Workflow anywhere: invocation of workflows from a remote device

• US 7,467,197 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Childress, Rhonda L., Brooks, Patrick Joseph, Spisak, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US11/039,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method for providing the ability for systems personnel to use a personal wireless device, such as a mobile phone, palm device, or blackberry device, to receive a system alert regarding a developing situation requiring action and to be notified of pre-selected workflows that can resolve the situation prompting the alert. The systems personnel are then able to select a workflow, provide needed parameters, and provide the human approval to execute the workflow. The application packages the information provided by the user into a form usable by the orchestration/provisioning server. The server will perform the requested workflow as if entered on a local console and will respond to the device with a workflow status.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing a computer system, comprising the computer-initiated steps:

responsive to a detecting that a usage rate associated with a server cluster exceeds a threshold level of usage, sending a notification of a triggering event, wherein the usage rate is at least one of a number of current users and a percentage usage of processing capabilities of the data processing system and wherein the triggering event is the usage rate exceeding the threshold level of usage;

receiving the notification from the monitoring program, wherein the notification provides notice of the triggering event;

sending a first message regarding the triggering event and a plurality of proposed workflows to a wireless device for display to a system administrator associated with said mobile telephone, wherein a workflow is a series of one or more commands that carry out a process to add at least one additional server to the server cluster in response to the triggering event, wherein said first message is accompanied by at least one of an audible alert or a tactile alert to alert said system administrator that the triggering event occurred;

responsive to receiving a choice of one of said plurality of proposed workflows chosen by said system administrator, providing a list of parameters necessary to run said chosen one of said plurality of proposed workflows to the wireless device, wherein the wireless device displays the list of parameters to the system administrator;

responsive to an instruction to launch said chosen one of said proposed workflows being received accompanied by said list of parameters populated by associated values and an authorized system administrator name and password, causing said chosen one of said proposed workflows to be launched;

responsive to said chosen one of said proposed workflows completing successfully, sending a second message indicating that said chosen one of said proposed workflows completed successfully; and

responsive to said chosen one of said proposed workflows not completing successfully, presenting a second proposed workflow on said mobile telephone for approval by said system administrator.