Lightweight directory access protocol workflow management system

• US 7,133,833 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netscape Communications Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khodabakchian, Edwin, Chone, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON JR, FOREST
• Application Number:
  US09/182,110
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 707/103, 707/4, 709/200, 709/218, 364/578, 395/712
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A lightweight directory access protocol workflow management system. The invention converts a logical process into a reusable Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation. The directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure where each process element in the process is represented as an LDAP directory entry and is assigned a unique distinguished name and is stored in a Directory Server database or filesystem. The tree structure of the LDAP representation allows the sharing of LDAP trees or subtrees among users. The LDAP trees and subtrees can be remotely located and distributed among different LDAP servers. Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides a graphical user interface for creating a Workflow process definition which is comprised of process elements: activities; actions; and entry/exit points. The user constructs a Workflow process using the process elements, logically interrelating each activity. Once the Workflow process is defined it is converted into an LDAP directory representation and stored in a Directory Server database or filesystem.

Claims

1. A process for converting a logical process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

creating a logical process definition;

serializing said process into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure; and

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

4. A process for defining and converting a Workflow process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical user interface for creating a Workflow process definition;

converting said Workflow process definition into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure;

storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem;

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry; and

wherein each process element is assigned a unique distinguished name.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein activities, actions, and entry/exit points are the process elements in said Workflow process definition.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein each activity has a table associated with it describing said activities'"'"' task description, method, or script.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein each of said actions have an associated activity and target.

8. The process of claim 4, wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees, and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

9. The process of claim 4, wherein said graphical user interface displays said Workflow process definition using a tree structure.

10. An apparatus for converting a logical process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising:

creating a logical process definition;

serializing said process into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure; and

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

13. An apparatus for defining and converting a Workflow process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for creating a Workflow process definition;

a graphical user interface for creating said Workflow process definition;

a module for converting said Workflow process definition into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure;

a module for storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem;

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry; and

wherein each process element is assigned a unique distinguished name.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein activities, actions, and entry/exit points are the process elements in said Workflow process definition.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each activity has a table associated with it describing said activities'"'"' task description, method, or script.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of said actions have an associated activity and target.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees, and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said graphical user interface displays said Workflow process definition using a tree structure.

19. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for converting a logical process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

creating a logical process definition;

serializing said process into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure; and

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry.

20. The program storage medium of claim 19 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps further comprises the step of:

storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem.

21. The program storage medium of claim 19 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

22. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for defining and converting a Workflow process into a reusable directory protocol in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

creating a Workflow process definition;

providing a graphical user interface for creating a Workflow process definition;

converting said Workflow process definition into a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory representation, wherein said directory representation is a hierarchical tree structure;

storing said LDAP representation into a Directory Server database or filesystem;

wherein each process element in said process is represented as an LDAP directory entry; and

wherein each process element is assigned a unique distinguished name.

23. The program storage medium of claim 22 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein activities, actions, and entry/exit points are the process elements in said Workflow process definition.

24. The program storage medium of claim 23 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein each activity has a table associated with it describing said activities'"'"' task description, method, or script.

25. The program storage medium of claim 23 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein each of said actions have an associated activity and target.

26. The program storage medium of claim 22 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein said LDAP representation refers to other LDAP trees or subtrees, and wherein said other LDAP trees or subtrees can be remotely located.

27. The program storage medium of claim 22 embodying the program of instructions to perform the method steps,

wherein said graphical user interface displays said Workflow process definition using a tree structure.