System and method utilizing a graphical user interface of a business process workflow scheduling program

• US 7,184,967 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Andrews, Anthony D., Mital, Amit, Meredith, Lucius Gregory, Levy, Marc, Myerson, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz; Tariq
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jarrett; Scott L.
• Application Number:
  US09/800,163
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31449 Monitor workflow, to optimize business, industrial processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36025 Link, connect icons together to form program
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) scheduler program is provided for modeling business workflow processes. The GUI scheduler program includes tools to allow a user to create a schedule for business workflow processes based on a set of rules defined by the GUI scheduler program. The rules facilitate deadlock not occurring within the schedule. The program provides tools for creating and defining message flows between entities. Additionally, the program provides tools that allow a user to define a binding between the schedule and components, such as COM components, script components, message queues and other workflow schedules. The scheduler program allows a user to define actions and group actions into transactions using simple GUI scheduling tools. The schedule can then be converted to executable code in a variety of forms such as XML, C, C+ and C++. The executable code can then be converted or interpreted for running the schedule.

Claims

1. A workflow scheduler graphical user interface program having computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the workflow scheduler graphical user interface program, comprising:

code for providing a first screen area of a graphical user interface program employed by a user to create a graphical representation of a business workflow process;

code for providing a second screen area of a graphical user interface program employed by a user to bind the graphical representation of a business workflow process to at least one technological component;

a workflow component menu including a plurality of workflow components employed to create a business workflow process in the first screen area, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one action component for defining actions in a business workflow process and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;

a separator bar separating the first screen area from the second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;

at least one implementation port that couples at least one workflow component to the at least one technological component, the at least one implementation port is created on the separator bar by dragging the at least one technological component into the second screen area using a user selection device;

at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;

a data flow screen that illustrates data flow between the at least one implementation port and the at least one technological component; and

an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component; and

wherein the graphical representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one decision component for providing decision control flow to the business workflow process.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, further including an editable decision component property screen employed to add and delete rules to the decision component.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further including an editable rule property screen employed to define the rules added to the decision component.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the plurality of workflow components comprising an action component, an action grouping component, a branching component, a joining component and a decision component.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising a binding component menu including a plurality of technological components employed to bind the graphical representation of the business workflow process to at least one of the plurality of technological components in the second screen area.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising a message editor for each of the plurality of technological components.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, the plurality of technological components comprising a component object model (COM) component, a script component, a message queue component and a schedule component.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further including an editable port references message properties screen employed to reorder implementation ports.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the editable port references message properties screen being further employed to launch an editable port properties screen, the editable port properties screen being employed to at least one of add, delete and edit port messages or arguments.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further including a binding wizard for defining the at least one technological component, the binding wizard being invoked by dragging the at least one technological component into the second screen area with a user selection device.

12. A business process scheduling program having computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the business process scheduling program, comprising:

a plurality of schedule tool components employed to create a representation of a business process schedule according to a set of predefined rules;

an input screen for inputting interfaces and methods of the plurality of schedule tool components;

a separator bar for separating the input screen into a first screen area and a second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a schedule tool component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;

at least one implementation port that couples at least one workflow component to the schedule tool component, the at least one implementation port is created on the separator bar by dragging the schedule tool component into the second screen area using a user selection device;

at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;

a data flow screen that illustrates data flow between the business process schedule and the plurality of schedule tool components;

a conversion component employed to convert the schedule to XML code;

wherein the plurality of schedule tool components comprises at least one action component for defining actions in a business process schedule and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, and the action components grouped by the at least one action grouping component are selectable between an associated state and a non-associated state, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component; and

an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising at least one binding tool component employed to bind the representation of the business process schedule to at least one technological component.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, a control flow flowing to an action component grouped by an action grouping component having an associated state will automatically connect to a connection point on the action grouping component.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, a control flow flowing to an action component grouped by an action grouping component having a non-associated state will allow a direct connection to a connection point on the action component.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, an action grouping component having a non-associated state will not have a control handle for directing control flow and an action component having an associated state will have a control handle for directing control flow.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, a connection between a first action grouping component having at least one action associated with the first action grouping component and a second action grouping component having at least one action associated with the second action grouping component will automatically generate a first grouping component port on the first action grouping component and a second grouping component port on the second action grouping component on the second action grouping component and a communicates message coupling the first grouping component port to the second grouping component port.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, deletion of one of the first action grouping component and the second action grouping component creates an implementation port of the deleted action grouping component on a separator bar.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, a control flow flowing from an action component grouped by an action grouping component having an associated state to an implementation port will automatically create a grouping component port on an edge of the action grouping component.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the at least one action grouping component allowing only a single control flow to flow into the at least one action grouping component.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, the at least one action grouping component being a transaction component and further including at least one of a catch code and a compensation code related to the transaction component.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the transaction component being limited to two nesting levels.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the plurality of schedule tool components comprising at least one decision component having at least one non-editable rule.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, the at least one decision component allowing for the addition of other rules.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

code for providing a first screen region that is employed by a user to create a representation of a business workflow process and providing a second screen region that is employed by a user to bind the business process workflow representation to a representation of at least one technological component; and

displaying a separator bar between the first screen area and the second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;

displaying a workflow component menu having a plurality of workflow components employed to create a business workflow process in the first screen region, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one action component for defining actions in a business workflow process and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;

retrieving and displaying an implementation port image employed to bind a technological component to a component in a business workflow process in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device;

retrieving and displaying at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;

displaying a data flow screen that illustrates data flow between the at least one implementation port and the at least one technological component; and

displaying an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component; and

wherein the representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further including the step of retrieving and inserting an image into the first screen area of a selected one of the plurality of workflow components in response to a user selecting the component and dragging the component into the first screen area using a user selection device.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further including the step of displaying an editable decision component property screen employed to add and delete rules to a decision component in response to a user selecting a decision component residing in the first screen area using a user selection device.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, further including the step of displaying an editable rule property screen employed to define the rules added to the decision component in response to a user selecting a button on the editable decision component property screen using a user selection device.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising the step of displaying a binding component menu including a plurality of technological components employed to bind the graphical representation of the business workflow process to at least one of the plurality of technological components.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further including the step of displaying a message editor in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further including the step of displaying a binding wizard in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further including the step of displaying an editable port references message properties screen employed to reorder implementation ports.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, further including the step of launching an editable port properties screen, the editable port properties screen employed to at least one of add, delete and edit port messages or arguments.

34. A system comprising computer hardware for executing the following software components, the system facilitates modeling of business processes that are representable at a transaction level and an action level, the system is recorded on a computer-readable medium and capable of execution by a computer, comprising:

a graphical user interface;

a plurality of modeling components accessible through the graphical user interface and employed to create a graphical representation of a business process and a binding of the business process to at least one technological component;

at least a portion of the plurality of modeling components residing on a workflow component menu employed to create the graphical representation of a business workflow process in a first screen area;

at least a portion of the plurality of modeling components residing on a binding component menu employed to create a binding to the graphical representation of the business workflow process in a second screen area;

a separator bar separating the first screen area from the second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;

at least one implementation port coupling at least one component of the graphical representation of the business process to the technological component, the at least one implementation port is created on the separator bar by dragging the at least one technological component into the second screen area using a user selection device;

at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;

a data flow screen illustrating data flow between the implementation port and the technological component; and

wherein the graphical representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.

35. A graphical user interface program having computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the graphical user interface program comprising:

means for allowing a user to create a graphical representation of a business process;

means for providing an input screen for inputting interfaces and methods of at least one technological component;

means for displaying a separator bar for separating the input screen into a first screen area and a second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;

means for allowing a user to create a binding of the graphical representation of the business process to at least one technological component;

means for allowing a user to create a workflow component menu including a plurality of workflow components employed to create a business workflow process, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one action component for defining actions in a business workflow process and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;

means for retrieving and displaying an implementation port image employed to bind a technological component to a component in a business workflow process in response to a user selecting one of the technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device;

means for retrieving and displaying at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;

means for viewing data flow between the means for coupling and the at least one technological component; and

means for displaying an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component; and

wherein the representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.