Workflows and presets for workflows

• US 9,116,746 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Shafiee, Mohammad Reza, Kalia, Puneet, Liu, Wei, Gupta, Anurag, Sureka, Ashutosh K., Naggar, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHE, MENG YAO
• Application Number:
  US12/970,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A system generate a workflow identifier, create a workflow that includes a first work unit, assign the workflow identifier to the workflow, update the workflow by adding a second work unit to the workflow, receive a work order to process the workflow, decompose the workflow into constituent work units in response to the work order, instantiate tasks that correspond to the constituent work units, and execute a work unit process for each of the tasks.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more memory units to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to implement, in the one or more memory units;

a workflow manager configured to;

obtain a workflow identifier,

create a workflow that includes a first work unit and a second work unit, wherein the first work unit includes a first description of a first set of operations to be performed on a first video, and the second work unit includes a second description of a second set of operations to be performed on a second video,

assign the workflow identifier to the workflow, and

update the workflow by connecting a first output of the first work unit to a first input of the second work unit, wherein the connection represents providing the second video, generated from performing the first set of operations on the first video, for processing in accordance with the second set of operations;

work order components configured to;

receive a work order associated with the workflow,

decompose the workflow into the first and second work units,

create first and second tasks that correspond to the first set of operations and the second set of operations, respectively; and

create a connector, based on the workflow, that includes memory or space in a database, to store data of a type specified by the first output of the first work unit; and

a command processor configured to execute first and second work processes that correspond to the first and second tasks, respectively,

wherein the execution of the first process stores output data into the connector and the execution of the second process removes the output data from the connector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are to further execute the instructions to implement, in the one or more memory units:

a configuration manager configured to create the first work unit and the second work unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to:

change a state of the workflow from testing to active.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to:

retrieve a list of workflows based on an account identifier provided in a user request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to:

receive a user request to retrieve a set of parameters and corresponding values for the first work unit in the workflow;

retrieve the set of parameters and corresponding values for the first work unit; and

provide the set of parameters and corresponding values to the user via a graphical user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to:

group one or more of the parameters; and

save the grouped one or more parameters as a preset associated with the first work unit of the workflow.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to:

generate an identifier for the preset; and

assign the identifier to the preset.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the workflow manager is further configured to at least one of:

retrieve a list of presets based on a user request;

update a preset for a workflow;

or

change a state of a particular preset.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more databases that include a connector table that includes a list of connections comprising the connection.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more databases further include association tables, the association tables comprising:

a table of associations between connections and work units of workflows, wherein the associations include an association between the connection and the first and second work units.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are to further execute the instructions to implement, in the one or more memory units:

a fast and secure protocol (FASP) server that communicates with a customer device over a virtual private network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are to further execute the instructions to implement, in the one or more memory units:

an application server that includes the workflow manager.

13. A method implemented by one or more processors, comprising:

generating a workflow identifier;

creating a workflow that includes a first work unit that includes a first description of a first set of operations to be performed on a first video;

assigning the workflow identifier to the workflow;

updating the workflow by adding, to the workflow, a second work unit that includes a second description of a second set of operations to be performed on a second video;

updating the workflow by connecting an output of the first work unit to an input of the second work unit, wherein the connection represents providing the second video, generated from performing the first set of operations on the first video, to the second set of operations for further processing;

receiving a work order to process the workflow;

decomposing the workflow into the first and second work units in response to the work order;

instantiating first and second tasks that correspond to the first set of operations and the second set of operations, respectively;

creating a connector, based on the workflow, that includes memory or space in a database, to store data of a type specified by the output of the first work unit; and

executing first and second processes that correspond to the first and second tasks, respectively,

wherein the execution of the first process stores output data into the connector and the execution of the second process removes the output data from the connector.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

creating the first work unit and the second work unit.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing a state of the workflow from new to tested upon completion of testing the workflow.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting one or more of parameters to form a preset; and

saving the preset.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating an identifier for the preset;

creating the preset;

assigning the identifier to the preset; and

using the preset in another workflow.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting one or more presets in a database; and

saving the workflow with the selected presets.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by at least one processor, the instructions causing the at least one processor to:

generate a workflow identifier;

create a workflow that includes a first work unit and a second work unit;

assign the workflow identifier to the workflow;

update the workflow by connecting an output of the first work unit to an input of the second work unit, wherein the first work unit includes a first description of a first set of operations to be performed on a first video, and the second work unit includes a second description of a second set of operations to be performed on a second video, and wherein the connection represents providing the second video, generated from performing the first set of operations on the first video, for processing in accordance with the second set of operations;

receive a work order associated with the workflow;

decompose the workflow into the first and second work units;

create first and second tasks that correspond to the first set of operations and the second set of operations, respectively;

create a connector, based on the workflow, that includes memory or space in a database, to store data of a type specified by the output of the first work unit; and

execute first and second work processes that correspond to the first and second tasks, respectively,

wherein the execution of the first process stores output data into the connector and the execution of the second process removes the output data from the connector.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

communicate with a client device over the fast and secure protocol (FASP).