Executing operations via asynchronous programming model

• US 8,473,954 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Piccazzo, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Camquy
• Application Number:
  US13/082,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A method and a system execute operations, called jobs, via an APM model, in a MES system. The job execution is requested in an application defining an abstract Job class. The abstract Job class includes: an abstract method for job execution, called Execute, wherein a set of jobs to be executed is implemented, at engineering time, within the Execute method, when implementing a set of classes derived from the abstract Job class; a method for executing the job in asynchronous mode, called ExecuteAsync, the ExecuteAsync method runs the Execute method by following APM rules; and a method for executing the job in synchronous mode, called WaitForExecution, the WaitForExecution method runs the ExecuteAsync method waiting for its completion. At run time, by the application, requests the job execution in asynchronous mode by invoking directly the ExecuteAsync method or in synchronous mode by invoking the WaitForExecution method.

Claims

1. A process for executing operations called jobs, via an asynchronous programming model (APM), in a manufacturing execution system (MES), wherein a job execution is requested in an application, which comprises the steps of:

a) defining an abstract Job class, for defining and implementing a behavior of a generic job with its methods and properties, the abstract job class including;

i) an abstract method for job execution called Execute method, wherein a set of jobs to be executed is implemented, at engineering time, within the Execute method, when implementing a set of classes derived from the abstract Job class;

ii) a method for executing the job in asynchronous mode called ExecuteAsync method, wherein the ExecuteAsync method runs the Execute method by following APM rules;

iii) a method for executing the job in synchronous mode called WaitForExecution method, wherein the WaitForExecution method runs the ExecuteAsync method waiting for its completion; and

b) at run time, by the application, requesting the job execution in asynchronous mode by invoking directly the ExecuteAsync method or in synchronous mode by invoking the WaitForExecution method,

when invoking the job execution in the asynchronous mode or in the synchronous mode, a parameter specifying an execution timeout is provided.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), when invoking the job execution, a parameter specifying an execution status is provided.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the parameter specifying the execution status acquires a value selected from the group consisting of:

Undefined,

Waiting Execution,

Started,

CanContinueExecution,

Cancelled,

Failed,

NotExecuted,

Timeout, and

Completed.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the application is a client application requesting the job execution to a server.

5. The process according to claim 1, which further implementing the process via software.

6. A system, comprising:

a processor having means for executing operations called jobs, via an asynchronous programming model (APM), in a manufacturing execution system (MES), wherein a job execution is requested in an application, said means performing the steps of;

a) defining an abstract Job class, for defining and implementing a behavior of a generic job with its methods and properties, the abstract Job class including;

i) an abstract method for job execution called Execute method, wherein a set of jobs to be executed is implemented, at engineering time, within the Execute method, when implementing a set of classes derived from the abstract Job class;

ii) a method for executing the job in an asynchronous mode called ExecuteAsync method, wherein the ExecuteAsync method runs the Execute method by following APM rules;

iii) a method for executing the job in a synchronous mode called WaitForExecution method, wherein the WaitForExecution method runs the ExecuteAsync method waiting for its completion; and

b) at run time, by the application, requesting the job execution in the asynchronous mode by invoking directly the ExecuteAsync method or in the synchronous mode by invoking the WaitForExecution method,

when invoking the job execution in the asynchronous mode or in the synchronous mode, a parameter specifying an execution timeout is provided.