System and method for information lifecycle workflow integration

• US 7,236,990 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Owen, James, Posner, Brad, Patadia, Jalpesh, Toussaint, Alexander, McCauley, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/915,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 709/213, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

In embodiments, a system and method for submitting information to a lifecycle in a virtual content repository (VCR) is provided that includes defining the lifecycle wherein the definition includes a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states, providing to a first process access to the lifecycle wherein the first process can cause the information to transition from a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions, wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR, and wherein the information can include at least one of: content and schema information.

Claims

1. A method for submitting information to a lifecycle in a virtual content repository (VCR), comprising:

defining the lifecycle wherein the definition includes a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

providing to a first process access to the lifecycle wherein the first process can cause the information to transition from a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

invoking at least one action, the action allowing at least one of a class of users and a class of processes access privileges relating to the information, wherein the access privileges differ from access privileges previously available prior to invoking the at least one action;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing access to the lifecycle includes:

implementing an Application Programming Interface (API) wherein the API exposes functionality to control the lifecycle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining an action associated with one of;

a state in the plurality of states, and a transition in the one or more transitions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/method call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking the information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the information transitions through a subset of the plurality of states.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a version history to track changes to the information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating a plurality of repositories into the VCR.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of integrating includes:

implementing a service provider interface (SPI) that is compatible with the VCR.

11. A system for submitting information to a lifecycle, comprising:

a virtual information repository (VCR);

a plurality of repositories integrated into the VCR;

a lifecycle definition including a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

a first process to access the lifecycle definition, to cause the information to transition from a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions and to invoke at least one action, the action allowing at least one of a class of users and a class of processes access privileges relating to the information, wherein the access privileges differ from access privileges previously available prior to invoking the at least one action;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses plurality of repositories; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the first process can access the lifecycle through an Application Programming Interface (API) wherein the API exposes functionality to control the lifecycle.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the action is associated with at least one of;

a state in the plurality of states and a transition in the one or more transitions.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/system call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the information transitions through a subset of the plurality of states.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a version history to track changes to the information.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a service provider interface (SPI) that is compatible with the VCR implemented by the plurality of repositories.

20. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause a system to:

define a lifecycle wherein the definition includes a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

provide to a first process access to the lifecycle wherein the first process causes the information to transition from a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

invoke at least one action, the action allowing at least one of a class of users and a class of processes access privileges relating to the information, wherein the access privileges differ from access privileges previously available prior to invoking the at least one action;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

implement an Application Programming Interface (API) wherein the API exposes functionality to control the lifecycle.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

define an action associated with one of;

a state in the plurality of states, and a transition in the one or more transitions.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 22 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 22 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/machine readable medium call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking the information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 20 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 20 wherein:

the information transitions through a subset of the plurality of states.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

maintain a version history to track changes to the information.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

integrate a plurality of repositories into the VCR.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

implement a service provider interface (SPI) that is compatible with the VCR.

30. A method for transmitting a computer data signal over a transmission medium, comprising:

transmitting a code segment including instructions to define a lifecycle wherein the definition includes a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

transmitting a code segment including instructions to provide to a first process access to the lifecycle wherein the first process can cause the information to transition from a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

transmitting a code segment including instructions to invoke at least one action, the action allowing at least one of a class of users and a class of processes access privileges relating to the information, wherein the access privileges differ from access privileges previously available prior to invoking the at least one action;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.