Flow extension controller

• US 10,523,775 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• 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): Sam, Phirin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hampton, Tarell A
• Application Number:
  US16/028,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20180316774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 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 a controller, a workflow at a first cloud application;

determining, by the controller, whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application; and

extending, by the controller when the at least one condition is satisfied, the workflow to the second cloud application by at least;

formatting, by the controller, a request to divert the workflow in accordance with configuration information at the controller;

sending, by the controller, the request to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the controller and in response to the request, a result from the second cloud application; and

proceeding, at the first cloud application, with the workflow including the received result from the second cloud application, wherein the configuration information includes information defining at least one module in the first cloud application to be executed after the second cloud application returns 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 controller is allowed to extend the workflow to the second cloud application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes the at least one condition defining when the workflow is allowed to be extended to the second cloud application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the first cloud application can proceed with the workflow when the second cloud application has not provided the result.

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

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the outbound template further defines the formatting and at least one element in the source document that is allowed to be provided to the second cloud application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the outbound template further defines a location of the second cloud application.

9. 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.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

monitoring, by a controller, a workflow at a first cloud application;

determining, by the controller, whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application; and

extending, by the controller when the at least one condition is satisfied, the workflow to the second cloud application by at least;

formatting, by the controller, a request to divert the workflow in accordance with configuration information at the controller;

sending, by the controller, the request to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the controller and in response to the request, a result from the second cloud application; and

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

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

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes a location indicative of where in the workflow the controller is allowed to extend the workflow to the second cloud application.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes the at least one condition defining when the workflow is allowed to be extended to the second cloud application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the first cloud application can proceed with the workflow when the second cloud application has not provided the result.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes an outbound template defining a source document at the first cloud application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the outbound template further defines the formatting and at least one element in the source document that is allowed to be provided to the second cloud application.

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

monitoring, by a controller, a workflow at a first cloud application;

determining, by the controller, whether at least one condition is satisfied to extend the workflow to a second cloud application external to the first cloud application; and

extending, by the controller when the at least one condition is satisfied, the workflow to the second cloud application by at least;

formatting, by the controller, a request to divert the workflow in accordance with configuration information at the controller;

sending, by the controller, the request to the second cloud application;

receiving, by the controller and in response to the request, a result from the second cloud application; and

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

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the at least one condition includes a timer defining a time after which the first cloud application can proceed with the workflow when the second cloud application has not provided the result.