Process scheduling and execution in distributed computing environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600327-B2
Application number	US-201514685293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Jul 10, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for scheduling and executing user-restricted processes within distributed computing systems. More specifically, certain embodiments of the present invention describe systems and methods by which runtime requests to execute user-restricted processes may be received, processed, and scheduled via a user application of an enterprise system or other distributed computing system. Requests may be received via transaction pages of user applications to schedule and execute user-restricted processes. The user application, a process scheduler, and/or other components within the distributed computing system may determine user contexts associated with the requests, and may determine whether or not the requested processes may be scheduled and executed. Such processes may include, for example, report generation processes, processes to initiate system functions, and/or processes to perform system maintenance within the distributed computing environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for scheduling execution of a user-restricted process within a distributed computing system, the method comprising:
receiving a runtime request to execute a user-restricted process within a distributed computing system, the runtime request received via a transaction page of a user application during a runtime session of a user within the distributed computing system;
determining a current user context associated with the runtime request, the current user context based on at least one of the transaction page, the user, or the runtime session of the user within the distributed computing system, or any combination thereof;
determining whether or not to permit execution of the user-restricted process based on the current user context associated with the runtime request; and
scheduling execution of the user-restricted process based on a determination to permit execution of the user-restricted process, wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
retrieving a preexisting template containing settings that control execution of the user-restricted process;
modifying the transaction page with an interface to allow at least one of the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process to be changed from the settings contained in the preexisting template;
receiving changes to the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process via the transaction page; and
executing the user-restricted process, wherein the user-restricted process is executed in accordance with the changes received via the transaction page to the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process further comprises:
determining that one or more user-modifiable runtime variables are available for executing the user-restricted process; and
modifying the transaction page via the interface to retrieve the one or more user-modifiable runtime variables.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current user context corresponds to a set of process scheduling and execution permissions associated with at least one of the transaction page or the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
initiating execution of the user-restricted process on the distributed computing system, using a predetermined set of process parameters that are not selectable by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
retrieving data from the transaction page; and
initiating execution of the user-restricted process on the distributed computing system, using the data retrieved from the transaction page.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating status update data for the scheduled execution of the user-restricted process;
determining that the user has navigated to a second transaction page of the user application during the runtime session; and
modifying the second transaction page to provide the status update data for the scheduled execution of the user-restricted process.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-restricted process is a report generation process of the distributed computing system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-restricted process is a report generation process of the distributed computing system.

9. A system comprising:
a processing unit comprising one or more processors; and
memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to schedule execution of a user-restricted process within the system by:
receiving a runtime request to execute a user-restricted process within the system, the runtime request received via a transaction page of a user application during a runtime session of a user within the system;
determining a current user context associated with the runtime request, the current user context based on at least one of the transaction page, the user, or the runtime session of the user within the system, or any combination thereof;
determining whether or not to permit execution of the user-restricted process based on the current user context associated with the runtime request; and
scheduling execution of the user-restricted process based on a determination to permit execution of the user-restricted process, wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
retrieving a preexisting template containing settings that control execution of the user-restricted process;
modifying the transaction page with an interface to allow at least one of the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process to be changed from the settings contained in the preexisting template;
receiving changes to the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process via the transaction page, and
executing the user-restricted process, wherein the user-restricted process is executed in accordance with the changes received via the transaction page to the settings that control execution of the user-restricted process.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process further comprises:
determining that one or more user-modifiable runtime variables are available for executing the user-restricted process; and
modifying the transaction page via the interface to retrieve the one or more user-modifiable runtime variables.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the current user context corresponds to a set of process scheduling and execution permissions associated with at least one of the transaction page or the user.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
retrieving data from the transaction page; and
initiating execution of the user-restricted process on the, using the data retrieved from the transaction page.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein scheduling execution of the user-restricted process comprises:
initiating execution of the user-restricted process on the distributed computing system, using a predetermined set of process parameters that are not selectable by the user.

14. The system of claim 9 , the memory storing therein additional instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to:
generate status update data for the scheduled execution of the user-restricted process;
determine that the user has navigated to a second transaction page of the user application during the runtime session; and
modify the second transaction page to provide the status update data for the scheduled execution of the user-restricted process.

15. A method for scheduling execution of a user-restricted process within a distributed computing system, the method comprising:
receiving a runtime request to execute a user-restricted process within a distributed computing system, the runtime request received via a transaction page of a user application during a runtime session of a user within the distributed computing system;
determining a current user context associated with the runtime request, the current user context based on at least one of the transaction page, the user, or the runtime session of the user within the distributed computing system, or any combination thereof;
determining whether or not to permit execution of the user-restricted process based on the current user context associated with the runtime request;
scheduling execution of the user-restri

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Rangaraju Ramasimha
• Gupta Virad
• Narayanan Deepankar
• Edalur Raghu
• Sahoo Mohini
• Verma Vivek

Classifications

• G06F21/121

  Restricting unauthorised execution of programs · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• G06F9/4843 Primary

  by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system · CPC title

• G06F21/50

  Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems · CPC title