Remote automation of manual tasks

• US 8,291,038 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Driesen, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US12/493,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208, 709/217, 707/610, 707/623, 705/301
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure provide for automation of manual tasks executed on an application server. Implementations include generating a manual action request at the application server, the manual action request including at least one parameter, transmitting the manual action request to an administrator computer, determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request exists within a database based on the at least one parameter, providing the automation module to the application server, and executing the automation module on the application server to resolve a task corresponding to the manual action request.

Claims

1. A method of automating manual tasks executed on an application server, comprising:

executing a procedure on the application server, the procedure including a manual task;

generating a manual action request at the application server, wherein;

the manual action request includes at least one parameter,

the manual action request corresponds to the manual task,

the manual action request is associated with a role, the role being operable to filter at least one of automation rules that can be applied to the manual action request and automation modules that can be implemented to resolve the manual task, and

the at least one parameter includes one of a tool type, a file size, and a service request;

transmitting the manual action request from the application server to an administrator computer;

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request exists within a database based on the role and the at least one parameter, the automation module executable to resolve the manual task;

transmitting the automation module to the application server for execution of the automation module on the application server; and

executing the automation module on the application server to resolve the manual task corresponding to the manual action request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the automation rules, the automation rules being stored in a rule database; and

applying, based on the role, the automation rules to the manual action request to extract the at least one parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the automation rules to at least one of an application server type, a tool type corresponding to a tool that is executed on the application server, and a procedure type corresponding to a procedure that is executed on the application server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a procedure by the administrator computer; and

instantiating a tool on the application server, the tool being executable by the application server to execute the procedure.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accessing a procedure definition stored in a procedure database, the procedure definition identifying the tool.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database based on the role and the at least one parameter; and

updating a manual task list to include the manual task when determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the automation module to an intermediate computer-readable storage medium; and

accessing the automation module from the intermediate computer-readable storage medium for execution on the application server.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

executing a procedure on the application server, the procedure including a manual task;

generating a manual action request at the application server, wherein;

the manual action request includes at least one parameter,

the manual action request corresponds to the manual task,

the manual action request is associated with a role, the role being operable to filter at least one of automation rules that can be applied to the manual action request and automation modules that can be implemented to resolve the manual task, and

the at least one parameter includes one of a tool type, a file size, and a service request;

transmitting the manual action request from the application server to an administrator computer;

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request exists within a database based on the role and the at least one parameter, the automation module executable to resolve the manual task;

transmitting the automation module to the application server for execution of the automation module on the application server; and

executing the automation module on the application server to resolve the manual task corresponding to the manual action request.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the automation rules, the automation rules being stored in a rule database; and

applying, based on the role, the automation rules to the manual action request to extract the at least one parameter.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise providing the automation rules to at least one of an application server type, a tool type corresponding to a tool that is executed on the application server, and a procedure type corresponding to a procedure that is executed on the application server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating a procedure by the administrator computer; and

instantiating a tool on the application server, the tool being executable by the application server to execute the procedure.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a procedure definition stored in a procedure database, the procedure definition identifying the tool.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database based on the role and the at least one parameter; and

updating a manual task list to include the manual task when determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the automation module to an intermediate computer-readable storage medium; and

accessing the automation module from the intermediate computer-readable storage medium for execution on the application server.

15. A system for automating manual tasks executed on an application server, comprising:

an administrator computer that communicates with the application server; and

non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

executing a procedure on the application server, the procedure including a manual task;

generating a manual action request at the application server, wherein;

the manual action request includes at least one parameter,

the manual action request corresponds to the manual task,

the manual action request is associated with a role, the role being operable to filter at least one of automation rules that can be applied to the manual action request and automation modules that can be implemented to resolve the manual task, and

the at least one parameter includes one of a tool type, a file size, and a service request;

transmitting the manual action request from the application server to an administrator computer;

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request exists within a database based on the role and the at least one parameter, the automation module executable to resolve the manual task;

transmitting the automation module to the application server for execution of the automation module on the application server; and

executing the automation module on the application server to resolve the manual task corresponding to the manual action request.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the automation rules, the automation rules being stored in a rule database; and

applying, based on the role, the automation rules to the manual action request to extract the at least one parameter.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise providing the automation rules to at least one of an application server type, a tool type corresponding to a tool that is executed on the application server, and a procedure type corresponding to a procedure that can be executed on the application server.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating a procedure by the administrator computer; and

instantiating a tool on the application server, the tool being executable by the application server to execute the procedure.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a procedure definition stored in a procedure database, the procedure definition identifying the tool.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database based on the role and the at least one parameter; and

updating a manual task list to include the manual task when determining that an automation module corresponding to the manual action request does not exist within the database.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the automation module to an intermediate computer-readable storage medium; and

accessing the automation module from the intermediate computer-readable storage medium for execution on the application server.