Multinode activation and termination method and system

• US 7,228,328 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Casati, Fabio, Shan, Ming-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/872,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 725/1
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups

Abstract

A multinode activation and termination method and system A method and system is provided for invoking multiple parallel instances of the same node. First, a multinode is defined that allows for multiple parallel activation of the node. At run time, a determination is made of the number of nodes to be activated based on an activation rule. The multinodes are then executed. Each multinode can be provided with different input data for execution, thereby allowing one to fine tune the input and attributes of each node. A termination rule is utilized to determine when the execution of the multinode is completed. When the execution of the multinode is complete, a successor node is then executed. When the execution of the multinode is not complete, processing continues on the multinode.

Claims

1. A method for invoking multiple parallel instances of a same node comprising the steps of:

a) defining a multinode as a node that allows for activation of multiple parallel instances of a same work node in a workflow;

b) during run time determining a number of work nodes to be activated in the multinode equal to a number of elements in a vector;

c) activating the number of work nodes in the multinode;

d) determining when the execution of the multinode is completed based on a termination rule regardless of a status of work nodes in the work flow;

e) when the execution of the multinode is complete, executing a successor node; and

f) when the execution of the multinode is not complete, processing continues at step c).

2. The method of claim 1

wherein a new instance of the same work node is started for the number of elements in the vector.

3. The method of claim 1

wherein determining when the execution of the multinode is completed based on said termination rule includes evaluating whether a multinode goal has been achieved, and when the multinode goal has been achieved, terminating the execution of the multinode.

4. The method of claim 1

wherein determining when the execution of the multinode is completed based on said termination rule includes determining whether all work nodes in the multinode have been completed, and when all work nodes in the multinode have been completed, terminating the execution of the multinode.

5. The method of claim 1

wherein terminating the execution of the multinode includes canceling other nodes and proceeding to a successor node.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of

allowing flow to continue to said successor node when all activated work nodes in the multinode have been completed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of

executing the multinode includes the step of providing each work node in the multinode with different input data for execution.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of

executing the multinode includes the step of providing different attributes for each work node in the multinode.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the attributes includes one of resource selection criteria, security, exception handling criteria, and deadlines for work node execution.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining when the execution of the multinode is completed based on said termination rule further includes the step of

specifying multinode termination by a condition;

checking the condition when one of the work nodes in the multinode terminates; and

when the condition is satisfied, said successor node is activated, and other work nodes in execution within the multinode are canceled.

11. A system for processing multinode definitions comprising:

a workflow engine for processing workflow definitions; and

a multinode handling facility coupled to the workflow engine for processing multinodes, determining a number of multiple instances of same work nodes in one of the multinodes to be activated equal to a number of elements in a vector;

activating the number of work nodes in the one of the multinodes;

determining when the execution of the one of the multinodes is completed based on a termination rule; and

when the execution of the one of the multinodes is complete, executing a successor node.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the multinode handling facility further comprises

a multinode determination unit for receiving a node definition and responsive thereto for determining whether the current node is a normal work node or one of the multinodes.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the multinode handling facility further comprises

an activation facility for receiving an activation rule and based thereon for determining whether activation is by resource or by variable.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the multinode handling facility further comprises

a resource-based activation facility coupled to the activation facility for processing activation by resources;

and

a variable-based activation facility coupled to the activation facility for processing activation by variables.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the resource-based activation facility further comprises

a resource rule execution unit for executing a resource rule of the one of the multinodes;

and

a new instance generation unit for starting new instances of the one of the multinodes for each new resource in the resource list.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the resource rule is specified in a service node tag of a multinode description.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the variable-based activation facility further comprises

a variable name reader for reading the variable name;

and

a new instance generation unit for starting new instances of the one of the multinodes for each new element in the variable identified by the variable name.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein a variable type is one of a vector and a list.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein each node in the one of the multinodes is provided with different input data and different attributes for execution;

wherein the attributes includes one of resource selection criteria, security, exception handling criteria, and deadlines for node execution.

20. A method for invoking multiple parallel instances of a same node, comprising:

defining a multinode as a node that allows for activation of multiple parallel instances of a same work node in a workflow;

determining, based on an activation rule, whether the activation of the multiple parallel instances of the same work node is a variable-based activation;

reading a variable name to determine a number of the multiple parallel instances of the same work node to activate when the activation is based on the variable-based activation; and

activating the multiple parallel instances of the same work node in the multinode equal to the number read from the variable.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising, activating new instances of the multinode for each element in a vector when the activation is based on the variable-based activation.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein, the variable-based activation is based on a vector.

23. A method for invoking multiple parallel instances of a same node, comprising:

defining a multinode as a node that allows for activation of multiple parallel instances of a same work node in a workflow;

reading an activation rule to determine if activation of the multinode is based on variable-based activation;

reading a variable name that is a vector to determine a number of plural instances of the same work node to activate when the activation rule is the variable-based activation; and

activating the multinode to execute the number of plural instances of the same work node, wherein the number is read from the variable name.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a new instance of the same work node is started for each element in the vector.