Schedule based execution with extensible continuation based actions

• US 9,942,179 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wolf, Kenneth David, Roberts, Clark, Welicki, Leon Ezequiel, Romanenko, Andrei, Gillum, Christopher Lloyd, Lam, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US15/070,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

Generally in a computing environment, executing work based on time (i.e. according to a predetermined schedule) is a common need. However, in cloud based systems, scheduled work may be expensive to customers as generally customers rent system resources. Thus, having a processor dedicated to performing actions that have been pre-scheduled can be expensive. This application describes using a continuation-based runtime for scheduling time-bound and/or periodic work in a distributed (i.e. cloud) system. A system architecture and computer-implemented method are described that deploy an environment-independent action to a remote-based system (such as a cloud computing system, for example). The action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-cpu intensive orchestrations of network calls. A schedule is defined for the action, and the action is then called in a processor-independent fashion (for example, by using a continuation based runtime) such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor on which the action is being executed.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling a scheduled and optionally periodic action in a remote based system, the method comprising:

deploying an environment independent action to a remote based system, wherein the action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-CPU intensive orchestrations of network calls;

defining a schedule for the action to be executed; and

calling the action at the remote based system based on the schedule in a processor independent fashion such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor that the action is being executed on.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the orchestrations of network calls include of one or more of document requests, sending SMS text messages, posting to a bulletin board, sending email, posting social media updates or simple administrative actions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the orchestrations of network calls comprises one or more calls that are secured by external tokens allowing the calls to be made with the authority of the action creator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that one or more of the network calls was unable to be successfully executed, and as a result, the state of the action can be used by a different processor to resume or repeat processing of the action.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a history of the state.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a view of the history of the state to an end user.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising using the history of the state to create a report.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calling the action at the remote based system is based both on the schedule and a set of rules.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the schedule after it has been defined.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising suspending the scheduled action.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising resuming the suspended scheduled action.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising cancelling the scheduled action.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the action should no longer be performed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is a composite action comprising a set of actions.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the action after it has been defined.

16. A system for scheduling a scheduled and optionally periodic action in a remote based system, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage device comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to perform the following;

deploy an environment independent action to a remote based system, wherein the action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-cpu intensive orchestrations of network calls;

define a schedule for the action to be executed; and

call the action at the remote based system based on the schedule in a processor independent fashion such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor that the action is being executed on.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the orchestrations of network calls include of one or more of document requests, sending sms text messages, posting to a bulletin board, sending email, posting social media updates or simple administrative actions.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the orchestrations of network calls comprises one or more calls that are secured by external tokens allowing the calls to be made with the authority of the action creator.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein calling the action at the remote based system is based both on the schedule and a set of rules.

20. A distributed computing system which comprises one or more processors and one or more computer storage device containing executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the distributed computing system to instantiate a system architecture which defines a multi-tenant scheduling service for scheduling a scheduled and optionally periodic action in a remote based system, and wherein the system comprising architecture comprises:

a front end configured to;

provide a user interface for a user with the system to allow the user to schedule time bound or periodic actions;

receive user input for remote based time bound or periodic actions; and

provide time bound or periodic actions to a backend;

a timer resource configured to maintain a schedule for the action to be executed; and

wherein the backend is configured to call the action at the remote based system based on the schedule in a processor independent fashion such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor that the action is being executed on.