Method, system, and program for performing workflow related operations using an application programming interface

• US 7,047,535 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yaung, Alan Tsu-I, Lee, Taejae, Lin, Jy-Jine James
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANYA, CHARLES E
• Application Number:
  US09/918,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 11, 707 1- 10, 707101-103 X, 709200-253, 719328-332
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Provided is a method, system, and program for performing workflow related operations. An application programming interface call (API) is received to perform a workflow related operation. A determination is made of at least one stored procedure call associated with the received API. The determined at least one stored procedure is then called to cause the execution of one determined stored procedure on a database server to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

Claims

1. A method for performing workflow related operations, comprising:

receiving an application programming interface (API) call to perform a workflow related operation;

determining at least one stored procedure call associated with the received API call; and

calling the determined at least one stored procedure call, wherein each stored procedure call causes the execution of one determined stored procedure on a database server to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the received API call;

wherein the received API call comprises a first call to a first stored procedure associated with a first API call, wherein the first stored procedure includes native workflow server code, wherein executing the first stored procedure comprises communicating the native workflow server code to a workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a first API of the first API call, wherein the workflow server returns workflow metadata, further comprising;

receiving a second stored procedure call associated with a second API call that invokes a second stored procedure on the database server, wherein the second stored procedure includes database statements; and

executing the second stored procedure to cause a database program to execute the database statements to update a workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure in the database server that includes native workflow server code to communicate to a workflow server to execute to perform the workflow related operation of the API and wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure in the database server that includes database statements executed by a database program to access workflow related metadata for the API.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to be performed on a workflow server and wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to access workflow metadata from a workflow database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow related operation comprises a function to perform on a workflow server, wherein the database server includes a database program that executes one determined stored procedure to perform:

communicating native workflow server code included in the executed stored procedure to the workflow server, wherein the workflow server executes the native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the API and native workflow server code are in different programming languages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow related operation concerns accessing workflow metadata in a workflow database, wherein the database server includes a database program that executes one determined stored procedure to perform:

executing database statements included in the executed stored procedure to access workflow metadata in the workflow database.

7. The method claim 3, wherein the database statements comprise Structured Query Language (SQL) statements.

8. A method for performing workflow related operations at a database server in communication with a client, comprising:

receiving at least one call to one stored procedure at the database server associated with an application programming interface (API) call invoked from the client to perform a workflow related operation; and

executing, at the database server, the at least one called stored procedure to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the API call;

wherein the received at least one call to one stored procedure comprises a first call to a first stored procedure associated with a first API call, wherein the first stored procedure includes native workflow server code, wherein executing the first stored procedure comprises communicating the native workflow server code to a workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a first API of the first API call, wherein the workflow server returns workflow metadata, further comprising;

receiving a second stored procedure call associated with a second API call that invokes a second stored procedure on the database server, wherein the second stored procedure includes database statements; and

executing the second stored procedure to cause a database program to execute the database statements to update a workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received at least one call to one stored procedure comprises third and fourth stored procedure calls to third and fourth stored procedures, respectively, on the database server to implement the workflow related operation of the API.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises authenticating the client and establishing a connection and wherein executing the fourth stored procedure comprises performing the workflow related operation of the API.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises accessing workflow metadata from a workflow database and wherein executing the fourth stored procedure comprises communicating native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata to a workflow server, wherein the workflow server processes the communicated native workflow server code and the workflow metadata to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises communicating native workflow server code to a workflow server, wherein the workflow server processes the communicated native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API and returns workflow metadata, and wherein executing the fourth stored procedure call for the API comprises updating a workflow database with the workflow metadata returned by the workflow server.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the received at least one call to the stored procedure comprises a third call to a third stored procedure associated with a third API call, wherein the third stored procedure includes database statements, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises communicating the database statements to a database program to access workflow metadata from a workflow database, further comprising:

receiving a fourth stored procedure call associated with a fourth API call that invokes a fourth stored procedure on the database server, wherein the fourth stored procedure includes native workflow server code; and

executing the fourth stored procedure to communicate the native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata included therein to a workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a fourth API of the fourth API call.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third stored procedure returns the accessed workflow metadata to the client, and wherein the fourth stored procedure call from the client passes the accessed workflow metadata to the fourth stored procedure to communicate to the workflow server with the native workflow server code.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third stored procedure returns the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the client, and wherein the fourth stored procedure call from the client passes the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the fourth stored procedure to call the database program to update the workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

16. A system for performing workflow related operations, comprising:

a database server;

a tangible computer readable medium including a plurality of stored procedures, wherein each stored procedure is associated with at least one application programming interface (API) call defined to perform a workflow related operation, wherein the computer readable medium is accessible to the database server;

a workflow server coupled to the database server;

means for receiving one API call to perform one workflow related operation;

means for determining at least one stored procedure call associated with the received API call;

means for calling the determined at least one stored procedure call; and

means, performed by the database server, for executing at least one stored procedure in response to the determined at least one stored procedure call being called to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the API call;

wherein the received API call comprises a first call to a first stored procedure associated with a first API call, wherein the first stored procedure includes native workflow server code, wherein executing the first stored procedure comprises communicating the native workflow server code to the workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a first API of the first API call, wherein the workflow server returns workflow metadata, further comprising;

means for receiving a second stored procedure call associated with a second API call that invokes a second stored procedure on the database server, wherein the second stored procedure includes database statements; and

means for executing the second stored procedure to cause a database program to execute the database statements to update a workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure that includes native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API, and wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure that includes database statements to access workflow related metadata for the API, further comprising:

a database;

means, performed by the workflow server, for receiving native workflow server code from one stored procedure;

means, performed by the workflow server, for executing the received native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation; and

means for executing database statements from one stored procedure to access workflow related metadata for the API from the database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to be performed on a workflow server and wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to access workflow metadata from a workflow database.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a workflow server, wherein the workflow related operation comprises a function to perform on the workflow server;

means, performed at the database server, for executing one determined stored procedure to communicate native workflow server code included in the executed stored procedure to the workflow server; and

means, performed by the workflow server, for executing the native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the API and native workflow server code are in different programming languages.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a workflow database, wherein the workflow related operation concerns accessing workflow metadata in the workflow database; and

means, performed at the database server, for executing the database statements in the determined stored procedure to access workflow metadata in the workflow database.

22. The system claim 17, wherein the database statements comprise Structured Query Language (SQL) statements.

23. A system for performing workflow related operations, comprising:

a database server;

a client in communication with the database server;

means, performed by the client, for executing an application programming interface (API) call to perform a workflow related operation, wherein at least one stored procedure call at the database server is associated with the executed API call;

means, performed by the client, for communicating the at least one stored procedure call to at least one stored procedure associated with the executed API call to the database server; and

means, performed by the database server, for executing the at least one called stored procedure to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the API call;

wherein the at least one stored procedure call comprises a first and second stored procedure calls to first and second stored procedures, respectively, on the database server to implement the workflow related operation of the API and further comprising;

a workflow database, wherein the means for executing the at least one called stored procedure at the database server executes the first stored procedure to access workflow metadata from the workflow database;

a workflow server, wherein the means for executing the at least one called stored procedure at the database server executes the second stored procedure at the database server to communicate native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata to the workflow server; and

means performed by the workflow server for processing the communicated native workflow server code and the workflow metadata to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for executing the at least one called stored procedure performs executing a third stored procedure to authenticate the client and establish a connection and wherein executing a fourth stored procedure call comprises performing the workflow related operation of the API.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

wherein the means for executing the at least one called stored procedure at the database server executes a third stored procedure to communicate native workflow server code to the workflow server;

means, performed by the workflow server, for processing the communicated native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API and returning workflow metadata; and

wherein the means for executing the at least one called stored procedure executes a fourth stored procedure call for the API updates the workflow database with the workflow metadata returned by the workflow server.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein a third stored procedure is associated with a third API call and includes database statements, further comprising:

the workflow database in communication with the database server;

means, performed by the database server, for accessing access workflow metadata from the workflow database in response to executing the third stored procedure;

means, performed by the database server, for receiving a fourth stored procedure call associated with a second API call;

wherein the means, performed by the database server, for executing the at least one stored procedure performs;

(i) executing the fourth stored procedure including native workflow server code; and

(ii) executing the fourth stored procedure to communicate the native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata included therein to the workflow server; and

means, performed by the workflow server, for executing the native workflow server code communicated from the database server to process the workflow metadata received from the database server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a fourth API of the fourth API call.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for executing the at least one stored procedure further performs executing the third stored procedure to return the accessed workflow metadata to the client;

and

means, performed by the client, for passing the accessed workflow metadata received from the database server with the fourth stored procedure call to the database server to communicate to the workflow server with the native workflow server code.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the received call to the stored procedure comprises a third call to a first stored procedure associated with a third API call, wherein the third stored procedure includes native workflow server code, further comprising:

wherein the means for executing the at least one stored procedure performs executing the third stored procedure to communicate the native workflow server code in the third stored procedure to the workflow server to process and perform the workflow related operation associated with a third API of the third API call;

means for returning, performed by the workflow server, workflow metadata, wherein the means for executing the at least one stored procedure further performs receiving a fourth stored procedure call associated with a fourth API call that invokes the fourth stored procedure on the database server, wherein the fourth stored procedure includes database statements; and

executing, at the database server, the database statements in the fourth stored procedure to update the workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein a third stored procedure returns the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the client, and wherein the fourth stored procedure call from the client passes the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the fourth stored procedure to call the database program to update the workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

30. An article of manufacture including code for performing workflow related operations by:

receiving an application programming interface (API) call to perform a workflow related operation;

determining at least one stored procedure call associated with the received API call; and

calling the determined at least one stored procedure call, wherein each stored procedure call causes the execution of one determined stored procedure on a database server to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the API call;

wherein the received at least one stored procedure call comprises a first and second stored procedure calls to first and second stored procedures, respectively, on the database server to implement the workflow related operation of the API and further comprising;

executing the at least one called stored procedure at the database server executes the first stored procedure to access workflow metadata from a workflow database;

executing the at least one called stored procedure at the database server executes the second stored procedure at the database server to communicate native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata to a workflow server; and

processing the communicated native workflow server code and the workflow metadata to perform the workflow related operation of the API at the workflow server.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure in the database server that includes native workflow server code to communicate to a workflow server to execute to perform the workflow related operation of the API and wherein at least one stored procedure call invokes one stored procedure in the database server that includes database statements executed by a database program to access workflow related metadata for the API.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to be performed on a workflow server and wherein the workflow related operation for at least one API is to access workflow metadata from a workflow database.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the workflow related operation comprises a function to perform on a workflow server, wherein the database server includes a database program that executes one determined stored procedure to perform:

communicating native workflow server code included in the executed stored procedure to the workflow server, wherein the workflow server executes the native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the API and native workflow server code are in different programming languages.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the workflow related operation concerns accessing workflow metadata in a workflow database, wherein the database server includes a database program that executes one determined stored procedure to perform:

executing database statements included in the executed stored procedure to access workflow metadata in the workflow database.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the database statements comprise Structured Query Language (SQL) statements.

37. An article of manufacture including code for performing workflow related operations at a database server in communication with a client by:

receiving at least one call to one stored procedure at the database server associated with an application programming interface (API) call invoked from the client to perform a workflow related operation; and

executing, at the database server, the at least one called stored procedure to perform the workflow related operation of an API of the API call;

wherein the at least one received call to the stored procedure comprises a first call to a first stored procedure associated with a first API call, wherein the first stored procedure includes native workflow server code, wherein executing the first stored procedure comprises communicating the native workflow server code to a workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a first API of the first API call, wherein the workflow server returns workflow metadata, further comprising;

receiving a second stored procedure call associated with a second API call that invokes a second stored procedure on the database server, wherein the second stored procedure includes database statements;

executing the second stored procedure to cause a database program to execute the database statements to update a workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the received at least one call to one stored procedure comprises a third and fourth stored procedure calls to third and fourth stored procedures, respectively, on the database server to implement the workflow related operation of the API.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises authenticating the client and establishing a connection and wherein executing the fourth received stored procedure call comprises performing the workflow related operation of the API.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises accessing workflow metadata from a workflow database and wherein executing the fourth stored procedure comprises communicating native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata to a workflow server, wherein the workflow server processes the communicated native workflow server code and the workflow metadata to perform the workflow related operation of the API.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises communicating native workflow server code to a workflow server, wherein the workflow server processes the communicated native workflow server code to perform the workflow related operation of the API and returns workflow metadata, and wherein executing the fourth stored procedure call for the API comprises updates a workflow database with the workflow metadata returned by the workflow server.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the at least one received call to the stored procedure comprises a third call to a third stored procedure associated with a third API call, wherein the third stored procedure includes database statements, wherein executing the third stored procedure comprises communicating the database statements to a database program to access workflow metadata from a workflow database, further comprising:

receiving a fourth stored procedure call associated with a fourth API call that invokes a fourth stored procedure on the database server, wherein the fourth stored procedure includes native workflow server code; and

executing the fourth stored procedure to communicate the native workflow server code and the accessed workflow metadata included therein to a workflow server to perform the workflow related operation associated with a fourth API of the fourth API call.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the third stored procedure returns the accessed workflow metadata to the client, and wherein the fourth stored procedure call from the client passes the accessed workflow metadata to the fourth stored procedure to communicate to the workflow server with the native workflow server code.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the third stored procedure returns the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the client, and wherein the fourth stored procedure call from the client passes the returned workflow metadata from the workflow server to the fourth stored procedure to call the database program to update the workflow database with the returned workflow metadata.