audit trail information to determine optimization data,

applying (120) an overall optimization function including said optimization data, and

re-assigning (130) users to a different WFMS such that said costs are optimized.