Flow extension controller

• US 10,044,636 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Shetty, Jagdeep, Lark, John, Dayal, Kshitij, Khandelwal, Pankaj, Chen, Jennifer, Shahane, Dinesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hampton, Tarell A
• Application Number:
  US15/068,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20170264567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for flow control. In one aspect, there is provided a method, wherein the method may include monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application; diverting, by the external flow controller, when the at least one condition is satisfied; handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller; sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application; receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and/or proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes the at least one condition defining when the workflow is allowed to be extended to the second cloud application, wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the extension controller can proceed with the workflow when the second application has not provided the result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes an identifier to uniquely identify the workflow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes a location indicative of where in the workflow the extension controller is allowed to extend the workflow to the second cloud application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes an outbound template defining a source document at the first cloud application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the outbound template defines the formatting and at least one element in the source document that is allowed to be provided to the second cloud application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the outbound template defines a location of the second cloud application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes an inbound template defining a format for the result being returned by the second cloud application to the first cloud application.

8. A method comprising:

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application, wherein the configuration information includes information defining at least one module in the first cloud application that should be executed after the second cloud application returns the result.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program code which when executed causes operations comprising;

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes the at least one condition defining when the workflow is allowed to be extended to the second cloud application, wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the extension controller can proceed with the workflow when the second application has not provided the result;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes an identifier to uniquely identify the workflow.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes a location indicative of where in the workflow the extension controller is allowed to extend the workflow to the second cloud application.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes an outbound template defining a source document at the first cloud application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the outbound template defines the formatting and at least one element in the source document that is allowed to be provided to the second cloud application.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code which when executed by at least one processor causes operations comprising:

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes the at least one condition defining when the workflow is allowed to be extended to the second cloud application, wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the extension controller can proceed with the workflow when the second application has not provided the result.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program code which when executed causes operations comprising;

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application, wherein the configuration information includes information defining at least one module in the first cloud application that should be executed after the second cloud application returns the result.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code which when executed by at least one processor causes operations comprising:

monitoring, by an external flow controller, a workflow at a first cloud application to determine whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application;

diverting, by the external flow controller, the workflow, when the at least one condition is satisfied;

handling, by the external flow controller, a request to divert the workflow to the second cloud application by at least formatting the request in accordance with configuration information at the external flow controller, wherein the external flow controller includes configuration information;

sending, by the external flow controller, the workflow to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the external flow controller, a result to incorporate into the workflow at the first cloud application; and

proceeding with the workflow at the first cloud application, wherein the configuration information includes information defining at least one module in the first cloud application that should be executed after the second cloud application returns the result.