Business alerts on process instances based on defined conditions

• US 7,774,359 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moustafa, Ahmed M. S. A. W., Ballard, John D., Jason, Richard Z., Chkodrov, Gueorgui B., Taniguchi, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCKINGHAM, KELLYE DEE
• Application Number:
  US11/114,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/774
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

System and method for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process. The process includes a plurality of event records associated with the process; each of the plurality of event records includes a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process. A subset of the plurality of event records is defined where the subset relates to the defined condition. The data in the defined subset is updated at a predetermined time interval. The user is notified when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred. The subset may alternatively be defined as a function of a current time, a last run time and the defined condition.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition, said method comprising:

defining a process including a plurality of event records associated therewith, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, each of the plurality of event records in the process being a part of a sequence of steps for achieving the process;

defining a subset of the plurality of event records of the process wherein the subset includes only event records which meet the defined condition, said condition being formulated as a query about process instances of the defined process, wherein each of the plurality of event records in the subset is also a part of the sequence of steps for achieving the process;

receiving initial data for the plurality of data fields relating to the defined subset of the plurality of event records as the received initial data becomes available;

based on the received initial data, progressively accumulating additional data relating to the received initial data and relating to the defined process as the additional data becomes available in the defined subset of the plurality of event records as a single composite event of the defined process having the sequence of steps as a function of the accumulated data;

defining a predetermined time interval;

at the defined predetermined time interval, updating the defined subset by modifying the defined subset based on and in response to the progressively accumulated additional data wherein the subset is updated to include additional event records from the progressively accumulated additional data which meet the defined condition as the single composite event at the defined predetermined time interval;

after said updating, evaluating only the updated defined subset against the defined condition without evaluating any of the plurality of event records associated with the process which are not part of the defined subset; and

notifying the user when the evaluated subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein defining a subset comprises defining the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein notifying comprises notifying the user when the data of the defined subset indicates the defined condition has occurred.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the predetermined time interval and wherein event records previously processed are not processed with event records occurring during the predetermined time interval.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein notifying comprises notifying each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein defining comprises pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

7. A system for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition, said system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer-executable instructions for defining a process including a plurality of event records associated therewith, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, each of the plurality of event records in the process being a part of a sequence of steps for achieving the process;

wherein the one or more processors further execute computer-executable instructions embodied in at least the following;

an event provider for defining a subset of the plurality of event records wherein the subset includes only event records which meet the defined condition, said condition being formulated as a query about process instances of the defined process, wherein each of the plurality of even records in the subset is also part of the sequence of steps for achieving the process, said event provider defining a predetermined time interval;

wherein the event provider receives initial data for the plurality of data fields relating to the defined subset and, based on the received initial data, continuously accumulates additional data relating to the received initial data and relating to the defined process as the additional data becomes available in the defined subset of the plurality of event records as a single composite event of the defined process having the sequence of steps as a function of the accumulated data, said additional data not being stored in a long-term storage;

wherein the event provider updates the data in the subset of the plurality of event records by modifying the data in the subset based on and in response to the accumulated data as the single event at the defined predetermined time interval; and

a notification component for evaluating only the defined subset against the defined condition without evaluating any of the plurality of event records associated with the process which are not part of the defined subset and for further notifying the user when the evaluated subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred, wherein the event provider offloads the evaluation of the updated data in the subset to the notification component, and wherein work between the notification component and the event provider of receiving the data is separated.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the event provider defines the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the predetermined time interval and wherein event records previously processed are not processed with event records occurring during the predetermined time interval.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the event provider pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein the notification component notifies each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the event provider pre-correlates the updated data with the subset of event records from the plurality of updated event records according to the defined condition and wherein the notifying component notifies the user of the occurrence of the event when the pre-correlated data of the subset of plurality of event records indicates that the defined condition is satisfied.

13. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable components for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition, said components comprising:

an event provider for defining a process including a plurality of event records associated therewith, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, each of the plurality of event records in the process being a part of a sequence of steps for achieving the process, said event provider is further configured for pre-correlating data with a subset of the plurality of event records wherein the subset includes event records which meet the defined condition, said condition being formulated as a query about process instances of the defined process, each of the plurality of event records relating to each other and dependent on one another, wherein each of the plurality of even records in the subset is also part of the sequence of steps for achieving the process, said event provider defining a predetermined time interval;

wherein the event provider pre-correlates data by receiving initial data for the plurality of data fields relating to the defined subset of the plurality of event records, as the initial data becomes available and, based on the received initial data, progressively accumulating additional data relating to the received initial data and relating to the defined process as a single composite event of the defined process having the sequence of steps as a function of the accumulated data, wherein the additional data is not stored in a long-term storage;

wherein the event provider updates the defined subset by modifying the defined subset based on and in response to the accumulated data as the single event at the defined predetermined time interval; and

a notification component for evaluating only the defined subset against the defined condition without evaluating any of the plurality of event records associated with the process which are not part of the defined subset and for further notifying the user when the evaluated subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred, wherein the notification component evaluates the defined subset as the updated data is available.

14. The computer storage media of claim 13 wherein the event provider defines the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

16. The computer storage media of claim 13 wherein the event provider pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

17. The computer storage media of claim 13 wherein the notification component includes a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein the notification component notifies each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.

15. The computer storage media 14 wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the predetermined time interval and wherein event records previously processed are not processed with event records occurring during the predetermined time interval.