Workflow engine framework

Abstract

A workflow engine framework for creating a single-domain adaptive and a cross-domain adaptive workflow engine platform is disclosed. The single-domain adaptive workflow engine framework is allocated to each of two or more different signal domains and forms a cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework. Here, the single-domain adaptive workflow engine framework includes a resource management unit configured to manage resources including engine components and workflow property specification components; a system configuration unit configured to create an engine by assembling the property specification components; and a system control unit configured to drive and execute one or more engines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework comprising:
 a single-domain workflow engine framework comprising
 a resource management unit configured to manage resources including engine components and workflow property specification components needed to perform a workflow, 
 a system configuration unit configured to create an engine by assembling the workflow property specification components and combining the engine components needed to perform the workflow to configure a necessary engine component container according to a workflow specification, and 
 a system control unit configured to drive, in a manner defined in a workflow property specification and in order to control the execution, one or more engines created by the system configuration unit; and 
   a cross-domain convergence system connected with the single-domain workflow engine frameworks and configured to determine a single domain to which the engine is to be deployed from among single domains included in a cross-domain according to a cross-domain workflow defined.   
     
     
         2 . The cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-domain convergence system comprises:
 a cross-domain resource management unit configured to receive a report for workflow resources from the single-domain workflow engine framework, update the workflow resources, and update available components, hardware, network information, or device information for each domain through resource information received from each domain; and   a cross-domain system configuration unit configured to divide one cross-domain workflow specification into a plurality of single-domain workflow specifications in order to process the cross-domain workflow specification, determine a deployment location of each of the engine component containers, and deploy the engine component containers.   
     
     
         3 . The cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework of  claim 1 , wherein in order to determine a single domain to which an engine is to be distributed from among the single domains included in the cross domain, the cross-domain convergence system comprises:
 a checking unit configured to check whether a data source and a data destination needed for each engine are present in the same domain;   a determining unit configured to make a determination about, when the data source and the data destination for the engine are present in the same domain, whether it is possible for an engine to be configured by using resources in the corresponding domain;   a deploying unit configured to deploy, when the engine configuration is possible, an engine specification so that the engine is configured in the corresponding domain;   a searching unit configured to search for, when the check result of the checking unit shows that the data source and the data destination for the engine are not present in the same domain or when the determination result of the determining unit shows that the engine configuration is not possible, another domain allowing the same engine component configuration to determine an alternative candidate domain group; and   cost estimating unit configured to perform cost estimation to determine an alternative domain from the alternative candidate domain group when the alternative candidate domain group is determined and to apply a deployment domain selection policy to select an optimum domain to which the engine is to be deployed.   
     
     
         4 . The cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the workflow specification is defined through a system definer-editor and provided to the cross-domain convergence system, and   wherein the system definer-editor comprises:
 an engine type selection unit configured to provide various engine types and enable the user to select a desired one from among the engine types; 
 a component selection unit configured to provide a list of various engine components for each component type so that the user selects a component type and an engine component for the type; and 
 a component property selection/editing unit configured to provide properties of the engine component selected in the component selection unit and enable the user to inquire about, select, and edit the properties. 
   
     
     
         5 . The cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework of  claim 1 , wherein the engine comprises:
 a reader configured to bring data from one or more data sources;   one or more unit operators configured to receive data from the reader and process the received data;   one or more writers configured to output internally processed data to one or more data destinations;   a runner configured to execute a separate program or platform for processing input data or manage a session; and   a controller configured to input such data through the reader, process the data over the runner, and perform the series of controls for outputting the processed data.   
     
     
         6 . A method of determining a single domain to which a necessary engine is to be deployed from among single domains included in a cross domain through the cross-domain convergence system included in the cross-domain adaptive workflow engine framework of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 (1) checking whether a data source and a data destination needed for each engine are present in the same domain;   (2) making a determination about, when the data source and the data destination for the engine are present in the same domain, whether it is possible for an engine to be configured by using resources in the corresponding domain;   (3) deploying, when the engine configuration is possible, an engine specification so that the engine is configured in the corresponding domain;   (4) searching for, when the checking result of operation (1) shows that the data source and the data destination for the engine are not present in the same domain or when the determination result of operation (2) shows that the engine configuration is not possible, another domain allowing the same engine component configuration to determine an alternative candidate domain group; and   (5) performing cost estimation to determine an alternative domain from the alternative candidate domain group when the alternative candidate domain group is determined, and applying a deployment domain selection policy to select an optimum domain to which the engine is to be deployed.