Business process debugger with parallel-step debug operation

• US 8,429,622 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nanjundaswamy, Vijay Kyathanahalli
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, HANH THI MINH
• Application Number:
  US12/761,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for enabling a developer to concurrently debug parallel activities in a business process or workflow, or other software process. A production server includes a business process, which includes a parallel activity. The production server is operable to receive a request to debug the business process, present a graphical representation of the business process, receive input which indicates where a breakpoint is to be added to the business process, and insert the breakpoint. When a request to debug the business process is received, the production server instantiates the business process and executes the instance, and pauses execution of the instance when a breakpoint is reached and enters debug mode. It can then receive an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation on the parallel activity, execute a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, and pause execution before executing a next activity and waits for further input.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a developer to concurrently debug parallel activities, comprising:

receiving a request to debug an at least one business process through a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the at least one business process includes a parallel activity;

presenting a graphical representation of the at least one business process;

receiving input which indicates where one or more breakpoints are to be added to the at least one business process;

inserting the one or more breakpoints to the at least one business process and recording the one or more breakpoints in a data structure which links each breakpoint to its associated activity;

instantiating an instance of the at least one business process and executing the instance;

entering debug mode automatically and pausing execution of the instance when a breakpoint is reached;

receiving an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation on the parallel activity;

executing a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, wherein said current activities in compiled format containing machine level instructions; and

pausing execution before executing a next activity, which is determined by a token-based flow control block, wherein availability of a token in a token pool indicates a corresponding activity is ready to be executed next; and

wherein after the production server executes a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, the production server inserts an implicit breakpoint at the next activity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one business process is stored in a database accessible by the computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the GUI presents a list of available business processes and is operable to receive a selection of one or more of the available business processes and display graphical representations of each business process in the selection.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting a plurality of options to perform in debug mode including a single-step operation and a parallel step operation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein after receiving an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation, performing the step of adding entries to a single-step table for each current activity and enabling a single-step flag.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising clearing breakpoints from the current activity in each branch and resuming execution of the instance.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one business process is stored in a database accessible by the computer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the GUI presents a list of available business processes and is operable to receive a selection of one or more of the available business processes and display graphical representations of each business process in the selection.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the production server further presents a plurality of options to perform in debug mode including a single-step operation and a parallel-step operation.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein after the production server receives an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation, the production server adds entries to a single-step table for each current activity and enables a single-step flag.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the production server further clears breakpoints from each current activity and resumes execution of the instance.

7. A system for enabling a developer to concurrently debug parallel activities, comprising:

a computer including a computer readable medium and processor operating thereon;

a production server, executing on the computer, which includes at least one business process having a parallel activity, and

a graphical user interface (GUI), which is accessible to a developer system and presents a graphical representation of the at least one business process;

wherein the production server is operable to

receive input which indicates where one or more breakpoints are to be added to the at least one business process,

insert the one or more breakpoints to the at least one business process, and

record the one or more breakpoints in a data structure which links each breakpoint to its associated activity;

wherein upon receiving a request to debug the at least business process from a client system, the production server

instantiates an instance of the at least one business process and executes the instance,

enters debug mode automatically and pauses execution of the instance when a breakpoint is reached,

receives an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation on the parallel activity,

executes a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, wherein said current activities in compiled format containing machine level instructions, and

pauses execution before executing a next activity, which is determined by a token-based flow control block, wherein availability of a token in a token pool indicates a corresponding activity is ready to be executed next, and

wherein after the production server executes a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, the production server inserts an implicit breakpoint at the next activity.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:

receiving a request to debug an at least one business process through a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the at least one business process includes a parallel activity;

presenting a graphical representation of the at least one business process;

receiving input which indicates where one or more breakpoints are to be added to the at least one business process;

inserting the one or more breakpoints to the at least one business process and recording the one or more breakpoints in a data structure which links each breakpoint to its associated activity;

instantiating an instance of the at least one business process and executing the instance;

entering debug mode automatically and pausing execution of the instance when a breakpoint is reached;

receiving an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation on the parallel activity;

executing a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, wherein said current activities in compiled format containing machine level instructions; and

pausing execution before executing a next activity, which is determined by a token-based flow control block, wherein availability of a token in a token pool indicates a corresponding activity is ready to be executed next; and

wherein after the production server executes a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, the production server inserts an implicit breakpoint at the next activity.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the GUI presents a list of available business processes and is operable to receive a selection of one or more of the available business processes and display graphical representations of each business process in the selection.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 further comprising:

presenting a plurality of options to perform in debug mode including a single-step operation and a parallel step operation.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein after receiving an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation, performing the step of adding entries to a single-step table for a current activity in each branch and enabling a single-step flag.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising clearing breakpoints from the current activity in each branch and resuming execution of the instance.