Patent Application
20240272935
The present disclosure is related to workflows and workflow management.
Many industries, services, applications, businesses, etc. have procedures that are complex and prone to error due to various internal guidelines and/or external mandates. Workflows are developed to present such complex procedures in a manner that is easier for humans to follow the procedures, while reducing potential errors such as steps being omitted, or performed incorrectly or out of order, etc.
In some embodiments, a workflow management system comprises at least one processor, and at least one computer readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store executable instructions. The executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, instruct the at least one processor to load a workflow comprising a plurality of tasks arranged in a sequence, automatically modify the workflow to obtain a modified workflow based on an element configuration of an element for workflow execution, and cause execution of the modified workflow at the element.
In some embodiments, a workflow management method is performed at least in part by at least one processor. The method comprises loading a workflow comprising a plurality of tasks arranged in a sequence. The plurality of tasks comprises at least one first task and at least one second task connected to the at least one first task. For a group of nodes, the method further comprises generating at least one replica of the at least one first task, and connecting the at least one replica of the at least one first task to the at least one second task to obtain a modified workflow. The method further comprises causing execution of the modified workflow, wherein the at least one first task is executed at each node in the group of nodes, and the at least one second task is executed at one or more nodes in the group of nodes.
In some embodiments, a computer program product comprises a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by at least one processor, instructs the at least one processor to, in response to user selection of a workflow, visually present at least one input area for receiving user input of an element for workflow execution. The workflow comprises a first set of tasks followed by a second set of tasks. The at least one processor is further instructed to, in response to the user input of the element, modify the workflow to obtain a modified workflow to be executed at the element, wherein a number of the first set of tasks in the modified workflow is equal to a number of nodes in the element. The at least one processor is further instructed to visually present the modified workflow and, in response to user instruction to execute the visually presented modified workflow, cause execution of the first set of tasks at each of the nodes of the element and then cause execution of the second set of tasks at one or more nodes of the element.
Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figure. In accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
The following disclosure includes many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the subject matter. Specific examples of components, values, operations, materials, arrangements, or the like, are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Other components, values, operations, materials, arrangements, or the like, are contemplated. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and also include embodiments in which additional features be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure repeats reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, be usable herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the FIGS. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the FIGS. The apparatus be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usable herein likewise be interpreted accordingly.
A workflow presents, in a step-by-step manner, of a process for how work is to be done. Examples of processes include, but are not limited to, business and/or technical plans, procedures, customer support/service, or the like. In complex technical situations, or where the number of workflows and/or the number of tasks in a workflow is/are high, or where the tasks of one or more workflows are to be executed at one or more locations physically remote from a manager or supervisor, the ability to remotely monitor and/or control workflow execution is a consideration.
In some embodiments, a workflow management system is configured to create modified workflows from a workflow reusable as a workflow template. In one or more embodiments, the workflow management system is configured to generate different modified workflows from a same workflow, depending on different element configurations of various elements at which the generated workflows are to be executed. For example, the workflow management system is configured to replicate at least a portion of the workflow based on a number of nodes in an element selected for workflow execution. As a result, in at least one embodiment, it is possible to quickly scale the same workflow to obtain modified workflows corresponding to various elements with different sizes (e.g., different numbers of nodes). In some embodiments, a user of the workflow management system is provided with a user interface (UI) for creating his/her own workflows, and/or for managing workflows, elements and/or functions in the workflow management system. The UI is further configured to permit a user to cause automatic generation of dynamic workflows from existing workflows as described herein, execute workflows, and/or monitor statuses of the executed workflows. In at least one embodiment, such automatic generation of dynamic workflows from workflows usable as templates reduces the amount of time and/or efforts that would be otherwise spent on manual work and/or travel for preparation and/or execution of scripts to perform similar tasks. A potentially high number of human errors associated with manual work is avoidable as well in one or more embodiments. Further features and/or advantages are within the scopes of various embodiments.
The workflow management system 100 comprises a dashboard microservice 110, engines 120, a database 130, and a log storage 140. A repository 150 and one or more elements 160 are also illustrated in
In some embodiments, at least one, or some, or all of the components illustrated in
The dashboard microservice 110 includes a plurality of modules configured to provide one or more functions and/or operations described herein. For illustration purposes, the dashboard microservice 110 in
The dashboard microservice 110 comprises one or more modules configured to generate a graphic user interface (hereinafter “UI”) for a user 101. The UI generated by the dashboard microservice 110 is visually presented to the user to help the user to create and/or manage various workflows and workflow executions as described herein. In some embodiments, an example of visual presentation of a workflow and/or screens of a UI includes displaying the workflow and/or UI screens on a display, such as a monitor or a touch screen. The display may be a display of a computer system implementing one or more components of the workflow management system 100, or a remote display coupled to one or more components of the workflow management system 100 through a network or communication link. Other ways for visually presenting information, such as projection on a screen, three-dimensional (3D) projection, using glasses and/or other head-mounted devices, or any other manners for presenting information to be visually perceptible by a user, are within the scopes of various embodiments. For simplicity, “displaying,” “displayed,” “displays,” “showing,” “shown,” “shows,” or similar wordings, may be used in the following description as example manners for visual presentation of information. Other manners for visual presentation, as discussed herein, are not excluded. A user may interact with displayed, or otherwise visually presented, information by a pointing device (e.g., a mouse), a touch screen, contact-less gestures, voice commands, or the like.
The dashboard microservice 110 further comprises one or more modules configured to, by themselves and/or in cooperation with one or more corresponding engines in the engines 120, create, manage, execute and/or monitor various workflows as described herein. In some embodiments, the dashboard microservice 110 is configured to provide functionalities to perform create, read, update and delete (CRUD) operations on various objects including, but not limited to, workflows, tasks, elements, functions, or the like. In some embodiments, the dashboard microservice 110 is configured to perform one or more of workflow and/or task execution, monitoring, debugging, resuming, and reporting through role-based access control (RBAC). In some embodiments, the dashboard microservice 110 comprises at least one node application. In some embodiments, the dashboard microservice 110 comprises at least one web-based application.
The engines 120 are configured to perform, together with or under control of the dashboard microservice 110, various operations and/or functions as described herein. For illustration purposes, the engines 120 in
In an example operation 102, the UI of the dashboard microservice 110 provides the user 101 with at least one option to register an element configuration. For example, the user 101 interacts with the UI to provide user input for an element configuration to the module 112 of the dashboard microservice 110. The module 112 instructs the engine 122 to store the element configuration in the database 130.
An element configuration is a configuration or description of an element. In some embodiments, an element comprises one or more sites or equipment (e.g., a computer system) where one or more tasks of a workflow is/are executed. Examples of elements, as described herein, include, but are not limited to, bare metals, clusters, or the like. In some embodiments, a bare metal (BM) is a computer system without an OS and installed applications. In at least one embodiment, a BM comprises computer hardware that is installed with firmware, or basic input/output system (BIOS) software utility, or no software at all. In some embodiments, a BM after installation of an OS and one or more required applications becomes a server. In some embodiments, a node refers to a BM before or after OS installation. A cluster comprises a group of nodes interconnected and configured to work in cooperation. Example clusters are designated as “RC” in the drawings. Various cluster configurations are within the scopes of various embodiments. In some embodiments, to configure a group of nodes as a cluster, a first node in the group is installed or configured as a Primary Master (PM), at least one second node in the group is installed or configured as at least one Secondary Master (SM), and one or more further nodes in the group is/are installed or configured as one or more Agents. Other examples and/or configurations of nodes and/or clusters are within the scopes of various embodiments.
The elements 160 in
In a further example operation 104, the UI of the dashboard microservice 110 provides the user 101 with various options to build, execute, debug and/or resume a workflow. For example, the user 101 interacts with the UI to build a workflow comprising a plurality of tasks arranged or connected in a sequence. In some embodiments, the system, or another component outside the workflow management system 100, is configured to provide an environment, e.g., a graphing environment, for users to build workflows, and to save workflow configurations of the built workflows as Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents to be executed by a workflow engine among the engines 120 at runtime. In some embodiments, workflows are compliant with the Business Project Management Notation (BPMN) specification. Other workflow configurations and/or specifications and/or programing language or codes are within the scopes of various embodiments. In some embodiments, the system, or another component outside the workflow management system 100, comprises a template repository (or template manager) that contains prestored and/or predesigned workflow configurations which can be used as templates based on which new workflows may be quickly built. Workflow configurations and/or workflows created by or loaded into the workflow management system 100 are stored, e.g., by the engine 124 into the database 130. The database 130 comprises a single database or a set of database that stores templates, workflow configurations and element configurations. In some embodiments, the database 130 further stores workflow data generated during, and/or as a result of, execution of one or more workflows by the workflow engine.
The UI of the dashboard microservice 110 further provides the user 101 with various options to execute the built workflow, or execute a preexisting workflow. In an example, the engine 124 receives, through the module 114, user input or user selection of a workflow (to be used as a template) and an element where the workflow (or a modified workflow automatically generated from the workflow) is to be executed. For example, the engine 124 loads the corresponding element configuration and workflow configuration of the workflow from the database 130, and automatically modifies the workflow as necessary based on the element configuration to generate a modified workflow to be executed at the element. The engine 124 creates one or more worker pods 128, or utilizes one or more existing worker pods 128, and then assigns the one or more worker pods 128 to execute the modified workflow.
In at least one embodiment, the one or more worker pods 128 are created to execute functions associated with one or more tasks of the modified workflow to be executed. For example, each task runs in its own worker pod, so to execute a function associated with a task a worker pod is required, which is the actual instance that executes the task. In some situations, a task to be executed is not associated with a function in the workflow management system 100, but with one or more external scripts. In such situations, the one or more worker pods 128 load the one or more scripts from the repository 150, and cause the functions and/or scripts associated with the tasks in the modified workflow to be executed at the designated element (e.g., at a cluster or one or more nodes among the elements 160) in accordance with the sequence of the tasks in the workflow.
As the tasks (e.g., functions and/or scripts) are executed, log information related to the tasks and/or the nodes where the tasks are executed is generated and sent from the nodes to the one or more worker pods 128. Examples of log information include, but are not limited to, statuses, parameters, variables, conditions or the like. The one or more worker pods 128 redirect the log information to the log storage 140 to be stored therein.
Various options for debugging and/or resuming a workflow are also provided by the UI to the user 101. Based on user input or user selection of an option for debugging or resuming a workflow received through the module 114, the engine 124 makes appropriate correction in its instructions to the one or more worker pods 128 which cause the modified workflow to be executed, fully or partly, in accordance with the selected debugging or resuming option.
In some embodiments, at least one of the log storage 140 or repository 150 comprises a database implemented by one or more computer systems. In at least one embodiment, the one or more worker pods 128 include deployable units of computing that are created and managed in Kubernetes. Other worker pod configurations are within the scopes of various embodiments. In some embodiments, the worker pods are omitted or replaced with other virtual machines.
In another example operation 106, the UI of the dashboard microservice 110 provides the user 101 with at least one option to request real time log information related to a selected task of a selected workflow. For example, in response to the user's request for log information received through the UI, the module 116 sends the user's request to the engine 126. The engine 126 accesses the log storage 140 to retrieve the log information corresponding to the selected task of the selected workflow identified in the user's request, and sends the retrieved log information through the module 116 back to the UI where the log information is displayed to the user. In some embodiments, while the user is reviewing the log information (e.g., while the log information is still displayed), updated or new log information related to the selected task/workflow is updated in real time on the UI. In some embodiments, a potential error reflected in the displayed log information is fixed, located, or bypassed by using a debugging option and/or a resuming option.
The address bar 202 includes an address for accessing the dashboard screen 200A using a web browser. For simplicity, details of the address are omitted. One or more other screens of the UI as described herein also include a similar address bar. The address bar in one or more other screens is omitted for simplicity. In at least one embodiment, the web-based UI provides a flexibility in that a user may remotely log in and manage workflows using the workflow management system 100. In at least one embodiment, the UI is not web-based and the address bar is omitted.
The setting button 204 is configured to permit access to other screens of the UI. For example, upon user operation of the setting button 204, a screen 200B in
The visualization areas 210, 212, 214, 216 provide overview information about various items in the workflow management system 100. For example, the visualization area 210 provides a count of elements registered under respective element types in the workflow management system 100. In the example configuration in
The visualization area 212 provides a count of functions registered in the workflow management system 100, and the types of elements the functions support. In some embodiments, one or more functions are associated with a task in a workflow, to be executed at a corresponding element when the workflow is executed. In the example configuration in
The visualization area 214 provides a count of workflows in the workflow management system 100, and their corresponding workflow types. In the example configuration in
The visualization area 216 provides a count of batches of workflows, and the average execution time. One or more of the visualization areas 210, 212, 214, 216 are omitted or configured to show other data, in accordance with some embodiments.
The location selection menu 206 and date selection menu 208 permit the user to show data in the visualization areas 210, 212, 214, 216 as filtered by a location selected from the location selection menu 206, and/or by a date selected from the location selection menu 206. In some embodiments, at least one of the location selection menu 206 and date selection menu 208 is omitted.
As described herein the screen 200B is displayed upon user operation of the setting button 204 in the dashboard screen 200A. One or more other screens of the UI as described herein also include the screen 200B at a side to help the user to navigate through various screens and/or options in the UI. For simplicity, the screen 200B that may occur along with one or more screens of the UI as described herein is omitted.
The screen 200B comprises a plurality of selectable menu items 230, 232, 234, 236. The menu item 230 is for accessing the dashboard screen 200A. The menu item 232 is for accessing one or more screens for managing (e.g., registering or editing or deleting) elements or element configurations, e.g., as described with respect to operation 102 and/or
The screen 200B further comprises selectable sub-menu items 242, 244, 246 under the menu item 234. The Workflow Template sub-menu item 242 is configured to provide access to a template list of workflow templates usable for building new workflows, e.g., as described with respect to
The Factory sub-menu item 244 is configured to provide access to a workflow list of workflows managed by the workflow management system 100, e.g., as described with respect to
The Execute Workflow sub-menu item 246 is configured to display an executed workflow list of executed workflows. As example of such a list is described with respect to
The screen 200B further comprises a navigation indicator 240 that indicates the user's current location within the UI. In the example configuration in
The screen 300A includes an element list including elements managed by the workflow management system 100 and stored in the database 130. Each element corresponds to a row in the element list. For simplicity, three elements 311, 312, 313 are specifically indicated in
For each of the elements 311-313, the health status (column 314) indicates whether there is a fault or abnormality at the element, or whether the element is healthy (i.e., no fault or abnormality). In the example configuration in
From the element list in the screen 300A, the user may view and/or edit an element configuration of each element, by selecting the corresponding row in the element list, as described with respect to
The screen 300B comprises an input area 330 for receiving user input of an element type of the new element to be created. In the example configuration in
The screen 300B further comprises a Previous button 335 to return to a previous screen of the UI from which the screen 300B progressed, a Cancel button 336 to abort the process of adding a new element, and a Next button 337 to accept the selected element type and progress to a next step of the process of adding a new element, as described with respect to
The screen 300C includes an indicator 340 indicating the element type selected on the screen 300B. For example, when, in the screen 300B, the user selects the button 332 corresponding to the RC element type and then operates the Next button 337, the UI progresses to the screen 300C in which the indicator 340 shows “Cluster” corresponding to the selected element type at the button 332 in the screen 300B. For another example, when, in the screen 300B, the user selects the button 331 corresponding to the BM element type and then operates the Next button 337, the indicator 340 in the screen 300C will show “Bare Metal” or the like.
The screen 300C further comprises an input area 341 for receiving user input of an element name for the new element, an input area 342 for receiving user input of an element description of the new element, and an input area 343 for importing an element configuration of the new element. In some embodiments, an element configuration comprises a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) configuration, for example, as described with respect to
The screen 300C further comprises a Previous button 345 to return to a previous screen of the UI from which the screen 300C progressed, a Cancel button 346 to abort the process of adding a new element, and a Submit button 347 to register the new element with the element type, element name, element description and element configuration input and/or imported at the screen 300B and screen 300C. In some embodiments, upon user operation of the Submit button 347, the newly registered element is stored in the database 130 and displayed in an updated element list of the screen 300A.
The screen 300D includes an indicator 350 indicating the element name (e.g., “dummy04”) of the selected element, and display areas 351-355 correspondingly displaying the element UID, the element type (e.g., “cluster” or RC), the location, the element description (e.g., “DUMMY_04”), and the element configuration of the selected element. For simplicity, detailed information of the element UID and the element location is omitted in the display areas 351, 353. In some embodiments, the displayed information in one or more of the display areas 351-355 is viewable only, i.e., the displayed information is not editable, for example, where the user does not have sufficient privileges to edit the information. In some embodiments, the displayed information in one or more of the display areas 351-355 is editable, e.g., where the user has sufficient privileges. The screen 300D further includes a Cancel button 356 to close the screen 300D, and a Download button 357 to download the element configuration of the selected element. In some embodiments, the downloaded element configuration is usable to create a new element, e.g., by importing the downloaded element configuration into the input area 343 on the screen 300C.
An enlarged view 360 in
In some embodiments, upon user selection of the Function menu item 236 in the screen 200B, the UI displays a screen (not shown) similar to the screen 300A and showing a function list of functions managed by the workflow management system 100 and stored in the database 130 and/or the repository 150. The function list is similar to the element list described with respect to
The screen 400 comprises a plurality of input areas 430-443 correspondingly for various details above a new function to be created, such as function name, version, function script, operator, supported element type, mode of operation, action, fanout, timeout, memory size, CPU (central processing unit), environment variables, runtime, and function description. Some of the details include default information that does not necessarily require user input, whereas other details require user input.
For example, the user may input a function name in the input area 430. Functions can be updated, and after an update of a function the user and/or the system may change the version of the function in the input area 431. For the function script, the user may select a script file to be executed as at least a part of the function by using a Browse button 445 to find and select an intended script file. The filename of the selected script file is displayed in the input area 432. In some embodiments, the intended script file or function script is selected from a plurality of script files in the repository 150. Examples of function scripts include Ansible scripts, or other types of computer-executable code. The input area 433 comprises a drop-down menu for user selection of an intended operator. Example operators include, but are not limited to, Shell (where the function script will be executed on a worker pod), and SSH (Secure Shell, where the function script will be executed on a target node). The input area 434 comprises a drop-down menu for user selection of a supported element type, e.g., BM, RC, VM or the like. The input area 435 comprises a drop-down menu for user selection of an intended mode. Example modes include, but are not limited to, BATCH (where a workflow including the function as a task is to be executed at a plurality of selected elements), and UNIT (where the workflow is to be executed at only one selected element). The input area 436 comprises a drop-down menu for user selection of an intended action. Example actions include, but are not limited to, default (where a workflow including the function as a task cannot change the element configuration of an element where the workflow is to be executed), and mutable (where the workflow can change the element configuration). The user and/or the system may specify a fanout factor to be used with the function in the input area 437. The user and/or the system may specify a timeout (per element) for the function to exit in the input area 438. The user and/or the system may specify a memory size required for a worker pod to perform the function in the input area 439. The user and/or the system may specify a number of CPUs required for a worker pod to perform the function in the input area 440. The user and/or the system may specify one or more environment variables for the function in the input area 441. The user and/or the system may specify the runtime, e.g., an executor image (or worker image) which the function will use, in the input area 442. The user may input a function description of the function in the input area 443.
The screen 4000 further comprises a Cancel button 446 to abort the process of adding a new function, and an OK button 447 to register the created new function. In some embodiments, upon user operation of the OK button 447, the newly registered function is stored in the database 130 and displayed in an updated function list. In some embodiments, the dashboard microservice 110 and the engines 120 include one or more corresponding modules and engines configured to manage functions in a manner similar to how the module 112 and the engine 122 are configured to manage elements, as described herein.
The screen 500A includes a template list including workflow templates managed by the workflow management system 100 and stored in the database 130. Each workflow template corresponds to a row in the template list. For simplicity, three workflow templates 501, 502, 503 are specifically indicated in
From the template list in the screen 500A, the user may view details of a workflow template, by selecting the corresponding row in the template list. In some embodiments, the details of a workflow template are displayed in a screen similar to a screen 500D described with respect to
The screen 500B comprises an input area 510 for receiving user input of a workflow name for the new workflow to be created, and an input area 511 for receiving user input of an element type of the new workflow. In the example configuration in
The screen 500C includes an indicator 520 indicating the workflow name (e.g., “New Workflow”) input at the input area 510 in the screen 500B, a function list 521, and an input area 522 for building a new workflow. The function list 521 is visually presented concurrently with the input area 522, and comprises a plurality of functions commonly designated as 523. The functions 523 in the function list 521 are those functions managed by the workflow management system 100, stored in the database 130, and supporting the element type input or selected for the new workflow at the input area 511 in the screen 500B. The screen 500C further comprises a search bar 524 which permits the user to search for a desired function from the function list 521, based on one or more details described with respect to
The input area 522 is configured to receive user input to build a new workflow 525. The new workflow 525 is being built as a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and comprises a plurality of tasks connected by one or more connections. In the workflow 525, the tasks are commonly designated as 526, and the connections are commonly designated as 527. The screen 500C is configured to permit user manipulations, e.g., drag-and-drop operations, of one or more functions 523 from the function list 521 into the input area 522. An example drag-and-drop operation is designated as 528 in
Similar to the screen 500C, the screen 500D includes the function list 521 (not shown in
The display area 530 comprises a function drop-down 531, an element drop-down 532, and a log drop-down 533. The function drop-down 531, when selected, causes display areas 534, 535 to be shown to visually present details of the function of the selected task 526S. Specifically, the name “Function 54” of the function of the selected task 526S is displayed in the display area 534, and the function description of the function is displayed in the display area 535. The display area 534 is configured as a drop-down menu from which the functions of other tasks in the workflow 525 are selectable. When another function is selected from the drop-down menu 534, the corresponding function description is displayed in the display area 535, and the corresponding task in the workflow 525 is displayed to be visually distinctive from the other tasks of the workflow 525. The information of a selected task displayed in the display areas 534, 535 help the user to verify whether the workflow 525 is being built correctly. In some embodiments, when either the element drop-down 532 or the log drop-down 533 is selected, the UI stops showing the display areas 534, 535. When the element drop-down 532 is selected, the UI shows one or more elements or element types associated with the selected task and/or the workflow 525. When the log drop-down 536 is selected, the UI shows log information associated with the selected task and/or the workflow 525. In some embodiments, information in the element drop-down 532 and/or the log drop-down 533 is not available until the workflow 525 is executed.
The screen 500E includes a workflow list including workflows managed by the workflow management system 100 and stored in the database 130. The workflow list includes new workflows which are generated by editing one or more workflow templates in the template list described with respect to
For each of the workflows 541-503, the workflow name (column 544) is a human understandable and/or descriptive name given to each workflow when the workflow is created or loaded into the workflow management system 100. The workflow type (column 545) indicates whether the workflow is a dynamic workflow, or a static workflow. Other workflow types are within the scopes of various embodiments. The workflow UID (column 546) is a unique identification automatically generated by the system for each workflow in the workflow list. The supported element type (column 547) indicates the element type, e.g., BM, RC, or the like, of elements where the workflow and modified workflows generated from the workflow are executable.
From the workflow list in the screen 500E, the user may view details of a workflow, by selecting the corresponding row in the workflow list. In some embodiments, the details of a workflow are displayed in a screen similar to the screen 500D described with respect to
The screen 500F is configured to receive user input or user selection of an element where the selected workflow is to be executed. The screen 500F comprises an input area 550 for an element type of a desired element, and an input area 551 for receiving user input of an element name of the element. In the example configuration in
The input area 551 comprises a drop-down menu enabling the user to select a desired element from a list of elements which are managed by the workflow management system 100, are stored in the database 130 and correspond to the element type selected or specified in the input area 550. The input area 551 is further configured to accept user input of an element name, and to search for a matching element as characters of the element name are being input. When a matching element is found, the matching element is displayed, e.g., at 552, for user selection. The screen 500F further comprises a Cancel button 553 to abort the process of executing the selected workflow, and an OK button 554 to accept the element selected in the input area 551 and progress to a next step in the process of executing the selected workflow, as described with respect to
The screen 500G includes an indicator 561 indicating the element name, i.e., “Workflow Name 5,” of the selected workflow 560. The workflow 560 includes a plurality of tasks 562-568 arranged and/or connected together on a sequence from task 562 to task 568. The plurality of tasks 562-568 in the workflow 560 comprises a series or set of first tasks 562, 563, followed by a series or set of second tasks 564-568. The first tasks 562, 563 are configured to be executed at each target node in a group of nodes or a cluster, and the second tasks 564-568 are configured to be executed at one or more nodes in the group of nodes or cluster. The numbers of the first tasks and the second tasks in the workflow 560 and/or the sequence of connection of the first tasks preceding the second tasks are examples. In some embodiments, a selected workflow comprises at least one first task and at least one second task connected to the at least one first task, and the at least one second task may precede or follow the at least one first task.
In some embodiments, the system retrieves the element configuration of the element selected for execution of the workflow 560 from the database 130, and determines that the selected element is a group of nodes or a cluster. In an example, the system determines a number of nodes in the selected element by analyzing or reading the element configuration as described with respect to
In the example configuration in
The screen 500G further comprises an Execute button 576 for receiving user instruction to execute the modified workflow 575. In the execution of the modified workflow 575, each of the original set of first tasks 562, 563 and the replicas 572, 573, 574 is configured to perform an OS installation process 569 to install an OS at the corresponding target node. Tasks 562_1˜562_4 are configured for pre-checking before OS installation, and tasks 563_1˜563_4 are configured for OS installation. The second tasks 564-568 are configured to perform a cluster installation process 570 to configure the nodes of the element, after the OS installation, into a cluster. The cluster installation process 570 may begin upon completion of the OS installation process 569, i.e., upon successful completion of all four tasks 563_1˜563_4. Tasks 564-568 are sequentially executed. In an example, task 564 configured for installing a Primary Master (PM) is executed at one node of the selected element, tasks 565-566 configured for installing a Secondary Master (SM) are executed at least at one node different from the PM node, and task 567 configured for installing at least one Agent is executed at least at one further node different from the PM and SM nodes. Task 568 configured for post-checking is the last task of the modified workflow 575. The described specific functions are examples. Other functions, e.g., BIOS upgrade, are within the scopes of various embodiments.
The described number of nodes in the selected element and/or the number of replicas of the set of first tasks automatically generated by the system are examples. In some embodiments, the selected element includes N nodes, where N is a natural number greater than 1, and the system automatically generates (N-1) replicas of the set of first tasks, so that each of the N nodes has its own set of first tasks to be executed thereon. A status of the executed modified workflow 575 is included in a screen of the UI, as described with respect to
The screen 500H includes an executed workflow list of executed workflows each corresponding to a row in the executed workflow list. Each executed workflow includes a corresponding status (failed, success, or paused), process ID, workflow ID, workflow name, the element at which the workflow is executed, start time, duration, and progress report correspondingly under columns 581-588. The screen 500H further comprises a search bar 589 to permit the user to search for a particular executed workflow. The screen 500H also includes a button 590 to permit the user to execute (or re-execute) a workflow selected from the executed workflow list, a button 590A for refreshing the executed workflow list, and a button 590B for filtering the executed workflow list based on, e.g., status and/or start date.
For each of the executed workflows, the workflow name (column 584) is the human understandable and/or descriptive name given to the workflow when the workflow is created or loaded in to the workflow management system 100. The workflow ID (column 583) is a unique identification automatically generated by the system for each executed workflow. The element (column 585) is the human-understandable name of, or a unique identification automatically generated by the system for, the element at which the workflow is executed. In at least one embodiment, multiple elements are displayed, e.g., when the user executes OS installation (a workflow) on multiple clusters (elements). The process ID (column 582) is a unique identification automatically generated by the system. In case of a batch execution (where a workflow is executed at a plurality of selected elements), the process ID will be same for all of the plurality of elements. For instance, when a user wants to execute one workflow (e.g., OS installation) on multiple clusters, one process ID will be automatically created by the system for this batch. In some situations, as illustrated at workflows 592, 595, the same workflow (workflow ID2) executed on the same element (Element 2) but at different start times will result in different process IDs (process ID2 and process ID5). In at least one embodiment, the process ID is unique to every instance of execution of a workflow.
The screen 500I gives the user further details of the selected executed workflow including a step-by-step view of each task in the workflow, the time taken to complete a task, status of a task, or the like. The screen 500I further permits the user to re-run the workflow, for example, where the workflow execution fails for any element. In the example configuration in
The screen 500I includes, besides the indicator 561 indicating the workflow name of the executed workflow, an indicator 591 indicating the status and the time taken to complete the workflow 575. In the example configuration in
In some embodiments, the described dynamic workflow creation and execution provide one or more advantages over other approaches. Specifically, a server is often located in a datacenter/building/site. In accordance with other approaches, a dedicated engineering team is going from site to site to install software, e.g., an OS, in a BM to be configured as a server. This is a manual and time-consuming process. Further, after the OS is installed, the engineering team needs to obtain a permit to get access at node level. In some situations, it may take a week or longer to obtain an appropriate service level agreement (SLA) permit. After gaining the required access, the engineering team needs to run scripts manually to install a cluster. This process is a repetitive job prone to human errors.
The above issues of the other approaches are avoidable in a workflow management system 100 in accordance with some embodiments. The workflow management system comprises a UI configured to permit users to effectively and intuitively manage elements, functions and workflows. The workflow management system is further configured to automatically generate different modified workflows from a same existing or newly created workflow, depending on different element configurations of various elements at which the generated workflows are to be executed. For example, the workflow management system is configured to replicate at least a portion of the workflow based on a number of nodes in an element selected for workflow execution. As a result, in at least one embodiment, it is possible to quickly scale the same workflow to obtain different modified workflows corresponding to various elements with different sizes (e.g., different numbers of nodes). In some embodiments, a user of the workflow management system is provided with a UI to cause automatic generation of dynamic workflows from existing workflows, execute workflows, and/or monitor statuses of the executed workflows. In at least one embodiment, such automatic generation of dynamic workflows from workflows usable as templates reduces the amount of time and/or efforts that would be otherwise spent on manual work and/or travel for preparation and/or execution of scripts to perform similar tasks. One or more embodiments provide one or more advantages including, but not limited to, reduced manual errors, improved performance, reduced cost. In terms of performance, it may take several days for an engineering team to complete an OS and cluster installation workflow (e.g., the workflow 560) in accordance with the manual process of the other approaches. In contrast, it is possible in some embodiments to create over 50 clusters in parallel, within 2 to 3 hours.
At operation 602, an element type supported by a new workflow to be created is received or specified, for example, as described with respect to
At operation 604, an input area for building the new workflow is visually present concurrently with a function list of functions supporting the element type. For example, as described with respect to
At operation 606, the new workflow is generated in response to user manipulation of one or more functions from the function list into the input area, for example, as described with respect to
At operation 608, the generated new workflow is stored, for example, in the database 130 and as described with respect to
At operation 622, a workflow to be executed is loaded by the workflow management system. In an example, a workflow to be executed is selected by a user from a workflow list as described with respect to
At operation 624, an element for execution of the workflow is selected or specified, for example, as described with respect to
At operation 626, the workflow is automatically modified based on an element configuration of the element, to obtain a modified workflow. For example, as described with respect to
At operation 628, the modified workflow 575 is visually presented, for example, as described with respect to
At operation 630, the workflow management system causes execution of the modified workflow at the element, for example, as described with respect to
The described methods and algorithms include example operations, but they are not necessarily required to be performed in the order shown. Operations may be added, replaced, changed order, and/or eliminated as appropriate, in accordance with the spirit and scope of embodiments of the disclosure. Embodiments that combine different features and/or different embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure and will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure.
The computer system 700 includes a hardware processor 702 and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 704. Storage medium 704, amongst other things, is encoded with, i.e., stores, computer program code 706, i.e., a set of executable instructions, such as one or more algorithms, programs, applications, sets of executable instructions for a system, component, and/or module, as described with respect to one or more of
Processor 702 is coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 704 via a bus 708. Processor 702 is also coupled to an I/O interface 710 by bus 708. A network interface 712 is connected to processor 702 via bus 708. Network interface 712 is connected to a network 714, so that processor 702 and computer-readable storage medium 704 are connectable to external elements or devices via network 714. Processor 702 is configured to execute computer program code 706 encoded in computer-readable storage medium 704 in order to cause computer system 700 to be usable for performing a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods. In one or more embodiments, processor 702 comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a multi-processor, a distributed processing system, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and/or a suitable hardware processing unit.
In one or more embodiments, computer-readable storage medium 704 comprises an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, and/or a semiconductor system (or apparatus or device). For example, computer-readable storage medium 704 includes a semiconductor or solid-state memory, a magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk, and/or an optical disk. In one or more embodiments using optical disks, computer-readable storage medium 704 includes a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), a compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W), and/or a digital video disc (DVD).
In one or more embodiments, storage medium 704 stores computer program code 706 configured to cause computer system 700 to be usable for performing a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods. In one or more embodiments, storage medium 704 also stores information or data 707, such as event data, consumer data, business data, policies, component configurations or the like, used in a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods.
I/O interface 710 is coupled to external circuitry. In one or more embodiments, I/O interface 710 includes a keyboard, keypad, mouse, trackball, trackpad, touchscreen, and/or cursor direction keys for communicating information and commands to processor 702. Computer system 700 is configured to receive information through I/O interface 710. The information received through I/O interface 710 includes one or more of instructions, data, policies, configurations and/or other parameters for processing by processor 702. The information is transferred to processor 702 via bus 708. Computer system 700 is configured to receive information related to a user interface through I/O interface 710. The information is stored in computer-readable storage medium 704 as user interface (UI) 742.
Network interface 712 allows computer system 700 to communicate with network 714, to which one or more other computer systems are connected. Network interface 712 includes wireless network interfaces such as BLUETOOTH, WIFI, WIMAX, GPRS, LTE, 7G, 6G, WCDMA, or the like; or wired network interfaces such as ETHERNET, USB, IEEE-864 or the like. In one or more embodiments, a portion or all of noted processes and/or methods, is implemented in two or more computer system 700.
In some embodiments, a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods is implemented as a standalone software application for execution by one or more hardware processors. In some embodiments, a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods is implemented as a software application that is a part of an additional software application. In some embodiments, a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods is implemented as a plug-in to a software application.
In some embodiments, a portion or all of the noted processes and/or methods is realized as functions of a program stored in a non-transitory computer readable recording medium. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium having the program stored therein is a computer program product. Examples of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium include, but are not limited to, external/removable and/or internal/built-in storage or memory unit, e.g., one or more of an optical disk, such as a DVD, a magnetic disk, such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, such as a ROM, a RAM, a memory card, or the like.
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
The present application is a National Phase of International Application No. PCT/US2022/044489, filed Sep. 23, 2022.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/044489 | 9/23/2022 | WO |
