SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING EVENT-BASED AUTOMATION IN CLOUD-BASED COLLABORATION PLATFORMS

• US 20150082197A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearl, Annie, Duvall, Matthew Taro, Ebertz, Joy, Valdez, Victor, Cipolla, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,509,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Scalable architectures, systems, and services are provided herein for generating jobs by applying user-specified rules to events in an action log framework (ALF) stream is disclosed. More specifically, collaboration environments can include features or mechanisms that allow end-users or collaborators to perform a variety of actions such as, for example, file uploads and previews, or collaboration operations such as, for example, task assignment and comments. These actions can be captured or logged by an action log framework and, as described herein, automatically translated into one or more jobs by applying customizable user-specified rules.

Claims

1. A method of configuring event-based automation in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a user selection indicating a request to automate an operation in the collaborative cloud-based environment; and

responsive to receiving the selection, providing, by the processor, a graphical interface for electronic display to the user,

wherein the graphical interface indicates multiple fields for population by the user including;

an event field identifying an event that can occur with respect to a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment, and

an action field identifying the action to be automatically executed in collaborative cloud-based environment responsive to the occurrence of the event with respect to the reference object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a user response via the graphical user interface; and

extracting user input from the multiple populated fields of the graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an automation rule for execution in the collaborative cloud-based environment based on the extracted user input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the automation rule comprises a policy.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the automation rules comprises a workflow automation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple fields for population by the user further include an object field identifying a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple fields for population by the user further include a qualifier field identifying qualifying criteria in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the action is executed responsive to occurrence of both the event with respect to the reference object and the qualifying criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the occurrence of the qualifying criteria comprises the qualifying criteria evaluating in the affirmative.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising triggering execution of the action identified in the action field in the collaborative cloud-based environment when the event occurs.

10. A method of claim 9, further comprising tracking the execution of the action in a log file.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the user selection, providing, by the processor, an administrator console graphical interface for electronic display to the user,

wherein the administrator console graphical interface indicates multiple panel selections.

12. A system for configuring event-based automation in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

a processor;

an interface configured to receiving a user selection indicating a request to automate an operation in the collaborative system; and

a memory unit having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor, causes the collaboration system to;

provide a graphical interface for electronic display to the user responsive to receiving the selection, wherein the graphical interface indicates multiple fields for population by the user including;

an event field identifying an event that can occur with respect to a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment, and

an action field identifying the action to be automatically executed in collaborative cloud-based environment responsive to the occurrence of the event with respect to the reference object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface is further configured to receive a user response via the graphical user interface

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to extract user input from the multiple populated fields of the graphical user interface.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to generate an automation rule for execution in the collaborative cloud-based environment based on the extracted user input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the automation rule comprises a policy or a workflow automation.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the multiple fields for population by the user further include an object field identifying a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein multiple fields for population by the user further include a qualifier field identifying qualifying criteria in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the action is executed responsive to occurrence of both the event with respect to the reference object and the qualifying criteria.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the occurrence of the qualifying criteria comprises the qualifying criteria evaluating in the affirmative.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to trigger execution of the action identified in the action field in the collaborative cloud-based environment when the event occurs.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to track the execution of the action in a log file.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the collaboration system to prior to receiving the user selection, provide an administrator console graphical interface for electronic display to the user, wherein the administrator console graphical interface indicates multiple panel selections.

23. A method of configuring event-based automation in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a user selection indicating a request to automate an operation in the collaborative cloud-based environment; and

responsive to receiving the selection, providing, by the processor, a graphical interface for electronic display to the user,

wherein the graphical interface indicates multiple fields for population by the user including;

an event field identifying an event that can occur with respect to a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment,

a qualifier field identifying qualifying criteria in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the action is executed responsive to occurrence of both the event with respect to the reference object and the qualifying criteria, and

an action field identifying the action to be automatically executed in collaborative cloud-based environment responsive to the occurrence of the event with respect to the reference object.

24. A machine-readable storage medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

receive a user selection indicating a request to automate an operation in the collaborative cloud-based environment; and

responsive to receiving the selection, provide a graphical interface for electronic display to the user, wherein the graphical interface indicates multiple fields for population by the user including an event field identifying an event that can occur with respect to a reference object in the collaborative cloud-based environment, and an action field identifying the action to be automatically executed in collaborative cloud-based environment responsive to the occurrence of the event with respect to the reference object.