Intelligent inclusion/exclusion automation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9384044-B2
Application number	US-201213342685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2012
Priority date	Jan 3, 2012
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

Computer systems and computer program products for automating tasks in a computing environment are provided. In one such embodiment, by way of example only, if an instant task is not found in one of list of included tasks and a list of excluded tasks, at least one of the following is performed: the instant task is compared the with previous instances of the task, if any; the instant task is analyzed, including an input/output (I/O) sequence for the instant task, to determine if the instant task is similar to an existing task; and the instant task is considered as a possible candidate for automation. If the instant task is determined to be an automation candidate, the instant task is added to the list of included tasks, otherwise the instant task is added to the list of excluded tasks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automating tasks in a computing environment, comprising:
a processor, operable in the computing environment, wherein the processor is adapted for:
if an instant task is not found in one of list of included tasks and a list of excluded tasks, performing:
comparing the instant task with previous instances of the task, if any,
analyzing the instant task, including at least part of an input/output (I/O) sequence for the instant task to determine if the instant task is similar to an existing task, and
considering the instant task as a possible candidate for automation; wherein if the instant task is determined to be an automation candidate, the instant task is added to the list of included tasks, otherwise the instant task is added to the list of excluded tasks, and
in conjunction with the comparing, analyzing, and considering, weighing at least one additional event to be added to the instant task as a sequence of automated tasks
prompting a user to confirm of at least one of the instant task and the sequence as the automation candidate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted for, pursuant to analyzing the instant task to determine if the instant task is similar to the existing task includes determining if the instant and the existing tasks have at least one of a similar jobname, application type, and triggering event type.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted for obtaining a confirmation from the user for automating the at least one of the instant task and the sequence, wherein the confirmation from the user is considered in subsequent analysis for a subsequent task.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted for, if one of: the instant task is determined not to be similar to the existing task, and the instant task is determined not to be an automation candidate, storing at least a portion of the instant task for subsequent analysis for a subsequent task.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted for, pursuant to storing at least a portion of the instant task for subsequent analysis, storing an input/output characteristic of the instant task.

6. A computer program product for automating tasks by a processor in a computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising: a first executable portion for:
if an instant task is not found in one of list of included tasks and a list of excluded tasks, performing:
comparing the instant task with previous instances of the task, if any,
analyzing the instant task, including at least part of an input/output (I/O) sequence for the instant task to determine if the instant task is similar to an existing task, and
considering the instant task as a possible candidate for automation; wherein if the instant task is determined to be an automation candidate, the instant task is added to the list of included tasks, otherwise the instant task is added to the list of excluded tasks; and
in conjunction with the comparing, analyzing, and considering, weighing at least one additional event to be added to the instant task as a sequence of automated tasks
prompting a user to confirm of at least one of the instant task and the sequence as the automation candidate.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , further including a second executable portion for, pursuant to analyzing the instant task to determine if the instant task is similar to the existing task, determining if the instant and the existing tasks have at least one of a similar job name, application type, and triggering event type.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , further including a fourth executable portion for obtaining a confirmation from the user for automating the at least one of the instant task and the sequence, wherein the confirmation from the user is considered in subsequent analysis for a subsequent task.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , further including a second executable portion for, if one of:
the instant task is determined not to be similar to the existing task, and the instant task is determined not to be an automation candidate, storing at least a portion of the instant task for subsequent analysis for a subsequent task.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , further including a fourth executable portion for, pursuant to storing at least a portion of the instant task for subsequent analysis, storing an input/output characteristic of the instant task.

Assignees

• Doster Bard A
• Helak Dustin A
• Reed David C
• Smith Max D
• IBM

Inventors

• Doster Bard A
• Helak Dustin A
• Reed David C
• Smith Max D

Classifications

• G06F9/4881 Primary

  Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues · CPC title

• G06F9/52

  Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

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

• G06F9/455

  Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines · CPC title