Migration of process instances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547837-B2
Application number	US-201514672406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 9, 2007
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

For migrating process instances, first input information describing changes between a first process template and a second process template is received. Second input information describing grouping of said changes is also received. A set of combinations of the first process template and the second process template is determined by applying the changes to the first process template in complete groups as defined by the second input information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for migrating at least one process instance, comprising:
receiving first input information describing changes between a first process template and a second process template;
receiving second input information characterizing a grouping of the changes;
applying the changes to the first process template in a complete grouping, as defined by the second input information, to identify a set of stitched models of the first process template and the second process template; and
migrating an instance of the first process template to a selected stitched model of the set of stitched models.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, for the instance of the first process template, whether a current state of the instance crosses groups of changes defined by the second input information.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising navigating the instance of the first process template to a further state without crossing any one of the groups of changes.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second input information defines all changes belonging to each group of the group of changes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input information defines a partial group boundary.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the partial group boundary is defined by a set of concurrently navigable activities.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising identifying a group boundary extending across the first process template based upon the partial group boundary.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining, for each group boundary extending across the first process template, a respective combination of the first process template and the second process template.

9. A computer hardware system for migrating at least one process instance, comprising:
at least one hardware processor, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to initiate and/or perform:
receiving first input information describing changes between a first process template and a second process template;
receiving second input information characterizing a grouping of the changes;
applying the changes to the first process template in a complete grouping, as defined by the second input information, to identify a set of stitched models of the first process template and the second process template; and
migrating an instance of the first process template to a selected stitched model of the set of stitched models.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to initiate and/or perform determining, for an the instance of the first process template, whether a current state of the instance crosses groups of changes defined by the second input information.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to initiate and/or perform navigating the instance of the first process template to a further state without crossing any one of the groups of changes.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second input information defines all changes belonging to each group of the group of changes.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second input information defines a partial group boundary.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the partial group boundary is defined by a set of concurrently navigable activities.

15. A computer program product for migrating at least one process instance, comprising:
a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:
receiving first input information describing changes between a first process template and a second process template;
receiving second input information characterizing a grouping of the changes;
applying the changes to the first process template in a complete grouping, as defined by the second input information, to identify a set of stitched models of the first process template and the second process template; and
migrating an instance of the first process template to a selected stitched model of the set of stitched models, wherein

the computer usable storage medium is not a transitory, propagating signal per se.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform determining, for the instance of the first process template, whether a current state of the instance crosses groups of changes defined by the second input information.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform navigating the instance of the first process template to a further state without crossing any one of the groups of changes.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the second input information defines all changes belonging to each group of the group of changes.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the second input information defines a partial group boundary.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the partial group boundary is defined by a set of concurrently navigable activities.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hohmann Dennis
• Kloppmann Matthias
• Schmitz Andreas

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

• G06F3/0649

  Lifecycle management · CPC title