Method, system, and program for generating a program capable of invoking a flow of operations

• US 8,914,807 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Crisan, Valer-Alin, Saracco, Cynthia Maro, Wolfson, Charles Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US10/407,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,275 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/320, 719/311, 719/313, 719/318, 719/328, 719/330, 719/331, 719/315, 709/203, 718/1, 718/101, 718/106, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for generating a program capable of invoking a flow of operations, wherein the program is capable of being initiated from an external call. A definition file defining a flow of operations and mapping information defining input parameters to the flow of operations are received. The received definition file and mapping information are processed to generate program statements within the program that when executed perform: setting input parameters to the flow of operations to values received from an external call to the program; invoking the flow of operations with the input parameters including values from the external call; and receiving output from the flow of operations and extracting at least one value from the received output to return to the external call.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a program that interacts in a computing environment including a workflow engine and an external database program, wherein the workflow engine implements a workflow of operations, wherein the workflow uses a runtime database to provide status and setup information for workflow process execution, and wherein the external database program performs operations with respect to an external database that is separate from the runtime database used by the workflow, comprising:

receiving, by the computer, as input a definition file defining the workflow of operations;

receiving, at the computer, as input mapping information defining input parameters to the workflow of operations;

processing, by the computer, the received definition file and mapping information to generate program statements within the program that when executed perform;

setting input parameters to the workflow of operations to values received from an external call to the program by the database program;

invoking the workflow of operations with the input parameters including values from the external call from the database program by transmitting a call to the workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine and the external database program are external to the program in the computing environment;

receiving output from the workflow of operations in response to the call to the workflow engine; and

extracting at least one value from the received output to return to the database program that made the external call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow of operations comprises Web services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping information indicates methods used to set and retrieve input parameters to the workflow and information on output returned from the workflow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the program statements to set the input parameters include the methods indicated in the mapping information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the mapping information indicates a name of the workflow to invoke, and wherein the program statements to invoke the workflow of operations comprises a call to the name of the workflow indicated in the mapping information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the mapping information indicates return values from the workflow, and wherein the program statements to extract output from the received output includes program statements to extract return values indicated in the mapping information to return to the external call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the program including the generated statements comprises a User Defined Function (UDF) and wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping information includes information to map values received from the database program of a database data type to the input parameters to the workflow of operations in a workflow data type used by the workflow of operations, and to map values in the workflow data type received from the workflow of operations to the database data type to return to the database program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one object oriented program class is required to call the program, further comprising:

generating a configuration script in response to processing the received definition file and mapping information to register the at least one required program class to enable the database program to make the external call to invoke the workflow of operations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow and runtime database are included in a workflow engine, and wherein the definition file comprises the file used to generate a process template implemented in the runtime database in the workflow engine, wherein the process template includes a plurality of workflow tasks.

11. A computer method implemented in a program for invoking a workflow of operations in a workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine utilizes a runtime database for workflow process execution, comprising:

receiving, by the computer executing the program, an external call, from a database program performing operations with respect to a database, to invoke the workflow, wherein the database program and the database are external to the workflow engine and the runtime database used by the workflow engine, and wherein the program is external to the workflow engine and the database program in a computing environment;

invoking, by the computer executing the program, the workflow in response to the external call, by transmitting a workflow call to the workflow engine, wherein the runtime database provides status and setup information for workflow operations;

receiving, by the computer executing the program, output from the workflow in response to the workflow call; and

returning, by the computer executing the program, output from the workflow to the database program.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the database program initiating the external call to invoke the workflow comprises at least one of a Structured Query Language (SQL) program or a database trigger initiating the external call in response to a database event.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the received external call includes input parameters, wherein the workflow call to invoke the workflow includes workflow parameters including input parameters included with the external call.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

mapping the input parameters included with the external call to workflow input parameters included with the workflow call invoking the workflow.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations of receiving the external call, invoking the workflow with the workflow call, receiving the output, and returning the output are performed by a User Defined Function (UDF), wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.

16. A system for generating a program that interacts in a computing environment with an external database program and a workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine implements a workflow of operations, wherein the workflow uses a runtime database to provide status and setup information for workflow process execution, and wherein the external database program performs operations with respect to an external database that is separate from the runtime database used by the workflow, comprising:

a processor complex; and

a storage including a function generator program executed by the processor complex to cause operations, the operations comprising;

receiving as input a definition file defining the workflow of operations;

receiving as input mapping information defining input parameters to the workflow of operations;

processing the received definition file and mapping information to generate program statements within the program that when executed perform;

setting input parameters to the workflow of operations to values received from an external call to the program by the database program;

invoking the workflow of operations with the input parameters including values from the external call from the database program by transmitting a call to the workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine and the external database program are external to the program in the computing environment; and

receiving output from the workflow of operations in response to the call to the workflow engine; and

extracting at least one value from the received output to return to the database program that made the external call.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mapping information indicates methods used to set and retrieve input parameters to the workflow and information on output returned from the workflow.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program statements to set the input parameters include the methods indicated in the mapping information.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the mapping information indicates a name of the workflow to invoke, and wherein the program statements to invoke the workflow of operations comprises a call to the name of the workflow indicated in the mapping information.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the mapping information indicates return values from the workflow, and wherein the program statements to extract output from the received output includes program statements to extract return values indicated in the mapping information to return to the external call.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the program including the generated statements comprises a User Defined Function (UDF) and wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the mapping information includes information to map values received from the database program of a database data type to the input parameters to the workflow of operations in a workflow data type used by the workflow of operations, and to map values in the workflow data type received from the workflow of operations to the database data type to return to the database program.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow and runtime database are included in a workflow engine, and wherein the definition file comprises the file used to generate a process template implemented in the runtime database in the workflow engine, wherein the process template includes a plurality of workflow tasks.

24. A system that interacts in a computing environment including a workflow engine and an external database program, wherein the workflow engine utilizes a runtime database for workflow process execution, and wherein the runtime database provides information on workflow operations of a workflow including status and setup information for workflow process execution, and wherein the external database program performs operations with respect to an external database that is separate from the runtime database used by the workflow, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium including a program external to the workflow engine and the external database in the computing environment, wherein the program is executed by the processor to perform;

receiving an external call, from the database program to invoke the workflow, wherein the database program and the database are external to the workflow engine and the runtime database used by the workflow engine;

invoking the workflow in response to the external call, by transmitting a workflow call to the workflow engine;

receiving output from the workflow in response to the workflow call; and

returning output from the workflow to the database program.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the database program initiating the workflow call to invoke the workflow comprises at least one of a Structured Query Language (SQL) program or a database trigger initiating the external call in response to a database event.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the received external call includes input parameters, wherein the workflow is invoked with workflow parameters including input parameters included with the external call.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the operations of receiving the external call, invoking the workflow with the workflow call, receiving the output, and returning the output are performed by a User Defined Function (UDF), wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium including code executed to generate a program that interacts in a computing environment including a workflow engine and an external database program, wherein the workflow engine implements a workflow of operations, wherein the workflow uses a runtime database to provide status and setup information for workflow process execution, and wherein the external database program performs operations with respect to an external database that is separate from the runtime database used by the workflow, wherein the code is executed to cause operations, the operations comprising:

receiving as input a definition file defining the workflow of operations;

receiving as input mapping information defining input parameters to the workflow of operations;

processing the received definition file and mapping information to generate program statements within the program that when executed perform;

setting input parameters to the workflow of operations to values received from an external call to the program by the database program;

invoking the workflow of operations with the input parameters including values from the external call from the database program by transmitting a call to the workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine and the external database program are external to the program in the computing environment;

receiving output from the workflow of operations in response to the call to the workflow engine; and

extracting at least one value from the received output to return to the database program that made the external call.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the mapping information indicates methods used to set and retrieve input parameters to the workflow and information on output returned from the workflow.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the program statements to set the input parameters include the methods indicated in the mapping information.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the mapping information indicates a name of the workflow to invoke, and wherein the program statements to invoke the workflow of operations comprises a call to the name of the workflow indicated in the mapping information.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 29 wherein the mapping information indicates return values from the workflow, and wherein the program statements to extract output from the received output includes program statements to extract return values indicated in the mapping information to return to the external call.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the program including the generated statements comprises a User Defined Function (UDF) and wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the mapping information includes information to map values received from the database program of a database data type to the input parameters to the workflow of operations in a workflow data type used by the workflow of operations, and to map values in the workflow data type received from the workflow of operations to the database data type to return to the database program.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the workflow and runtime database are included in a workflow engine, and wherein the definition file comprises the file used to generate a process template implemented in the runtime database in the workflow engine, wherein the process template includes a plurality of workflow tasks.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the input mapping information includes a flow section indicating a workflow function and whether the workflow function is scalar, a table or executes the flow asynchronously and returns indicating values to be returned by the invoked workflow function.

37. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium including a program that is executed to interact in a computing environment including a workflow engine and an external database program, wherein the workflow engine implements a workflow of operations, wherein the workflow engine uses a runtime database to provide status and setup information for workflow process execution, and wherein the external database program performs operations with respect to a database, wherein the program is further executed to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an external call, from the external database program to invoke the workflow, wherein the external database program and the database are external to the workflow engine and the runtime database used by the workflow engine, wherein the program is external to the workflow engine and the external database in the computing environment;

invoking the workflow in response to the external call by transmitting a workflow call to the workflow engine;

receiving output from the workflow in response to the workflow call; and

returning output from the workflow to the database program.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the database program initiating the external call to invoke the workflow comprises at least one of a Structured Query Language (SQL) program or a database trigger initiating the external call in response to a database event.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the received external call includes input parameters, wherein the workflow call to invoke the workflow includes workflow parameters including input parameters included with the external call.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the operations of receiving the external call, invoking the workflow with the workflow call, receiving the output, and returning the output are performed by a User Defined Function (UDF), wherein the database program includes Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, wherein the UDF is invoked within the SQL statements, and wherein the IDF translates the input parameters passed by the SQL program to the UDF to an input format of the workflow operations.