Methods and systems for business interaction monitoring for networked business process

• US 9,240,965 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Kieselbach, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US12/873,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for monitoring interactions of business processes within networked business processes. One method comprises identifying a networked business process, the networked business process comprising a set of interrelated business processes performed by two or more second network participants. A first message from a first network participant associated with the networked business process is received, where the first message includes information defining an event associated with a first business process performed by the first network participant. At least a second network participant associated with the information defining the event included in the first message is identified. The identified at least second network participant is then notified of the information defining the event included in the first message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring interactions of business processes within networked business processes, the method comprising:

identifying a networked business process, the networked business process comprising a plurality of interrelated business processes, the interrelated business processes each performed by at least one of a plurality of network participant servers;

receiving a first message from a first network participant server associated with the networked business process, the first message including result information identifying a first business process of the plurality of interrelated business processes performed by the first network participant server, where the first business process;

identifying a network process context associated with the networked business process, the network process context maintaining data objects associated with the performance of the network business process while restricting access of different individual data objects to respective different participants of the plurality of network participants, the data objects storing information associated with the results of the processing of each of the plurality of interrelated business processes;

in response to receiving the first message;

determining one or more second business processes of the interrelated business processes to be initiated in response to the first business process having been performed;

determining a plurality of second network participant servers to perform the one or more second business processes to be initiated, the plurality of second network participant servers being different from the first network participant;

providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers; and

providing access to a data object of the identified network process context associated with results of the processing of the first business process to the determined plurality of second network participant servers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the interrelated business processes are modeled using business process notation modeling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers comprises:

providing notifications to the plurality of network participant servers that the first message has been received; and

receiving a request for the first message from the plurality of second network participant servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers comprises:

maintaining a parameter associated with receiving a message from a network participant server;

modifying the parameter upon receiving the first message;

notifying the plurality of second network participant servers of a modification to the parameter in response to receiving a polling message from the determined plurality of second network participant servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is in a first messaging protocol and wherein the first messaging protocol comprises at least one of Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMFP) or email.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second message is in a second messaging protocol, wherein the first messaging protocol is the same as the second messaging protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the determined plurality of second network participant servers associated with the information included in the first message comprises identifying a subset of network participant servers within the plurality of network participant servers associated with the information included in the first message, and providing the first message including the information to the subset of network participant servers by:

generating a second message responsive to the first message, the second message including a set of information defined in response to the information included in the first message; and

transmitting the second message to the identified subset of network participant servers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least one performance metric associated with the first business process within the networked business process; and

calculating a value for the at least one performance metric associated with the first business process based on the information included in the first message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a quality of services provided by the first network participant server by:

identifying an expected time for receiving the first message, wherein the expected time is a metric representing the quality of services provided by the first network participant;

comparing the expected time with the actual time of receiving the first message; and

determining the quality of services provided by the first network participant based on a result of the comparing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more business processes to be initiated in response to the first business process having been performed comprises determining a plurality of business processes to be initiated concurrently in response to the first business process having been performed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network participant server is unaffiliated with at least one of the determined plurality of second network participant servers.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising allowing the identified subset of network participant servers to access the second message.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing information collected during execution of the networked business process; and

selectively providing access to the stored information to the plurality of network participant servers based on access rights associated with the plurality of network participant servers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein storing the information collected during execution of the networked business process comprises storing structured and unstructured data associated with the networked business process in a plurality of data objects, and wherein selectively providing access to the stored information to the plurality of network participant servers based on access rights associated with the plurality of network participant servers comprises:

determining that the first network participant has access rights to access the structured and unstructured data; and

granting the first network participant access to the structured and unstructured data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the first network participant server has access rights to access the structured and unstructured data comprises determining that the first network participant server has read-only rights to access the structured and unstructured data, and wherein granting the first network participant access to the structured and unstructured data comprises granting read-only access to the structured and unstructured data.

16. An article comprising a non-transitory, machine-readable storage device storing instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying a networked business process, the networked business process comprising a plurality of interrelated business processes, the interrelated business processes each performed by at least one of a plurality of network participant servers;

receiving a first message from a first network participant server associated with the networked business process, the first message including result information identifying a first business process of the plurality of interrelated business processes performed by the first network participant server, where the first business process;

identifying a network process context associated with the networked business process, the network process context maintaining data objects associated with the performance of the network business process while restricting access of different individual data objects to respective different participants of the plurality of network participants, the data objects storing information associated with the results of the processing of each of the plurality of interrelated business processes;

in response to receiving the first message;

determining one or more second business processes of the plurality of interrelated business processes to be initiated in response to the first business process having been performed;

determining a plurality of second network participant servers to perform the one or more second business processes to be initiated, the plurality of second network participant servers being different from the first network participant;

providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers; and

providing access to a data object of the identified network process context associated with results of the processing of the first business process to the determined plurality of second network participant servers.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein each of the interrelated business processes are modeled using business process notation modeling.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers comprises:

providing notifications to the plurality of network participant servers that the first message has been received; and

receiving a request for the first message from the plurality of second network participant servers.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers comprises:

maintaining a parameter associated with receiving a message from a network participant server;

modifying the parameter upon receiving the first message;

notifying the plurality of second network participant servers of a modification to the parameter in response to receiving a polling message from the determined plurality of second network participant servers.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the first message is in a first messaging protocol and wherein the first messaging protocol comprises at least one of Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) or email.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the second message is in a second messaging protocol, wherein the first messaging protocol is the same as the second messaging protocol.

22. The article of claim 16, wherein identifying the determined plurality of second network participant servers associated with the information included in the first message comprises identifying a subset of network participant servers within the plurality of network participant servers associated with the information included in the first message, and providing the first message including the information to the subset of network participant servers by:

generating a second message responsive to the first message, the second message including a set of information defined in response to the information included in the first message; and

transmitting the second message to the identified subset of network participant servers.

23. The article of claim 16, the instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:

identifying at least one performance metric associated with the first business process within the networked business process; and

calculating a value for the at least one performance metric associated with the first business process based on the information included in the first message.

24. The article of claim 16, the instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations further determining a quality of services provided by the first network participant by:

identifying an expected time for receiving the first message, wherein the expected time is a metric representing the quality of services provided by the first network participant;

comparing the expected time with the actual time of receiving the first message; and

determining the quality of services provided by the first network participant based on a result of the comparing.

25. The article of claim 16, wherein determining one or more business processes to be initiated in response to the first business process having been performed comprises determining a plurality of business processes to be initiated concurrently in response to the first business process having been performed.

26. The article of claim 16, wherein the first network participant server is unaffiliated with at least one of the plurality of second network participant servers.

27. The article of claim 22, the operations further comprising allowing the identified subset of network participant servers to access the second message.

28. The article of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

storing information collected during execution of the networked business process; and

selectively providing access to the stored information to the plurality of network participant servers based on access rights associated with the plurality of network participant servers.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein storing the information collected during execution of the networked business process comprises storing structured and unstructured data associated with the networked business process in a plurality of data objects, and wherein selectively providing access to the stored information to the plurality of network participant servers based on access rights associated with the plurality of network participant servers comprises:

determining that the first network participant has access rights to access the structured and unstructured data; and

granting the first network participant server access to the structured and unstructured data.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein determining that the first network participant server has access rights to access the structured and unstructured data comprises determining that the first network participant server has read-only rights to access the structured and unstructured data, and wherein granting the first network participant access to the structured and unstructured data comprises granting read-only access to the structured and unstructured data.

31. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

identifying a networked business process, the networked business process comprising a plurality of interrelated business processes, the interrelated business processes each performed by at least one of a plurality of network participant servers;

receiving a first message from a first network participant server associated with the networked business process, the first message including result information identifying a first business process of the plurality of interrelated business processes performed by the first network participant server, where the first business process;

identifying a network process context associated with the networked business process, the network process context maintaining data objects associated with the performance of the network business process while restricting access of different individual data objects to respective different participants of the plurality of network participants, the data objects storing information associated with the results of the processing of each of the plurality of interrelated business processes;

in response to receiving the first message;

determining one or more second business processes of the plurality of interrelated business processes to be initiated in response to the first business process having been performed;

determining a plurality of second network participant servers to perform the one or more second business processes to be initiated, the plurality of second network participant servers being different from the first network participant;

providing the first message including the information to the determined plurality of second network participant servers; and

providing access to a data object of the identified network process context associated with results of the processing of the first business process to the determined plurality of second network participant servers.