Document Workflow Orchestration Runtime for Cross-Cloud Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing document management systems require expertise in cloud platform-specific technologies for designing workflows, and workflows are not portable across different cloud platforms.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to define platform-independent document workflows, which are then compiled and executed on multiple cloud platforms using a document workflow orchestration runtime, enabling seamless execution and monitoring across various cloud environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cloud platform specific APIs and services are used to execute document management workflow, then the workflow can be executed on the cloud platform, but the workflow requires knowledge and understanding of specific cloud platforms and cannot be executed on a different cloud platform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (workflow definition file and orchestration runtime) between the document management workflow and the cloud platform specific APIs. This intermediary translates platform-independent workflow definitions into platform-specific execution steps, allowing the same workflow to be executed on different cloud platforms without modification. The workflow definition file serves as the mediator that decouples the workflow logic from platform-specific implementations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal workflow definition format that can be executed on multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) through a single interface. The workflow definition file uses a standardized structure with parameters like cloud_platform, region, and service_type that can be configured for different platforms without changing the core workflow logic, enabling one workflow to serve multiple platform functions.
2Ease of operation
If platform independent document workflow specification is used, then users can design workflows without cloud platform specific knowledge, but the workflow requires compilation to platform specific specification for execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary compilation of the platform-independent workflow definition into platform-specific specifications before execution. The orchestration runtime pre-processes the workflow definition file, resolves dependencies, and generates the appropriate platform-specific configuration and API calls in advance, so that during actual execution, the workflow can be run directly without real-time compilation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the platform-specific compilation complexity into a separate orchestration runtime component, isolating it from the workflow design and execution interfaces. This allows users to interact with simple platform-independent workflow definitions while the complex compilation and platform adaptation logic is handled by the extracted orchestration runtime, which users do not need to directly manage.
Data Source
AI summary
A system configures, executes, and monitors document workflows executing using workflow engines executing on cloud platforms. The system generates a platform independent document workflow specification that describes a document workflow configured for execution on any of a plurality of workflow engines, each workflow engine executing on a cloud platform. The system compiles the platform independent document workflow specification to generate a platform specific document workflow specification configured for execution on a target workflow engine executing on a target cloud platform. A document workflow orchestration runtime executes and monitors the execution of the platform specific document workflow specification.