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Process automation system and method having a hierarchical architecture with multiple tiers

  • US 7,725,524 B2
  • Filed: 10/03/2006
  • Issued: 05/25/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A process automation system comprising a memory for storing program code and at least one processor for processing the program code to generate a multi-tier, hierarchical organization comprising:

  • one or more project objects containing data for one or more process automation projects designed by a user;

    one or more job objects, each of the job objects associated with at least one of the project objects and defining procedures to be executed upon execution of one of the project objects;

    one or more job step objects, each of the job step objects associated with one of the job objects, each of the job step objects specifying one or more commands to be executed by a specified one or more system resources within the process automation system;

    one or more resource objects representing the one or more system resources for executing the automation projects, including the jobs and job steps associated with the automation projects;

    wherein the program code, when executed by the processor, causes the additional operations of;

    generating attachment data attaching a plurality of properties to the resource object,generating attachment data attaching a plurality of properties to the project objects,generating attachment data attaching a plurality of properties to the job objects, andgenerating attachment data attaching a plurality of properties to the job step objects, each of the properties having a value associated therewith, wherein at least some of the properties are generated and attached to the project objects, job objects, and job step objects at runtime, during execution of the project objects, job objects, and job step objects, respectively, wherein the properties attached to the resource object indicate a particular hardware/software platform on which to execute a particular project, job, and/or job step;

    storing the attached properties with the associated values and attachment data;

    receiving a request to execute one or more of the objects;

    interpreting the attachment data to identify the properties attached to each of the one or more objects including interpreting the properties attached to the resource object to identify a particular hardware/software platform on which to execute one or more of the project objects, job objects, and job step objects; and

    modifying execution of the one or more of the objects within the process automation system using the values associated with the one or more properties.

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