Pre-executing workflow preparation activities based on activity probabilities and system load and capacity threshold requirements

US9430745B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Frank Leymann · Aidlingen, DE
• Simon Moser · Stuttgart, DE
• Friedemann Schwenkreis · Echterdingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 14, 2006
• Grant date: Aug 30, 2016
• Expiry date: Aug 12, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/0633
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In a Workflow Management System with a workflow having a sequence of activities of an underlying business process, logical wait situations occur when a given activity depends upon completion of a prerequisite preparation activity. A method for decreasing the resulting run-time delays includes: identifying a primary activity and an associated preparation activity required to be done before executing the primary activity; navigating through the process template of the underlying workflow and calculating the probability at a node of the process template that the primary activity will be reached for a current process instance; and pre-executing the preparation activity in parallel to the activity sequence if the probability exceeds a predetermined threshold.