Managing resource dependent workflows

• US 9,552,490 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adogla, Eden G., Collins, Jamin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le
• Application Number:
  US14/179,393
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and method for the management of resource dependent workflows are provided. One or more resource control devices monitor usage of a computing resource by server computing devices. Each resource control device may direct a server computing device to proceed with a workflow or to pause processing a workflow. A resource control device may further direct a server computing device to take resource conserving actions. When a computing resource is determined to be available, a resource control device may direct a paused server computing device to resume a workflow.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium including instructions that upon execution by the processor cause the system to;

receive, at a workflow computing device, information defining a workflow stage, wherein implementation of the workflow stage is associated with access to a computing resource;

request, at the workflow computing device, authorization to access the computing resource;

receive, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied; and

in response to the indication that access is denied, at least temporarily pause implementation of the workflow stage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to at least temporarily pause implementation of the workflow stage based at least in part on at least one of implementation at least one responsive action or entrance into a predefined processing state.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one responsive action comprises at least one of a repeated transmission indicating that the processing of the workflow stage has been at least temporarily paused or reduction of resource usage of the system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the predefined processing state corresponds to at least one of pending, parking, or dormant.

5. The system claim 2, wherein the predefined processing state is determined based at least in part on the received indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is granted; and

process the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the computing resource.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a resource control computing device configured with computer-executable instructions to:

Receive the request for authorization to access the computing resource;

determine that an availability of the computing resource is below a threshold level; and

transmit the indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied.

8. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a workflow computing device comprising a processor, cause the workflow computing device to:

receive, at a workflow computing device, information associated with a workflow stage of a computer-implemented workflow, wherein implementing the workflow stage includes access to a computing resource;

request, at the workflow computing device, authorization to access to the computing resource from a resource control computing device associated with the computing resource;

receive, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied; and

in response to the indication that access is denied, at least temporarily pause processing of the workflow stage.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the workflow computing device to:

receive, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is granted; and

process the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the computing resource.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the workflow computing device, subsequent to processing the workflow stage, to receive an instruction to process a next workflow stage.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the workflow computing device to receive the workflow stage in conjunction with a workflow comprising a plurality of workflow stages, the plurality of workflow stages including the received workflow stage.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the workflow computing device to:

identify a second computing resource associated with a second workflow stage of the plurality of workflow stages;

request, at the workflow computing device, authorization to access to the second computing resource;

receive, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the second computing resource is denied; and

at least temporarily pause processing of the second workflow stage.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the workflow computing device, in response to the indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied, to request access to the computing resource from a proxy controller computing device associated with the resource control computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 further comprising second computer executable instructions that, when executed by a resource control computing device, cause the resource control computing device to:

receive the request for authorization to access the computing resource;

determine that an availability of the computing resource is below a threshold level; and

transmit the indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a workflow computing device, information associated with a workflow stage of a computer-implemented workflow, wherein implementation of the workflow stage depends on access to computing resource;

requesting, at the workflow computing device, authorization to access to the computing resource;

receiving, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is denied; and

in response to the indication that access is denied, at least temporarily pausing processing of the workflow stage.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the computing resource is granted; and

processing the workflow stage at least in part by accessing the computing resource.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an instruction to process a second workflow stage associated with access to a second computing resource; and

requesting, at the workflow computing device, authorization to access the second computing resource from a second resource control computing device associated with the second computing resource.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the second computing resource is denied; and

at least temporarily pausing processing of the second workflow stage.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, at the workflow computing device, an indication that authorization to access the second computing resource is granted; and

processing the second workflow stage based at least in part on access to the second computing resource.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising, in response to the indication that authorization to access the at least one computing resource is denied, requesting access to the computing resource from a proxy controller computing device associated with the resource control computing device.