Real-time voting based authorization in an autonomic workflow process using an electronic messaging system

• US 20060021023A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stewart, Eben P., Der Meulen, Michael Van
• GRANTED PATENT: US 7,734,927 B2
• Time in patent office: 0 Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management, e.g. organising, planning, scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources; Enterprise planning; Organisational models financial asset management G06Q40/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation, e.g. computer aided management of electronic mail or groupware electronic mail protocols H04L29/06 ; arrangements for user-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, e.g. e-mail or instant messages, H04L41/00; Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting organizing, planning, scheduling or allocating time G06Q10/06

Abstract

In a network of computer systems having a group of users subscribing to a service comprising restricted channels, a user applies for an action to be performed by an automated software agent. The agent initiates a poll of a predetermined group of subscribers soliciting votes for approving the action. When the poll is complete, the votes are tallied by the agent and compared with predetermined authorization rules. If the votes pass the rules test, the action is approved and performed by a software agent. The user in one embodiment is an automated software agent.

Claims

13. A computer program product for automatically authorizing an action, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by a processing circuit for performing a method comprising the steps of;

receiving at a authorizing agent, a request message for authorizing the action, the request received from a remote first subscriber, the first subscriber in network communication with the authorizing software agent, the request comprising a requested action and first subscriber identifying information, the authorizing agent comprising an automated software agent;

based on the received request message, determining a first group of subscribers to be polled, the first group of subscribers in network communication with the authorizing agent;

creating a polling information message, the polling information message comprising attributes of the requested action;

initiating a polling period by transmitting the polling information message to the first group of subscribers;

then during the polling period, receiving one or more polling responses from one or more subscribers of the first group of subscribers, the polling responses comprising voting information;

then determining that the polling period is complete;

comparing voting information received during the polling period with predetermined authorization rules to determine that authorization is granted; and

a software agent performing the action when it is determined that authorization is granted.

1. A method for automatically authorizing an action, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a authorizing agent, a request message for authorizing the action, the request received from a remote first subscriber, the first subscriber in network communication with the authorizing software agent, the request comprising a requested action and first subscriber identifying information, the authorizing agent comprising an automated software agent;

based on the received request message, determining a first group of subscribers to be polled, the first group of subscribers in network communication with the authorizing agent;

creating a polling information message, the polling information message comprising attributes of the requested action;

initiating a polling period by transmitting the polling information message to the first group of subscribers;

then during the polling period, receiving one or more polling responses from one or more subscribers of the first group of subscribers, the polling responses comprising voting information;

then determining that the polling period is complete;

comparing voting information received during the polling period with predetermined authorization rules to determine that authorization is granted; and

a software agent performing the action when it is determined that authorization is granted.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the subscribers comprises an automated software agent.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the performing the action step comprises any one of:

editing any one of a menu or a GUI;

performing an action on any one of the menu or the GUI;

or

transmitting a response to the request for authorization, the response indicating any one of authorization is granted if the comparing step determines authorization is granted or authorization is denied if the comparing step determines authorization is not granted.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein any one of the transmitting polling information or receiving polling responses comprises sending any one of a publish/subscribe message;

an instant message;

a web page GUI interface or an e-mail.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining polling is complete comprises any one of the expiration of a predetermined time;

responses from a predetermined number of polling responses;

responses from a predetermined group of members, receiving a notification to end the polling, a time of day is passed;

an authorized subscriber causes polling to complete;

a predetermined number of subscriber responses are received or a predetermined group of subscriber responses are received.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein subscribers are subscribers to a pub/sub service.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first group of subscribers are subscribers to a channel.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the polling information message further comprises any one of a requestors identity, instructions on how to vote;

links to instructions or information about the requested action.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined authorization rules comprise any one of individual subscriber voting weight;

number of subscribers responding;

percent of subscribers responding;

individual subscriber veto ability;

subscriber override ability;

subscriber classification or minimum responses required.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the requested action comprises any one of granting subscription to a pub/sub channel;

creating a new pub/sub channel;

initiating a second poll, transmitting an alert message to a subscriber;

initiating a series of polls, each poll having a different action or initiating a poll of a second group of subscribers based on the response of the first group of subscribers.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the subscribers are software agents monitoring respective server facilities of respective servers, the facilities comprising any one of availability, test query of a specified database, performance, resource availability, historical performance or server group affinity wherein the polling information message comprises elements of the monitored facilities, wherein the action comprises load balancing directives to one or more of the respective servers.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the action comprises any one of:

performing a server recovery operation on any server failing to respond to the poll;

performing a database recovery action on any database not available at a respective server;

or

creating and transmitting any one of an alert message, server status information or server history information to a systems administrator indicating a problem.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein one or more of the subscribers comprises an automated software agent.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the performing the action step comprises any one of:

editing any one of a menu or a GUI;

performing an action on any one of the menu or the GUI;

or

transmitting a response to the request for authorization, the response indicating any one of authorization is granted if the comparing step determines authorization is granted or authorization is denied if the comparing step determines authorization is not granted.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein any one of the transmitting polling information or receiving polling responses comprises sending any one of a publish/subscribe message;

an instant message;

a web page GUI interface or an e-mail.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the determining polling is complete comprises any one of the expiration of a predetermined time;

responses from a predetermined number of polling responses;

responses from a predetermined group of members, receiving a notification to end the polling, a time of day is passed;

an authorized subscriber causes polling to complete;

a predetermined number of subscriber responses are received or a predetermined group of subscriber responses are received.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein subscribers are subscribers to a pub/sub service.

19. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the first group of subscribers are subscribers to a channel.

20. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the polling information message further comprises any one of a requestors identity, instructions on how to vote;

links to instructions or information about the requested action.

21. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the predetermined authorization rules comprise any one of individual subscriber voting weight;

number of subscribers responding;

percent of subscribers responding;

individual subscriber veto ability;

subscriber override ability;

subscriber classification or minimum responses required.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21 wherein the requested action comprises any one of granting subscription to a pub/sub channel;

creating a new pub/sub channel;

initiating a second poll, transmitting an alert message to a subscriber;

initiating a series of polls, each poll having a different action or initiating a poll of a second group of subscribers based on the response of the first group of subscribers.

23. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the subscribers are software agents monitoring respective server facilities of respective servers, the facilities comprising any one of availability, test query of a specified database, performance, resource availability, historical performance or server group affinity wherein the polling information message comprises elements of the monitored facilities, wherein the action comprises load balancing directives to one or more of the respective servers.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23 wherein the action comprises any one of:

performing a server recovery operation on any server failing to respond to the poll;

performing a database recovery action on any database not available at a respective server;

or

creating and transmitting any one of an alert message, server status information or server history information to a systems administrator indicating a problem.

25. A system for automatically authorizing an action, the system comprising:

a network;

a first computer system in communication with the network;

a second computer system in communication with the first computer system by way of the network wherein the computer systems includes instructions to execute a method comprising;

receiving at a authorizing agent, a request message for authorizing the action, the request received from a remote first subscriber, the first subscriber in network communication with the authorizing software agent, the request comprising a requested action and first subscriber identifying information, the authorizing agent comprising an automated software agent;

based on the received request message, determining a first group of subscribers to be polled, the first group of subscribers in network communication with the authorizing agent;

creating a polling information message, the polling information message comprising attributes of the requested action;

initiating a polling period by transmitting the polling information message to the first group of subscribers;

then during the polling period, receiving one or more polling responses from one or more subscribers of the first group of subscribers, the polling responses comprising voting information;

then determining that the polling period is complete;

comparing voting information received during the polling period with predetermined authorization rules to determine that authorization is granted; and

a software agent performing the action when it is determined that authorization is granted.

26. The system according to claim 24 wherein the performing the action step comprises any one of:

editing any one of a menu or a GUI;

performing an action on any one of the menu or the GUI;

or

transmitting a response to the request for authorization, the response indicating any one of authorization is granted if the comparing step determines authorization is granted or authorization is denied if the comparing step determines authorization is not granted.

27. The system according to claim 24 wherein any one of the transmitting polling information or receiving polling responses comprises sending any one of a publish/subscribe message;

an instant message;

a web page GUI interface or an e-mail.

28. The system according to claim 24 wherein the determining polling is complete comprises any one of the expiration of a predetermined time;

responses from a predetermined number of polling responses;

responses from a predetermined group of members, receiving a notification to end the polling, a time of day is passed;

an authorized subscriber causes polling to complete;

a predetermined number of subscriber responses are received or a predetermined group of subscriber responses are received.

29. The system according to claim 24 wherein the polling information message is transmitted by way of a pub/sub service.

30. The system according to claim 24 wherein the subscribers are subscribers to a pub/sub service.

31. The system according to claim 24 wherein the polling information message further comprises any one of a requesters identity, instructions on how to vote;

links to instructions or information about the requested action.

32. The system according to claim 24 wherein the predetermined authorization rules comprise any one of individual subscriber voting weight;

number of subscribers responding;

percent of subscribers responding;

individual subscriber veto ability;

subscriber override ability;

subscriber classification or minimum responses required.

33. The system according to claim 32 wherein the requested action comprises any one of granting subscription to a pub/sub channel;

creating a new pub/sub channel;

initiating a second poll, transmitting an alert message to a subscriber;

initiating a series of polls, each poll having a different action or initiating a poll of a second group of subscribers based on the response of the first group of subscribers.

34. The system according to claim 24 wherein the subscribers are software agents monitoring respective server facilities of respective servers, the facilities comprising any one of availability, test query of a specified database, performance, resource availability, historical performance or server group affinity wherein the polling information message comprises elements of the monitored facilities, wherein the action comprises load balancing directives to one or more of the respective servers.

25-1. The system according to claim 24 wherein one or more of the subscribers comprises an automated software agent.

35. A service for automatically executing an authorized software action in response to a request for the software action received from a client wherein the authority for performing the software action is obtained by polling a predetermined group of clients for votes and tallying the votes according to criteria of a predetermined plan, wherein the software action is performed if the votes meet the criteria of the predetermined plan.