Method and apparatus for using unspecialized software micro-containers for building complex dynamic business processes

• US 9,047,157 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Boussarov, Miroslav Svetoslavov
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Cheneca
• Application Number:
  US13/360,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates using unspecialized software micro-containers to build complex dynamic business processes. During operation, the system receives a command to execute a business logic at a computer system. In response to the command, the system initializes an unspecialized software micro-container from a pool of unspecialized software micro-containers. Next, the system retrieves the business logic from a business logic repository. The system then loads the business logic into the unspecialized software micro-container. Finally, the system executes the business logic in the unspecialized software micro-container. Note that the requestor publishes the desired business process in the repository, and the system, represented by the unspecialized containers, self-organizes to execute the job without additional management.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using unspecialized software micro-containers to build complex dynamic business processes, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, a command to execute a business logic;

in response to the command, initializing an unspecialized software micro container from a pool of unspecialized software micro-containers, wherein an unspecialized software micro-container has the ability to interpret and execute business logic and perform a business function, and the ability to proactively search for and interpret specializing configuration and business logic;

retrieving the business logic from a business logic repository;

loading the business logic into the unspecialized software micro-container;

executing the business logic in the unspecialized software micro-container;

unloading the business logic; and

returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the business logic from the business logic repository involves retrieving the business logic from a predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the operations of unloading the business logic and returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers are performed when a pre-determined criterion is met.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the operations of unloading the business logic and returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers are performed at a pre-determined time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command to execute the business logic involves receiving the command from a user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command to execute the business logic involves receiving the command from a computer-implemented controller.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein receiving the command from the computer-implemented controller involves receiving the command when a pre-determined criterion is met.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein receiving the command from the computer-implemented controller involves receiving the command at a pre-determined time.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unspecialized software micro-container is an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) container.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unspecialized software micro-container is a scripting language container.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for using unspecialized software micro-containers to build complex dynamic business processes, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, a command to execute a business logic;

in response to the command, initializing an unspecialized software micro-container from a pool of unspecialized software micro-containers, wherein an unspecialized software micro-container has the ability to interpret and execute business logic and perform a business function; and

the ability to proactively search for and interpret specializing configuration and business logic;

retrieving the business logic from a business logic repository;

loading the business logic into the unspecialized software micro-container;

executing the business logic in the unspecialized software micro-container;

unloading the business logic; and

returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein retrieving the business logic from the business logic repository involves retrieving the business logic from a predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations of unloading the business logic and returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers are performed when a pre-determined criterion is met.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations of unloading the business logic and returning the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers are performed at a pre-determined time.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the command to execute the business logic involves receiving the command from a user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the command to execute the business logic involves receiving the command from a computer-implemented controller.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the command from the computer-implemented controller involves receiving the command when a pre-determined criterion is met.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the command from the computer-implemented controller involves receiving the command at a pre-determined time.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the unspecialized software micro-container is an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) container.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the unspecialized software micro-container is a scripting language container.

21. An apparatus configured to use

unspecialized software micro-containers to build complex dynamic business processes, comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive a command to execute a business logic;

an initialization mechanism configured to initialize an unspecialized software micro-container from a pool of unspecialized software micro-containers in response to the command, unload the business logic and return the unspecialized software micro-container to the pool of unspecialized software micro-containers, wherein an unspecialized software micro-container has the ability to interpret and execute business logic and perform a business function; and

the ability to proactively search for and interpret specializing configuration and business logic;

a retrieval mechanism configured to retrieve the business logic from a business logic repository;

a loading mechanism configured to load the business logic into the unspecialized software micro-container; and

an execution mechanism configured to execute the business logic in the unspecialized software micro-container.