System and method for workflow application programming interfaces (APIS)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11934802-B2
Application number	US-202117301055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 17, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A computing system includes a server. The server is communicatively coupled to a data repository and is configured to store a data in the data repository. The server is further configured to create, via a visual information flow creation tool, at least one information flow object, wherein the at least one information flow object comprises a flow, a sub-flow, an Action, or a combination thereof. The server is also configured to interface with the at least one information flow object via a front-end application programing interface (API), a back-end API, or a combination thereof. The server is additionally configured to execute the at least one information flow object via the front-end API, the back-end API, or a combination thereof, and to retrieve results obtained by executing the at least one information flow object via the front-end API, the back-end API, or the combination thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors configured to execute stored instructions to cause the computing system to:
provide for asynchronous execution of a first information flow object and a second information flow object of a software program, wherein the first flow information object comprises a first flow, a first sub-flow, a first action, or a combination thereof, that is configured to execute entirely in a client computing device via a front-end application programming interface (API), and wherein the second information flow object comprises a second flow, a second sub-flow, a second action, or a combination thereof, that is configured to execute entirely in a remote server via a back-end API, and wherein the first information flow object interfaces with the second information flow object via the asynchronous execution by:
executing a first set of functions of the front-end API, wherein the first set of functions asynchronously call for an execution of the first information flow object;
executing a second set of functions of the back-end API, wherein the second set of functions asynchronously call for an execution of the second information flow object; and
retrieving output of the execution of the first set of functions and retrieving output of the execution of the second set of functions as results of the asynchronous execution.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the stored instructions to cause the computing system to:
create, via a visual information flow creation tool, the first information flow object and the second information flow object.

3. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the stored instructions to cause the computing system to:
create, via the visual information flow creation tool, a flowchart having the first information flow object in lieu of entering text for a computer program when creating the first information flow object.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of functions asynchronously call for the execution of the first information flow object using a first unique identifier of the first information flow object, wherein the second set of functions asynchronously call for the execution of the second information flow object using a second unique identifier of the second information flow object, and wherein the output of the execution of the first set of functions is retrieved using the first unique identifier and the output of the execution of the second set of functions is retrieved using the second unique identifier.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein executing the first information flow object via the front-end API comprises asynchronously executing a Call Action function, a Call Sub-flow function, a Call Flow function, or a combination thereof, to execute the second information flow object.

6. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the asynchronously executing comprises executing, via an asynchronous message bus system of the remote server, the Call Action function, the Call Sub-flow function, the Call Flow function, or the combination thereof.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the output comprises executing a Callback function when the execution of the first information flow object is complete, wherein the Callback function is disposed in a client-side script code.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the output comprises executing a Retrieve Action function, a Retrieve Sub-flow function, a Retrieve Flow function, or a combination thereof, using a first unique identifier of the first information flow object or a second unique identifier of the second information flow object.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the asynchronous execution comprises:
executing, via the back-end API, a Check Action function, a Check Sub-flow function, a Check Flow function, or a combination thereof, to determine when the second information flow object completes execution.

10. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the asynchronous execution comprises:
verifying that suitable permissions exist to execute the first information flow object before executing the first set of functions to asynchronously call for the execution of the first information flow object, and verifying that suitable permissions exist to execute the second information flow object before executing the second set of functions to asynchronously call for the execution of the second information flow object.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the suitable permissions are verified using an access control list.

12. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first flow includes the first sub-flow, the first sub-flow includes the first action, and the first flow does not provide an output.

13. A method, comprising:
providing for asynchronous execution of a first information flow object and a second information flow object of a software program, wherein the first flow information object comprises a first flow, a first sub-flow, a first action, or a combination thereof, that is executed entirely in a client computing device via a front-end application programming interface (API), and wherein the second information flow object comprises a second flow, a second sub-flow, a second action, or a combination thereof, that is executed entirely in a remote server via a back-end API, and wherein the first information flow object interfaces with the second information flow object via the asynchronous execution by:
executing a first set of functions of the front-end API, wherein the first set of functions asynchronously call for an execution of the first information flow object via a first unique identifier of the first information flow object;
executing a second set of functions of the back-end API, wherein the second set of functions asynchronously call for an execution of the second information flow object via a second unique identifier of the second information flow object; and
retrieving output of the execution of the first set of functions and retrieving output of the execution of the second set of functions as results of the asynchronous execution.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
verifying permissions to execute the first information flow object in an access control list before executing the first set of functions to asynchronously call for the execution of the first information flow object; and
verifying permissions to execute the second information flow object in the access control list before executing the second set of functions to asynchronously call for the execution of the second information flow object.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
executing, via the back-end API, a Check Action function, a Check Sub-flow function, a Check Flow function, or a combination thereof, to determine when the second information flow object completes execution.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein retrieving the output of the execution of the first set of functions or retrieving the output of the execution of the second set of functions comprises:
executing a Callback function, a Retrieve Action function, a Retrieve Sub-flow function, a Retrieve Flow function, or a combination thereof, using the first unique identifier or the second unique identifier.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor of a computing system, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
provide for async

Assignees

• Servicenow Inc

Inventors

• Nelson Harry Thomas
• Stoddart Matthew Breckenridge
• Swope Stuart Dean
• Tamjidi David
• Koya Venkata Kiran Kumar
• Nerius Joshua Timothy
• Dias Rebecca Anita

Classifications

• G06F8/34 Primary

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F8/22

  Procedural · CPC title

• G06F8/36

  Software reuse · CPC title

• G06Q10/067 Primary

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title