Multiserver workflow system

Details Multiserver workflow system Multiserver workflow system

1998-11-24

2001-08-14

Etienne, Ario (Department: 2155)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Miscellaneous

C709S203000, C709S227000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06275846

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a server/client system and, more particularly, to a multiserver workflow system comprising a plurality of subsystems.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a process for circulating a document to concerned departments or concerned persons and obtaining approvals of those circulation destinations. A workflow system realizes such a process on a computer network. Specifically speaking, there is an example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,127.
Generally, a server has business process definition information as definition information of a document flow (business process). The document (case) inputted by the user on a client is controlled in accordance with the definition information.
Hitherto, as a workflow system, there is a workflow system with a single server construction in which one server and a plurality of clients are connected via a network.
There is also a workflow system having a multiserver construction such that a plurality of servers and a plurality of clients are connected via a network and a control is made so that the plurality of servers have the same business process definition information and all of the plurality of servers have the newest status information of a case which is being processed.
There is also a workflow system having a multiserver construction such that a plurality of workflow systems each having the single server construction as mentioned above are connected to the same network.
In case of the conventional workflow system of the single server construction, since all of the businesses depend on one server, if the server causes a malfunction, all of the businesses are stopped. The number of businesses of which the server is in charge increases, a use frequency of the businesses rises, and a load which is applied to the server increases, so that a business executing speed decreases.
In case of the workflow system of the multiserver construction which holds the same information, an amount of information which is stored into each server increases and traffics among the servers for keeping the information identical among the servers occur. There is a case where unless the backup and restoring operations are executed in a lump in all of the servers, a mismatch among the servers occurs in the information recovered from the backup.
In case of the workflow system of the multiserver construction in which a plurality of workflow systems of the single server construction are connected to the same network, since the users cannot be collectively managed, the user management is troublesome. Further, when a change in construction (the number) of servers occurs, it is necessary to change information in all clients using the target system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a multiserver workflow system in which even when a server to be connected does not work, the client can try to connect with another server.
Another object of the invention is to provide a multiserver workflow system which can execute businesses on servers other than a fault occurring server.
Still another object of the invention is to make it easy to manage and change information on servers and users in a multiserver workflow system.
To accomplish those objects, a workflow system according to the invention has the following construction.
A multiserver workflow system in which each server and the users who use clients construct one subsystem comprises: a plurality of servers; a plurality of clients; and a network to which the servers and clients are connected. All of the servers have: address information of the servers belonging to all subsystems; and correspondence information of all users and the subsystems which can be used by the users. When each client is connected to any one of the servers, the client downloads a list of the subsystems which can be used by the user who use the client and addresses of the servers constructing the usable subsystem from the connecting server and stores them as a connectable server list for each login user.
Further, each client tries to connect to the server by using the stored connectable server list and, when the connection to the server fails, the client tries to connect to another server in the connectable server list.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5634127 (1997-05-01), Cloud et al.
patent: 5754857 (1998-05-01), Gadol
patent: 5774667 (1998-06-01), Garvey et al.
patent: 5867824 (1999-02-01), Saito et al.
patent: 6098108 (2000-08-01), Sridhar et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Multiserver workflow system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Multiserver workflow system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multiserver workflow system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2550653