Abstract: A technology for indicating and determining the availability of a multitude of application servers. The method comprises for each of application server a first step of inserting into an availability database a notification period defining an upper time limit for a repetition period of an availability signal, which is repeated as long as the application server is available. In a second step for each availability signal its corresponding time stamp is inserted as availability time into the availability database. The difference of the current time and a recent availability time compared to said notification period is representing a measure of availability for the application servers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing a recovery process for a resource manager. The method and apparatus has the resource manager take checkpoints in a manner such that in the case of failure of the resource manager, the time it takes to have requests processed again is shorter than a specified request processing time.

Abstract: A technique for the construction, management, and execution of workflow-based applications consists of at least a development environment for process-based applications (DEPBA), a Workflow Management System (WFMS) and a Database Management System (DBMS). The WFMS provides for the definition and execution of process models underlying the workflow-based applications. The DBMS provides support for definition and execution of components, in particular stored procedures, that implement activities within the process model. The DEPBA provides for the definition of workflow-based applications and the export/import of the appropriate definitions to/from the WFMS and the DBMS.

Abstract: A method and means for automatically deriving from a process model of a workflow management system (WFMS) or a computer system with comparable functionality a set of underlying application services and providing a means to locate these application services by creating entries in appropriate taxonomies.

Abstract: A method of performing a transaction on a database. A number of transactions are available to be performed on said database. At least one of said transactions may only be performed if corresponding requirements are fulfilled, wherein the fulfillment of said requirements depends on the prior successful termination of at least one other transaction. Then, said at least one of said transactions is invoked. Depending on stored information relating to prior successful terminations of transactions it is then checked whether said corresponding requirements are fulfilled. If said requirements are fulfilled, said transaction is performed. Then, after a successful termination of said transaction, an information relating to said successful termination is stored.

Abstract: A method of optimizing a workflow management system (WFMS), the method being executable by the WFMS on at least one computer system. The WFMS accesses a database comprising of at least one process model and instantiations of the process model (process instances). The method contemplates transferring objects of the database to an archive database (archive function). This transfer is preferably carried out in case that a predetermined event occurs or if these objects are not currently used by the WFMS. Preferably the objects to be transferred to the archive database are process instances. These process instances are preferably selected among all instances of a certain process model depending on the value of certain properties of this process model. The objects of the database which are transferred to the archive database can also be process models.

Abstract: A method of extending the specifications of a process model within a workflow process environment is disclosed. The process model defines a process activity managed and executed by at least one computer system. The method of extending links the process model with an object environment within which the process activity is to be implemented. This link is realized by a step of relating the process model to at least one object class and one object method residing within the object environment and implementing a process activity. The method of extending also relates the fields of the input and output containers with the input and output parameters of the related object method. Furthermore the method of extending relates and maps exceptions which might be signaled by the related object method within the object environment to return code fields of the process model.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computerized method of managing workload within a Workflow-Management-System (WFMS) said WFMS comprising a process model, said process model comprising one or more activities being the nodes of an arbitrary graph, and directed edges of said graph defining a potential control flow within said process-model.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the area of workflow management systems (WFMS). More particularly the invention is related to a methodology of automatically deriving and steadily improving a process model executed by the WFMS. The current invention dramatically simplifies and automates the process of model a business model of a business process. The invention allows to start just with set of unrelated activities and discover the real world relations between them at a later point in time; data mining and OLAP technologies are exploited for this discovery. The current invention thus proposes a posteriori methodology. For that purpose the precise underlying process model is derived at a later point in time based on audit data collected by the WFMS during the early deployment of a process model.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for automatically distributing software to a target computer system by obtaining a computer-system-description of the target-computer-system and at least one process-model of a workflow-management-system (WFMS) which includes an activity to be carried out by the target computer system. The software requirements of the target computer system are determined based upon the process model of the WFMS and the computer-system-description of the target computer system. The determined software requirements are then provided to a software distribution management system (SDMS) to distribute the determined software to the target computer system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the area of workflow management systems (WFMS). More particularly the inventions extends WFMS by subscription means. The subscription means operate on an audit trail stored within a database. The subscription means may encompass a multitude of subscription monitors. Subscription monitors allow to subscribe to the audit trail, i.e. to formulate certain interests as subscription selectors on information entered into the audit trail. A subscription monitor autonomously checks the audit trail for subscribed audit records. If such audit records have been determined the subscription monitor executes a subscription actuator, i.e. a pre-defined program. The subscription actuator may inform the subscriber on the subscribed audit record or may start any type of program. The current invention teaches to implement the subscription monitors as database triggers of the database storing the audit trail. The subscription selectors are realized as search conditions of the database trigger.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of integration of applications that are executed by computer systems. In an additional focus, the current invention improves the integration of applications within workflow management systems. The basic approach of the invention to this problem are the features of input container materialization programs and output container dematerialization programs. The materialization programs are executed for an input container before the input container is passed to a process activity. The purpose of the materialization programs is to perform materialization of the input container by retrieving its data members' contents from arbitrary storage areas and/or by manipulating the data-member's contents. The de-materialization programs are executed after a process activity completed execution, and their purpose is to perform de-materialization of the output container by manipulating its data-members' contents and/or storing its data members' contents to arbitrary storage areas.

Abstract: WFMS execute a multitude of process models consisting of a network of potentially distributed activities. Within this structure is the implementation of events within WFMS like any other process activity. Thus events are implemented as event-activities, a special type of an activity within said WFMS. Such an event-activity can manage an event occurring internal or external to the WFMS.

Abstract: Method for automatically generating an implementation of input and output container reusable parts for a process model managed and executed by at least one computer system. The method of generating uses the specification of a process model extended by specifications associating the process model to a reusable part environment outside the workflow process environment and generates an implementation of said input and output containers as reusable parts residing within said reusable parts environment. The method of generating comprises an analysis of the specifications of said process model. Based on this analysis the method generates the associated input container reusable parts and associated output container reusable parts as implementations of said input and output containers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of computerized transaction of a collection of a multitude of potentially distributed transactions ensuring the atomicity of the collection of transactions. Besides offering atomic processing behavior the invention optimizes the communication traffic for the coordination of said transactions and the concurrency behavior and throughput of said collection of transactions. The fundamental concept of the current invention for the processing of a collection of potentially distributed transactions encompassed by a global transaction is based on the approach to split the collection of transactions into groups of transactions. Each of the groups is called a transactional stratum or stratum for short. Each stratum is processed and synchronized via an atomic-commit-protocol, thus guaranteeing an ACID processing outcome for each individual stratum. The global transaction, hence structured as a resulting collection of groups of transactions, i.e.

Abstract: A method is described for generating computer programs from process models, e.g., C++ computer programs. The generation of a computer program is based linearizing a process graph with respect to the sequence of activity execution, associating process model constructs to classes and methods of an object-oriented programming technique, and representing activities and data items as instances of classes. The generated computer programs can be compiled into executables and executed on a computer system. Advantageously, process instances can be executed on a computer system with significantly less resource consumption for managing the process instances.

Abstract: A computerized transaction execution with a workflow management systems (WFMS) executes a process model consisting of a network of potentially distributed activities including transactional work items. A computerized methodology defines, controls and processes a collection of a transactional work items ensuring the atomicity of the collection of transactional work items. The collection of transactional work items owns a separate commit scope not influenced by a commit scope potentially implemented within said transactional work items. The WFMS is enabled to infer details of the process model of collections of transactional work items which can be processed in the sense of global transactions with a common commit scope. Transactional work items with a common commit scope are combined into atomic spheres. The collection of transactional work items constitute a common atomic sphere in an alternative embodiment.

Abstract: Workflow management systems (WFMS) execute a multitude of process models including a network of potentially distributed activities. WFMS store WFMS state information on the process models, the process model instances currently executed by the WFMS, together with the instances's state and the state of the WFMS themselves, in Database Management Systems (DBMS). The WFMS engines encompassing a set of control functions are implemented directly within the DBMS. Only stubs corresponding to these control functions need be implemented within the WFMS. The stubs exploit the services of the control function cores within the DBMS. Such implementation architectures can increase performance of WFMS significantly as the control functions can operate on and within those computer systems which store the data on the WFMS state.

Abstract: A computer aided design system generates graphical models of 2- or 3-dimensional objects with at least partially variable dimensions, in particular mechanical parts. In order to generate models having a predetermined plurality of structural elements, like through-holes, etc. being distributed over the model in a predetermined manner, the computer aided design system is provided with means for selecting a sub-group of design commands corresponding to a structural element of the model. After inputting a replication command, the selected element is replicated in a predetermined manner, e.g., distributed either by rotation about a predetermined center point at predetermined angular steps or shifted along linear axes with predetermined spacings or scaled at predetermined locations.

Abstract: The differences .DELTA.V of the speed signals of diagonally opposed wheels and the time variation signals of these differences are formed. If at least one of these signals exceeds a prescribed threshold, a curve detection signal is supplied which can be used to shut down the delay of the yaw speed build-up in an ABS.