Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, said method comprising the step of:
providing monitoring logic in said entry action, said entry action causing information to be captured.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said captured information is tracing information about the execution of said business process.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said captured information is auditing information about a transaction associated with said business process.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said captured information is recorded in a file for off-line analysis.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said entry action allows said information to be selectively captured.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said entry action may be configured by a user to allow said information to be captured in a desired manner.
- 7. A method for managing a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, said method comprising the steps of:
evaluating said entry action each time said state is entered, said entry action including selective logic to cause information to be captured; and capturing said information if said selective logic is activated.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selective logic is a flag in a field which may be activated by an organization.
- 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said captured information is tracing information about the execution of said business process.
- 10. The method of claim 7, wherein said captured information is auditing information about a transaction associated with said business process.
- 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said captured information is recorded in a file for off-line analysis.
- 12. A system for monitoring a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, comprising:
a memory that stores computer-readable code; and a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to implement said computer-readable code, said computer-readable code configured to:
provide monitoring logic in said entry action, said entry action causing information to be captured.
- 13. The system of claim 12, wherein said captured information is tracing information about the execution of said business process.
- 14. The system of claim 12, wherein said captured information is auditing information about a transaction associated with said business process.
- 15. The system of claim 12, wherein said captured information is recorded in a file for off-line analysis.
- 16. The system of claim 12, wherein said entry action allows said information to be selectively captured.
- 17. The system of claim 12, wherein said entry action may be configured by a user to allow said information to be captured in a desired manner.
- 18. A system for monitoring a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, comprising:
a memory that stores computer-readable code; and a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to implement said computer-readable code, said computer-readable code configured to:
evaluate said entry action each time said state is entered, said entry action including selective logic to cause information to be captured; and capture said information if said selective logic is activated.
- 19. An article of manufacture for monitoring a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, comprising:
a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, said computer readable program code means comprising:
a step to provide monitoring logic in said entry action, said entry action causing information to be captured.
- 20. An article of manufacture for monitoring a business process using a state machine, said state machine having a plurality of states, at least one of said states including an entry action, said entry action including logic executed upon entering said state, comprising:
a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, said computer readable program code means comprising:
a step to evaluate said entry action each time said state is entered, said entry action including selective logic to cause information to be captured; and a step to capture said information if said selective logic is activated.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is related to United States Patent Application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Automatic Transitioning Between States in a State Machine That Manages a Business Process,” (Attorney Docket Number SOM920010005US1), United States Patent Application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Managing The Versioning of Business Objects Using a State Machine,”(Attorney Docket Number SOM920010006US1), United States Patent Application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Creating and Managing Complex Business Processes,”(Attorney Docket Number SOM920010007US1), United States Patent Application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Managing and Displaying User Authorizations for a Business Process Managed Using a State Machine,”(Attorney Docket Number SOM920010009US1) and United States Patent Application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Managing a User Group List For a Business Process Managed Using a State Machine,”(Attorney Docket Number SOM9200100010US1), filed contemporaneously herewith, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein.