Determining costs for workflows

• US 9,141,927 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Petri, John E., Rapp, William C., Stevens, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US13/693,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for modeling costs when editing a workflow process model. A request may be received to assign a cost factor to a workflow process step of the workflow process model. Responsive to the request, the cost factor may be assigned to the workflow process step, such that a traversal of the workflow process step by a transaction invoking the workflow process model results in the cost factor being included in a total cost to be charged for executing the transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to provide workflow process models having step-specific cost attributes based on transaction and environment properties, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a tool having a graphical user interface (GUI) and that facilitates editing a workflow process model comprising;

(i) a plurality of workflow process steps and (ii) branching logic comprising a precondition for traversing at least a first workflow process step of the plurality of workflow process steps;

receiving, by the tool, a request to assign a step-specific cost attribute to the first workflow process step, wherein the step-specific cost attribute is a predefined function of a plurality of distinct properties including a transaction property and an environment property; and

assigning the cost factor to the first workflow process step responsive to the request and by operation of one or more computer processors, such that traversal of the first workflow process step by a first transaction invoking the workflow process model results in the step-specific cost attribute being included in a total cost to charge for executing the first transactions;

wherein the workflow process model is aborted mid-execution by a workflow runtime platform in order to comply with a cost threshold specified in a service level agreement, wherein the cost threshold comprises at least one of a step-specific cost threshold and a model-specific cost threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the total cost to charge for executing the first transaction is a function of which specific one or more workflow process steps of the workflow process model are traversed in executing the first transaction.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a second transaction invoking the workflow process model and not traversing the at least one workflow process step does not incur the step-specific cost attribute in a total cost to charge for executing the second transaction.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step-specific cost attribute is stored as part of the workflow process model.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow process model is described in a workflow process modeling language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the workflow process modeling language comprises Business Process Execution Language (BPEL).

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow process model is abortable mid-execution in order to comply with, in respective instances, each of:

(i) the step-specific cost threshold and (ii) the model-specific cost threshold;

wherein a second transaction invoking the workflow process model and not traversing the first workflow process step does not incur the step-specific cost attribute in a total cost to charge for executing the second transaction, wherein the step-specific cost attribute is stored as part of the workflow process model, wherein the workflow process model is described in a workflow process modeling language.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein in a first instance, the workflow process model is aborted mid-execution in order to comply with the step-specific cost threshold, wherein in a second instance, the workflow process model is aborted mid-execution in order to comply with the model-specific cost threshold;

wherein the step-specific cost attribute is a predefined function of a degree of overall utilization of a first resource type in the processing environment at a time that the first transaction traverses the first workflow process step, wherein the step-specific cost attribute is assigned to the first workflow process step such that traversal of the first workflow process step by the first transaction results in the step-specific cost attribute being calculated based on the predefined function and being included in the total cost to charge for executing the first transaction.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the transaction property comprises a resource amount, of the first resource type, that is used by the first transaction invoking the workflow process model, in traversing the first workflow process step;

wherein the environment property comprises the degree of overall utilization of the first resource type in the processing environment at the time that the first transaction traverses the first workflow process step.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the request is received from a requesting entity, wherein the total cost comprises a total cost to charge the requesting entity for executing the first transaction, wherein the step-specific cost attribute of the first workflow process step is positively correlated with both:

(i) the resource amount of the first resource type and (ii) the degree of overall utilization, of the first resource type, in the processing environment.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the provided tool is configured to independently assign a respective step-specific cost attribute that pertains to each individual resource type selected from:

(i) processor utilization in the processing environment;

(ii) memory utilization in the processing environment;

(iii) storage utilization in the processing environment; and

(iv) network utilization in the processing environment.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of workflow process steps of the workflow process model includes:

the first workflow process step, of which the transaction and environment properties of the step-specific cost attribute pertain to processor utilization and do not pertain to any of memory utilization, storage utilization, and network utilization; and

a second workflow process step having a step-specific cost attribute including transaction and environment properties pertaining to memory utilization and not pertaining to any of processor utilization, storage utilization, and network utilization.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of workflow process steps of the workflow process model further includes:

a third workflow process step having a step-specific cost attribute including transaction and environment properties pertaining to storage utilization and not pertaining to any of processor utilization, memory utilization, and network utilization; and

a fourth workflow process step having a step-specific cost attribute including transaction and environment properties pertaining to network utilization and not pertaining to any of processor utilization, memory utilization, and storage utilization.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the step-specific cost attribute of each of the first, second, third, and fourth workflow process steps is positively correlated with both:

(i) the resource amount of the resource type of the respective workflow process step and (ii) the degree of overall utilization, of the resource type of the respective workflow process step, in the processing environment.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the resource amount of the resource type of each of the first, second, third, and fourth workflow process steps is a different resource amount, wherein the workflow process model further includes step-specific branching logic specifying a precondition for traversing the first workflow process step.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the total cost to charge for executing the first transaction is a function of:

(i) which specific one or more workflow process steps of the workflow process model are traversed in executing the first transaction;

(ii) the resource amounts used in the traversed workflow process steps; and

(iii) an overall degree of utilization of the resource type corresponding to the resource amount used, in the processing environment at the time of traversing the workflow process steps.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the workflow process model is adapted for execution by an application separate from the tool, wherein the application configured to abort execution of the first workflow process step to comply with the step-specific cost threshold, wherein the application is further configured to abort execution of the workflow process model to comply with the model-specific cost threshold, wherein the model-specific cost threshold is higher than the step-specific cost threshold, wherein the workflow process modeling language comprises Business Process Execution Language (BPEL).

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of workflow process steps of the workflow process model further includes a fifth workflow process step having a step-specific cost attribute:

(i) that is a predefined function of a transaction property comprising a resource amount, of a fifth resource type, that is used by the first transaction in traversing the fifth workflow process step; and

(ii) that is not a function of an environment property comprising a degree of overall utilization of the fifth resource type in the processing environment at a time that the first transaction traverses the fifth workflow process step.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of workflow process steps of the workflow process model further includes a sixth workflow process step having a step-specific cost attribute:

(i) that is a predefined function of an environment property comprising a degree of overall utilization of a sixth resource type in the processing environment at a time that the first transaction traverses the sixth workflow process step; and

(ii) that is not a function of a transaction property comprising a resource amount, of the sixth resource type, that is used by the first transaction in traversing the sixth workflow process step.

7. A computer-implemented method of cost determination for workflow process models having step-specific cost attributes based on transaction and environment properties, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an indication of;

(i) a subset of workflow process steps of a workflow process model traversed in executing a transaction by a processing environment and (ii) when each workflow process step of the subset is traversed;

wherein the workflow process model is aborted mid-execution by a workflow runtime platform in order to comply with a cost threshold specified in a service level agreement, wherein the cost threshold comprises at least one of a step-specific cost threshold and a model-specific cost threshold, wherein at least a first workflow process step of the subset has an assigned step-specific cost attribute, wherein the step-specific cost attribute is a predefined function of a plurality of distinct properties including a transaction property and an environment property, wherein the step-specific cost threshold is assigned via a tool that facilitates editing the workflow process model, the tool having a graphical user interface (GUI);

receiving data describing resource utilization of the processing environment at the time that the transaction is executed; and

by operation of one or more computer processors, determining a total cost be charge for executing the transaction, based on at least the received indication, the assigned step-specific cost attribute, and the received data.