Managing resource dependent workflows

• US 8,738,775 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adogla, Eden G., Collins, Jamin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US13/332,052
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/220, 705/4, 705/35, 705/8, 726/24
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups

Abstract

Systems and method for the management of resource dependent workflows are provided. One or more resource control devices monitor usage of a computing resource by server computing devices. Each resource control device may direct a server computing device to proceed with a workflow or to pause processing a workflow. A resource control device may further direct a server computing device to take resource conserving actions. When a computing resource is determined to be available, a resource control device may direct a paused server computing device to resume a workflow.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing a resource dependent workflow, the method comprising:

receiving, from a workflow controller computing device, a workflow comprising a plurality of workflow stages, each of the plurality of workflow stages associated with access to at least one computing resource; and

for each of the plurality of workflow stages;

determining the at least one computing resource associated with the workflow stage;

requesting, from a resource control computing device associated with the at least one computing resource, access to the at least one computing resource, wherein the resource control computing device is associated, at least in part, on organizational criteria;

receiving an indication of whether the at least one computing resource should be requested, wherein the transmittal of requests for resources is determined in accordance with an allocation of the implementation of the workflow stage by a plurality of computing devices also associated with the resource computing device in accordance with the organizational criteria;

if an indication is received to request the at least one computing resource, processing the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource; and

if an indication is received not to request the at least one computing resource, implementing a mitigation technique for accessing the computing resource.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the mitigation technique includes delaying the processing of the workflow stage.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein delaying the processing of the workflow stage includes executing at least one responsive action.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the at least one responsive action comprises repeatedly transmitting a signal indicating that the processing of the workflow stage has been delayed.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, implementing the mitigation technique includes entering a defined state.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the defined state is indicated by the resource control computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the defined state is corresponds to at least one of pending, parking, or dormant.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the mitigation technique includes requesting, from a resource control computing device not associated with the at least one computing device the at least one computing resource.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving an indication of whether the at least one computing resource should be requested from the resource control computing device not associated with the at least one computing device, wherein the transmittal of requests for resources is determined in accordance with an allocation of the implementation of the workflow stage by a plurality of computing devices;

if an indication is received to request the at least one computing resource, processing the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource; and

if an indication is received not to request the at least one computing resource, implementing a mitigation technique for accessing the computing resource.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the organizational criteria includes at least one of geographic criteria or logical criteria.

11. A computer-implemented method for managing resource dependent workflows, the method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, a request to access a computing resource associated with at least one workflow stage;

determining whether the computing device should request the computing resource based on an allocation of computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage, the allocation determined, in part, on grouping criteria associated with the computing device;

if it is determined that the computing device should request the computing resource, transmitting to the computing device an indication that access to the computing resource should be requested; and

if it is determined that the computing device should request the computing resource, transmitting to the computing device an indication that access to the computing resource should not be requested and instructions to implement a mitigation technique.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the received request is received via a proxy controller computing device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the computing device should request the computing resource based on an allocation of computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage includes determining a number of distinct computing devices that have requested access to the computing resource.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein transmitting to the computing device an indication that access to the computing resource should be requested may only occur if the number of computing devices accessing the computing resources is below a maximum number of computing devices that may access the computing resource.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 further comprises, subsequent to transmitting to the computing device an indication that access to the computing resource should be requested:

determining an updated level of computing devices accessing the computing resources of the computing resource;

if the determined updated level of availability is above the threshold level, increasing the maximum number of computing devices that may access the computing resource.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein transmitting instructions to implement a mitigation technique includes transmitting instruction to cause the computing device to request, from a resource control computing device not associated with the at least one computing resource, the at least one computing resource.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the grouping criteria includes at least one of geographic criteria or logical criteria.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting to at least one additional resource control computing device information regarding the determination of whether the computing device should request the computing resource based on an allocation of computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage.

19. A system for implementing a resource dependent workflow, the system comprising:

a computing device in communication with a workflow controller device, the computing device configured to;

receive, from the workflow controller computing device, a workflow comprising at least one workflow stage, each of the at least one workflow stages associated with access at least one computing resource; and

for each of the at least one workflow stages;

determine the at least one computing resource associated with the workflow stage;

request, from a resource control computing device associated with the at least one computing resource, access to the at least one computing resource, wherein the resource control computing device is associated with the computing device based, at least in part, on organizational criteria;

receive an indication of whether the at least one computing resource is should be requested, wherein the indication is based on an allocation of computing devices associated with the resource control computing device via the organizational criteria that should implement the workflow stage;

if an indication is received to request the at least one computing resource, process the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the at least one computing resource; and

if an indication is received to request the at least one computing resource, cause implementation of at least one mitigation action.

20. The system of claim 19, the at least on resource controller further configured to, subsequent to processing the workflow stage, receive an instruction to process a next workflow stage.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one mitigation action includes causing transmitting instructions to cause the computing device to request, from a resource control computing device not associated with the at least one computing resource, the at least one computing resource.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the organizational criteria includes at least one of geographic criteria or logical criteria.

23. A system for managing resource dependent workflows, the system comprising:

at least one resource control device associated with at least one computing resource, wherein the at least one resource control device is in communication with a computing device, and wherein the at least one resource control device is configured to;

receive, from the computing device, a request to access the at least one computing resource, wherein the request is received in conjunction with the computing device processing a workflow stage;

determine whether the computing device should request the computing resource based on an allocation of computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage, the allocation determined, in part, on grouping criteria associated with the resource control device and the computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage;

if the determined availability is above a threshold level, grant access to the at least one computing resource to the computing device; and

if the determined availability of the computing resource is below the threshold level, transmit to the computing device instructions to mitigate implementation of the workflow stage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one resource control device is further configured to determine a number of distinct computing devices that are predicted to request access to the computing resource, the prediction of access based on the historical information.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one resource control device is further configured to determine an availability of at least one of bandwidth, processing power, electrical power, non-persistent memory or persistent memory of the computing resource.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one resource control device is further configured to determine a future predicted availability of at least one of bandwidth, processing power, electrical power, non-persistent memory or persistent memory of the computing resource.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions to mitigate implementation of the workflow stage include instructions to cause the computing device to request, from a resource control computing device not associated with the at least one computing resource.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions to mitigate implementation of the workflow stage include instructions to implement at least one responsive action.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one responsive action comprises repeatedly transmitting a signal indicating that the processing of the workflow stage has been delayed.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one responsive action comprises entering into a defined state.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one resource control device is further operable to transmit the determination of whether the computing device should request the computing resource based on an allocation of computing devices implementing the at least one workflow stage to at least one additional resource control device.