Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Marc Levy

Anthony Dean Andrews

Lucius Gregory Meredith

Brian C Beckman

Amit Mital

Bimal Kumar Mehta

Satish Ramchandra Thatte

Johannes Klein

Lev Novik

Vladimir Sadovsky

Moe Khosravy

Robert George Atkinson

Myron C Thomas

Jorg-Thomas Pfenning

Michael Scott Beckerman

Terry J Myerson

Mitra Kanchan

James Utzschneider

Michael S Beckeman

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve synchronization of data between varying types of devices and/or services. A full participant receives a request from another participant to perform a synchronization operation. The synchronization engine determines whether the device or service is a full, partial, or simple participant. The device or service is a simple participant if it has a data store for synchronized data and no knowledge store. The device or service is a partial participant if it has a data store for synchronized data and a knowledge store, but does not understand the knowledge. The device or service is a full participant type if it has a data store for synchronized data and a knowledge store and understands the knowledge. The synchronization engine performs the synchronization operation with the device or service using a set of logic that is appropriate for the type of device or service.

Synchronization peer participant model

A methodology of reducing process algebra to a language that facilitates modeling a business workflow process is provided. A process algebra is reduced to a model for business workflow processes. The model is then reduced to a scheduling programming language to allow users to create models of business process by selecting between features of the model and conventional modeling features. The scheduling programming language can be represented as a graphical user interface program that is convertible to a schedule language written in a programmable language. The present invention provides for explicitly representing parallelism within the business workflow process by separating interdependent transactions from independent transactions. The isolation of certain transactions are relaxed, such that users can define transactional boundaries in order to increase granularity of the transaction at an action level and provide visibility of transactions at intermediate steps.

Model for business workflow processes

A methodology of employing a binding for interfacing a business workflow process executable program to a real world implementation. The binding can be reduced to a programming language. A preferable programming language is XML (Extensible Markup Language). Separation of the business workflow processes and the binding allow for the same business workflow process to be implemented across a variety of different technologies. The binding maps ports and messages to corresponding units of codes and invocations of a particular technology being utilized for the modeling of the business workflow process. The binding provides a user with the ability to structure schedule messages, define the relationship of schedule ports to units of code, define the relationship of schedule actions to invocations, control the flow of data between messages, provide details of schedule conditionals and specify the interaction of the schedule with specific technology behaviors.

Binding for business workflow processes

An error-handling framework is provided for business process transactions. The error-handling framework facilitates coordination of the invocation of exception and compensation handlers in response to errors. The error-handling framework includes support for custom ordering of compensation actions, data flow into and out of compensation actions, and management of the process state visible to compensation actions.

Compensation framework for long running transactions

A graphical user interface (GUI) scheduler program is provided for modeling business workflow processes. The GUI scheduler program includes tools to allow a user to create a schedule for business workflow processes based on a set of rules defined by the GUI scheduler program. The rules facilitate deadlock not occurring within the schedule. The program provides tools for creating and defining message flows between entities. Additionally, the program provides tools that allow a user to define a binding between the schedule and components, such as COM components, script components, message queues and other workflow schedules. The scheduler program allows a user to define actions and group actions into transactions using simple GUI scheduling tools. The schedule can then be converted to executable code in a variety of forms such as XML, C, C+ and C++. The executable code can then be converted or interpreted for running the schedule.

System and method utilizing a graphical user interface of a business process workflow scheduling program

A business relationship is effectuated between a first party and a second party and is governed by an agreement between the first party and the second party. The first party creates a token that authorizes a delegate to request a transaction according to the agreement on behalf of the first party, specifies in the token at least one constraint on a transaction requested by the delegate on behalf of the first party, and provides the token to the delegate. The delegate sends to the second party the token and a transaction document requesting a transaction according to the agreement. The second party applies each constraint in the token against the transaction document to determine whether the transaction document satisfies each constraint. If so, the transaction document is accepted for fulfillment.

Authorization token accompanying request and including constraint tied to request

A method for executing a schedule in a workflow application is provided. The method comprises a hierarchical transaction commit rule allowing access to the data associated with an action in the schedule according to a transaction boundary and the state of the action. The invention further comprises selectively compensating at least one action according to a compensation parameter and at least one transaction boundary after abortion of another action. The invention further provides storing schedule state information to a storage medium based on a transaction boundary within the schedule. In addition, the invention provides for selectively obtaining at least a portion of the schedule state information from the storage medium, and selectively monitoring the schedule execution based on at least a portion of the schedule information obtained from the storage medium. Further provided, is a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of the above methods.

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Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Marc Levy