Workflow customization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10909487-B2
Application number	US-201415329022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

In one implementation, a workflow system can include a storage engine and a merger engine. The storage engine maintains a restricted workflow part on a first storage resource and maintains a customizable workflow part on a second storage resource. The merger engine retrieves the restricted workflow part based on the product version and merge the restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part associated with the restricted workflow part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
maintain a restricted workflow part on a first storage resource, the restricted workflow part being associated with a first product version of a product that manages a workflow comprising the restricted workflow part;
maintain a customizable workflow part on a second storage resource, the workflow managed by the first product version of the product further comprising the customizable workflow part;
in response to an upgrade of the product from the first product version of the product to a second product version of the product, upgrade the restricted workflow part separately from the customizable workflow part;
after the upgrade of the product, retrieve the upgraded restricted workflow part based on the second product version of the product;
merge the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part into an updated workflow managed by the second product version of the product, wherein the upgraded restricted workflow part comprises a first collection of process tasks, and the customizable workflow part comprises a second collection of process tasks, and the merging of the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part into the updated workflow managed by the second product version of the product comprises merging the first collection of process tasks and the second collection of process tasks into the updated workflow managed by the second product version of the product; and
cause execution, in a computing environment, of the updated workflow managed by the second product version of the product on a server computer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
facilitate customization of the customizable workflow part and restrain customization of a workflow rule having a restricted status; and
cause presentation of an identifier to identify the customizable workflow part as customizable.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
cause presentation of an identifier to identify the restricted workflow part as restricted from customization.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upgraded restricted workflow part further comprises a first collection of workflow rules, wherein the customizable workflow part further comprises a second collection of workflow rules, and wherein the merging of the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part further comprises merging the first collection of workflow rules and the second collection of workflow rules into the updated workflow.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first collection of workflow rules is restricted from customization and is associated with functionality of the server computer or a functionality of a program executed on the server computer, and wherein the second collection of workflow rules is customizable and associated with a tenant of the system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the restricted workflow part is upgraded with the upgrade of the product without affecting a customization of the product based on the customizable workflow part.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the updated workflow comprises actions performed based on a condition, the actions being part of a service provided by the server computer.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the restricted workflow part is restricted from customization.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
validate the customizable workflow part to determine compatibility with the second product version of the product produced by the upgrade of the product; and
place the upgraded restricted workflow part and the customizable workflow part in an order in the updated workflow based on constraint logic.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor resource to:
maintain a restricted workflow part on a first storage resource, the restricted workflow part being associated with a first version of a workflow management product that manages a workflow comprising the restricted workflow part;
maintain a customizable workflow part on a second storage resource, the workflow managed by the first version of the workflow management product further comprising the customizable workflow part;
in response to an upgrade of the workflow management product from the first version to a second version, upgrade the restricted workflow part separately from the customizable workflow part;
store the upgraded restricted workflow part in the first storage resource;
after the upgrade of the workflow management product, retrieve, from the first storage resource, the upgraded restricted workflow part based on the second version of the workflow management product;
merge the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part into an updated workflow managed by the second version of the workflow management product, wherein the upgraded restricted workflow part comprises a first collection of process tasks, and the customizable workflow part comprises a second collection of process tasks, and the merging of the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part into the updated workflow comprises merging the first collection of process tasks and the second collection of process tasks into the updated workflow; and
execute, in a computing environment, the updated workflow that is managed by the second version of the workflow management product on a server computer.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the upgraded restricted workflow part further comprises a first collection of workflow rules, and the customizable workflow part further comprises a second collection of workflow rules, and wherein the merging of the upgraded restricted workflow part with the customizable workflow part further comprises merging the first collection of workflow rules and the second collection of workflow rules into the updated workflow.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor resource to:
order, according to a constraint logic, workflow rules of the first collection of workflow rules and the second collection of workflow rules in the updated workflow.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor resource to:
set a plurality of flags to identify that the upgraded restricted workflow part is restricted from customization and the customizable workflow part is allowed to be customized; and
identify the upgraded restricted workflow part and the customizable workflow part based on the plurality of flags.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor resource to:
validate the customizable workflow part to determine compatibility with the upgraded restricted workflow part.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the restricted workflow part is upgraded to the upgraded restricted workflow part without affecting a customization of the workflow management product based on the customizable workflow part.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the updated workflow comprises actions performed based on a condition, the actions being part of a se

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp
• Micro Focus Llc

Inventors

• Chen Rotem
• Roit Yoni
• Babay Adi Hava
• Felder Yifat

Classifications

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/06316 Primary

  Sequencing of tasks or work · CPC title

• G06F9/4498

  Finite state machines · CPC title

• G06Q10/067

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title