Business process management system, method thereof, process management computer and program thereof

• US 8,250,205 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Atsushi, Toume, Naotsugu, Kawai, Ryo, Ishizawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US12/027,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/224, 718/104
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

A business process management computer, when the load of a service execution computer etc. is increased, determines the condition of a service call step which is calling a service execution unit, etc. of said service execution computer, etc. If said condition is the bottleneck condition, it determines the condition of the service call step in other process which is calling said service execution unit, etc. If there is no condition other than the bottleneck in that condition, the addition of the resource for said service execution computer, etc. is determined and if there is a condition in which the throughput can be limited, it is determined that the throughput should be limited. In a process which is configured with a plurality of service call steps, when the resource insufficiency has occurred, a means to make the adequate addition of the resource possible can be provided.

Claims

1. A business process management system comprising:

a plurality of application servers, each of which comprises a service execution unit which provides a designated service;

a process execution computer comprising a process execution unit which executes a process including service call steps, each of which calls and uses said service execution unit in one of said application servers;

a process management computer which determines a processing condition of said service call step when said process is executed;

a resource management computer which manages allocation and addition of computer resources of said application servers; and

said application servers, said process execution computer, said process management computer, and said resource management computer being connected with each other via a network,

wherein said process management computer comprises;

a storage part which stores a service call step management table which holds at least an execution order of said service steps in each process and a throughput which is an execution number of each service call step in each process,

a service call step manager which;

extracts the throughput and the execution order regarding said service call steps in each process from said service call step management table,

classifies said service call steps in each process into a bottleneck condition, a flowing data amount limitation available condition, or a normal condition according to said extracted throughput and execution order, the bottleneck condition being set to a service call step having an earlier execution order within service call steps having a lowest throughput, the flowing data amount limitation available condition being set to a service call step having an execution order earlier than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and the normal condition being set to a service call step having the execution order later than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and

stores the classified conditions in said service call step management table; and

an operation selector for overload which, on obtaining information which indicates that load of said application server has been increased via said network;

extracts the conditions of the service call steps in each process which calls the service execution unit on the load-increased application server from said service call step management table,

determines whether the extracted conditions include the bottleneck condition or not, and if the extracted conditions include the bottleneck condition, determines whether the extracted conditions in other steps of the process executed in the load-increased application server includes a flowing data amount limitation available condition,

if the extracted conditions do not include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputs a request of adding computer resource of said load-increased application server to said resource management computer, and

if the extracted conditions include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step of the other process to said process execution computer.

2. A business process management system of claim 1, wherein:

said process management computer, when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition, extracts the throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition in the same process as the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition from said service call step management table, and

outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to said extracted throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition to said process execution computer.

3. A business process management system of claim 1, wherein:

said process management computer, when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available conditions outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to a predetermined value to said process execution computer.

4. A business process management system of claim 1, wherein:

said application servers are one or more virtual servers which are executed within one physical server.

5. A business process management method in a business process management system which includes a plurality of application servers each of which comprises a service execution unit which provides a designated service, a process execution computer comprising a process execution unit which executes a process including service call steps, each of which calls and uses said service execution unit in one of said application servers, a process management computer which determines a processing condition of said service call step when said process is executed, a resource management computer which manages allocation and addition of computer resources of said application servers;

and wherein said application servers, said process execution computer, said process management computer, and said resource management computer are connected with each other via a network,

wherein said process management computer performs the steps of;

storing an execution order of said service call steps in each process and a throughput which an execution number of each said service call step per said in each process in a service call step management storage unit;

extracting the throughput and the execution order regarding said service call steps in each process from said service call step management storage unit;

classifying said service call steps in each process into a bottleneck condition, a flowing amount limitation available condition, or a normal condition according to said extracted throughput and execution order, the bottleneck condition being set to a service call step having an earlier execution order within service call steps having a lowest throughput, the flowing data amount limitation available condition being set to a service call step having an execution order earlier than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and the normal condition being set to a service call step having the execution order later than the service call step in the bottleneck condition; and

storing the classified conditions in said service call step management table; and

on obtaining information which indicates that load of said application server has been increased via said network, extracting the conditions of the service call steps in each process which calls the service execution unit of the load-increased application server from said service call step management storage unit determining whether the extracted condition in other steps in the process executed in the load-increased application server includes a flowing data amount limitation available condition, if the extracted conditions do not include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputting a request of adding computer resource of said load-increased application server to said resource management computer, and if the extracted conditions include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputting a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step of the other process to said process execution computer.

7. A business process management method in said business process management system of claim 5, wherein:

said process management computer performs the steps of;

when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available conditions, outputting a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to a predetermined value to said process execution computer.

8. A business process management method in said business process management system of claim 5, wherein:

said application server comprises one or more virtual servers which are executed within one server.

6. A business process management method in a business process management system which includes a plurality of application servers each of which comprises a service execution unit which provides a designated service, a process execution computer comprising a process execution unit which executes a process including service call steps, each of which calls and uses said service execution unit in one of said application servers, a process management computer which determines a processing condition of said service call step when said process is executed, a resource management computer which manages allocation and addition of computer resources of said application servers;

and wherein said application servers, said process execution computer, said process management computer, and said resource management computer are connected with each other via a network,

wherein said process management computer performs the steps of;

storing an execution order of said service call steps in each process and a throughput which an execution number of each said service call step per said in each process in a service call step management storage unit;

extracting the throughput and the execution order regarding said service call steps in each process from said service call step management storage unit;

classifying said service call steps in each process into a bottleneck condition, a flowing amount limitation available condition, or a normal condition according to said extracted throughput and execution order, the bottleneck condition being set to a service call step having an earlier execution order within service call steps having a lowest throughput, the flowing data amount limitation available condition being set to a service call step having an execution order earlier than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and the normal condition being set to a service call step having the execution order later than the service call step in the bottleneck condition; and

storing the classified conditions in said service call step management table; and

on obtaining information which indicates that load of said application server has been increased via said network, extracting the conditions of the service call steps in each process which calls the service execution unit of the load-increased application server from said service call step management storage unit, determining whether the extracted condition in other process executed in the load-increased application server includes a flowing data amount limitation available condition, if the extracted conditions do not include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputting a request of adding computer resource of said load-increased application server to said resource management computer, and if the extracted conditions include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputting a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step of the other process to said process execution computer.

9. A process management computer used in a business process management system which includes a plurality of application servers each of which comprises a service execution unit which provides a designated service, a process execution computer comprising a process execution unit which executes a process including service call steps, each of which calls and uses said service execution unit in one of said application servers, a process management computer which determines a processing condition of said service call step when said process is executed, a resource management computer which manages allocation and addition of computer resources of said application servers;

and wherein said application servers, said process execution computer, said process management computer, and said resource management computer being connected with each other via a network,

said process management computer comprising;

a storage part which stores a service call step management table which holds at least an execution order of said service call steps in each process and a throughput which is an execution number of each service call step in each process;

a service call step manager which extracts the throughput and the execution order regarding said service call steps in each process from said service call step management table, classifies said service call steps in each process into a bottleneck condition, a flowing data amount limitation available condition, or a normal condition according to said extracted throughput and execution order, the bottleneck condition being set to a service call step having an earlier execution order within service call steps having a lowest throughput, the flowing data amount limitation available condition being set to a service call step having an execution order earlier than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and the normal condition being set to a service call step having the execution order later than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and stores the classified conditions in said service call step management table; and

an operation selector for overload which on obtaining information which indicates that load of said application server has been increased via said network, extracts the conditions of the service call steps in each process which calls the service execution unit on the load-increased application server from said service call step management table, and determines whether the extracted conditions includes the bottleneck condition or not, and if the extracted conditions include the bottleneck condition, determines whether the extracted conditions in other steps in the process executed in the load-increased application server include a flowing data amount limitation available condition, if the extracted conditions do not include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputs a request of adding computer resource of said load-increased application server to said resource management computer, and if the extracted conditions include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step of the other process to said process execution computer.

10. A process management computer of claim 9,

when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition, extracts the throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition in the same process as the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition from said service call step management table, and

outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to said extracted throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition to said process execution computer.

11. A process management computer of claim 9,

when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available conditions outputs a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to a predetermined value to said process execution computer.

12. A process management computer of claim 9, wherein said application server are one or more virtual servers which are executed within one server.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of a process management computer used for a business process management system which comprises a plurality of application servers each of which includes a service execution unit which provides a designated service, a process execution computer which includes a process execution unit which executes a process including service call steps, each of which calls and uses said service execution unit in one of said application servers, said process management computer which determines a processing condition of said service call step when said process is executed, a resource management computer which manages allocation and addition of computer resources of said application servers;

and wherein said application servers, said process execution computer, said process management computer, and said resource management computer being connected with each other via a network,

wherein said program causing a computer of said process management computer to execute the following processes;

a process to store an execution order of said service call in each process and a throughput which is an execution number of each service call step in each process in a service call step management storage unit;

a process to extract the throughput and the execution order regarding said service call step steps in each process from said service call step management storage unit;

a process to classify said service call steps in each process into a bottleneck condition, a flowing data amount limitation available condition, or a normal condition according to said extracted throughput and execution order, the bottleneck condition being set to a service call step having an earlier execution order within service call steps having a lowest throughput, the flowing data amount limitation available condition being set to a service call step having an execution order earlier than the service call step in the bottleneck condition, and the normal condition being set to a service call step having the execution order later than the service call step in the bottleneck condition;

a process to store the classified conditions in said service call step management table;

a process to obtain information which indicates that load of said application server has been increased via said network;

a process to extract the conditions of the service call steps in each process which calls the service execution unit of the load-increased application server from said service call step management storage unit, a process to determine whether the extracted conditions include the bottleneck condition or not, a process, a process to determine whether the extracted conditions in other steps in the process executed in the load-increased application include a flowing data amount limitation available condition;

a process to output, if the extracted conditions do not include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, a request of adding computer resource of said load-increased application server to said resource management computer; and

a process to output, if the extracted conditions include the flowing data amount limitation available condition, a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step of the other process to said process execution computer.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of process management computer of claim 13, wherein said program makes said computer of said process management computer execute;

a process, when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition, to extract the throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition in the same process as the service call step in the flowing amount limitation available condition from said service call step management table, and

a process to output a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to said extracted throughput of the service call step in the bottleneck condition to said process execution computer.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of process management computer of claim 13, wherein said program makes said computer of said process management computer execute;

a process, when the other process includes a service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available conditions, outputting a request for limiting the throughput of the service call step in the flowing data amount limitation available condition to a predetermined value to said process execution computer.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of process management computer of claim 13, wherein said application server comprises one or more virtual servers which are executed within one server.