System and method for flexible chaining of distinct workflow task instances in a business process execution language workflow
First Claim
1. A method for chaining tasks in a process execution environment, said method comprising:
- providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for defining one or more business process execution language (BPEL) process definitions each including a set of tasks;
persisting the one or more BPEL process definitions in a repository;
deploying a BPEL process defined by one of the one or more BPEL process definitions to a BPEL process manager operating on one or more microprocessors, the BPEL process manager including a BPEL process engine;
instantiating, using the BPEL process engine, a first process instance and a second process instance based on said BPEL process, wherein the BPEL process engine orchestrates and invokes functionality of applications, systems and Web services based on the BPEL process;
wherein the first process instance includes a first task and a first state object generated within the repository for the first task;
wherein the second process instance includes a second task and a second state object generated within the repository for the second task, wherein the second task is associated with context data which includes data relating to performance of the second task including one or more of task history and attachments which are not available from the first process instance;
chaining the first task of the first process instance to the second task of the second process instance, by creating in the first state object associated with the first task a reference to the second state object associated with the second task;
querying context data associated with the first task in the repository; and
in response to querying context data associated with the first task, receiving context data for the first task from the first state object in the repository and, by using the reference in the first state object, automatically receiving the context data for the second task from the second state object in the repository, wherein the context data for the second task includes said data relating to performance of the second task including said one or more of the task history and attachments.
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described for providing task chaining as part of modeling a business process (e.g. a BPEL process). Chained tasks maintain a reference to the previous task and during retrieval of that task, the system can append relevant information, including but not limited to task history, attachments and comments of the previous task. Task chaining can be enabled by selecting a previously completed task and marking that the current task chains the selected task. In one embodiment, tasks are chained across multiple instances of a process. Accordingly, tasks in different processes can be chained together to obtain access to the same context information and other data.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for chaining tasks in a process execution environment, said method comprising:
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providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for defining one or more business process execution language (BPEL) process definitions each including a set of tasks; persisting the one or more BPEL process definitions in a repository; deploying a BPEL process defined by one of the one or more BPEL process definitions to a BPEL process manager operating on one or more microprocessors, the BPEL process manager including a BPEL process engine; instantiating, using the BPEL process engine, a first process instance and a second process instance based on said BPEL process, wherein the BPEL process engine orchestrates and invokes functionality of applications, systems and Web services based on the BPEL process; wherein the first process instance includes a first task and a first state object generated within the repository for the first task; wherein the second process instance includes a second task and a second state object generated within the repository for the second task, wherein the second task is associated with context data which includes data relating to performance of the second task including one or more of task history and attachments which are not available from the first process instance; chaining the first task of the first process instance to the second task of the second process instance, by creating in the first state object associated with the first task a reference to the second state object associated with the second task; querying context data associated with the first task in the repository; and in response to querying context data associated with the first task, receiving context data for the first task from the first state object in the repository and, by using the reference in the first state object, automatically receiving the context data for the second task from the second state object in the repository, wherein the context data for the second task includes said data relating to performance of the second task including said one or more of the task history and attachments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for chaining tasks in a process execution environment, said system comprising:
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a process designer interface used to define one or more business process execution language (BPEL) process definitions each including a set of tasks; a repository that persists the one or more BPEL process definitions; a BPEL process manager operating on one or more microprocessors, the BPEL process manager including a BPEL process engine, wherein in response to deployment of a BPEL process defined by one of the one or more BPEL processes definitions the process engine instantiates a first process instance and a second process instance based on said BPEL process, wherein the BPEL process engine orchestrates and invokes functionality of applications, systems and Web services based on the BPEL processes; wherein the first process instance includes a first task and a first state object generated within the repository for the first task; wherein the second process instance includes a second task and a second state object generated within the repository for the second task, wherein the second task is associated with context data which includes data relating to performance of the second task including one or more of task history and attachments which are not available from the first process instance; a reference from the first state object associated with the first task to the second state object associated with the second task created in response to chaining of the first task to the second task; and a query mechanism that queries context data associated with the first task, wherein in response to querying context data associated with the first task and stored in the first state object in the repository, the query mechanism retrieves context data for the first task from the first state object in the repository and, by using the reference in the first state object, automatically retrieves said context data associated with the second task from the second state object in the repository, wherein the context data for the second task includes said data relating to performance of the second task including said one or more of the task history and attachments. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for chaining tasks in a process execution environment, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
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providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for defining one or more business process execution language (BPEL) process definitions each including a set of tasks; persisting the one or more BPEL process definitions in a repository; deploying a BPEL process defined by one of the one or more BPEL process definitions to a BPEL process manager operating on one or more microprocessors, the BPEL process manager including a BPEL process engine; instantiating, using the BPEL process engine, a first process instance and a second process instance based on said BPEL process, wherein the BPEL process engine orchestrates and invoke functionality of applications, systems and Web services based on the BPEL process; wherein the first process instance includes a first task and a first state object generated within the repository for the first task; wherein the second process instance includes a second task and a second state object generated within the repository for the second task, wherein the second task is associated with context data which includes data relating to performance of the second task including one or more of task history and attachments which are not available from the first process instance; chaining the first task of the first process instance to the second task of the second process by creating, in the first state object associated with the first task a reference to second state object associated with the second task; querying context data associated with the first task and stored in the first state object in the repository; and in response to querying context data associated with the first task, receiving context data for the first task from the first state object in the repository, and by using the reference in the first state object, automatically receiving said context data associated with the second task from the second state object in the repository, wherein the context data for the second task includes said data relating to performance of the second task including said one or more of the task history and attachments. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification