Robotic process automation system with device user impersonation

Abstract

A robotic process automation system provides a capability to deploy software robots (bots) by receiving from a deployment user a bot deployment request comprising a bot identification that identifies a specific bot and an authorized class of user to execute the specific bot. Credentials of the deployment user are checked. An execution device upon which the specific bot will execute is identified from a set of available devices. An authorization token is issued for the execution device to uniquely identify the execution device and to authorize the execution device to communicate with the robotic process automation system. In response to a request by the execution device the specific bot and credentials corresponding to the authorized class of user are provided, wherein the specific bot executes on the execution device automatically without input from any individual corresponding to the authorized class of user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlled deployment of bots within a robotic process automation system, comprising:
 receiving from a deployment user a bot deployment request comprising a bot identification that identifies a specific bot encoded to perform application level tasks that may be performed by a human user, and wherein the bot deployment request identifies or includes an authorized class of users to execute the specific bot, wherein the authorized class of user corresponds to one or more users authorized to perform the application level tasks to be performed by the specific bot;   determining if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot based on deployment credentials of the deployment user;   if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot, then:
 providing, to an execution device that is to execute the specific bot, the specific user tokens corresponding to one or more users in the authorized class of users to permit the specific bot to execute automatically without input from any user corresponding to the authorized class of users; 
 providing, to the execution device that is to execute the specific bot, one or more user credentials corresponding to the authorized class of users; and 
 permitting operation of the specific bot at the execution device using the one or more user credentials corresponding to the authorized class of users. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot based on deployment credentials of the deployment user comprises comparing the deployment credentials of the deployment user with class credentials of the authorized class of users. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot, the method comprises:
 providing the specific bot to the execution device that is to execute the specific bot.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing the one or more user credentials corresponding to the authorized class of users comprises retrieving the one or more user credentials based on at least one of the specific user tokens corresponding to one or more users in the authorized class of users. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a number of devices requested to execute the specific bot. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a specific device or a type of device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a specific device, and wherein the method comprises:
 queuing the bot deployment request in the event the specific device requested in the bot deployment request is in use.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bot deployment request includes information pertaining to one or more of processing capability, storage requirements, and software requirements. 
     
     
         9 . A robotic process automation system comprising:
 data storage for storing at least:
 a plurality of sets of task processing instructions, each set of instructions encoding a bot operable to interact at a user level with one or more designated user level application programs; and 
 information, at least some of which is stored as files, for processing by one or more devices executing a corresponding bot; and 
   a processor operatively coupled to the data storage and configured to execute instructions that when executed cause the processor to at least:
 receive from a deployment user a bot deployment request comprising a bot identification that identifies a specific bot, and wherein the bot deployment request identifies or includes an authorized class of user to execute the specific bot, wherein the authorized class of user corresponds to a group of users, the group comprising stored identities of one or more individual users authorized to perform the application level tasks to be performed by the specific bot; and 
 check deployment credentials of the deployment user to determine if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot, 
 wherein if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot, then the processor is configured to at least:
 identify, from a set of available devices, an execution device that is to execute the specific bot; 
 issue an authorization token to the execution device to uniquely identify the execution device and to authorize the execution device to communicate with the robotic process automation system; 
 provide, to the execution device that is to execute the specific bot, the specific bot and one or more user tokens corresponding to one or more individual users in the authorized class of user; and 
 facilitate execute of the specific bot on the execution device. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein the specific bot is able to execute on the execution device without requiring input from any user corresponding to the authorized class of user. 
     
     
         11 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a number of devices requested to execute the specified bot. 
     
     
         12 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 11 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a specific device or a type of device. 
     
     
         13 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
 queue the bot deployment request in the event the specific device requested in the bot deployment request is in use.   
     
     
         14 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
 store prior bot deployment requests of the bot deployment user and provide at least certain of the prior bot deployment requests for selection by the deployment user.   
     
     
         15 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein the bot deployment request further comprises requirements on the execution device, the requirements including two or more of: processing capability, storage requirements, and software requirements. 
     
     
         16 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 9 , wherein executing the specific bot comprises:
 providing to the execution device, as a function of the one or more user tokens, one or more user credentials corresponding to the one or more the user tokens; and   permitting a session with the authorized class of user by the specific bot using the one or more user credentials.   
     
     
         17 . A robotic process automation system comprising:
 data storage for storing at least:
 a plurality of sets of task processing instructions, each set of instructions encoding a bot operable to interact at a user level with one or more designated user level application programs; and 
 information, at least some of which is stored as files, for processing by devices executing a corresponding bot; 
   a control room comprising:
 a deployment service responsive to a bot deployment request from a deployment user, the bot deployment request comprising a bot identification that identifies a specific bot, and wherein the bot deployment request further comprises an authorized class of user to execute the specific preexisting bot, wherein the authorized class of user corresponds to a group of users, the group comprising stored identities of one or more users authorized to perform the application level tasks to be performed by the specific bot, the deployment service,
 checking deployment credentials of the deployment user to determine if the deployment user is authorized to deploy the specific bot, and if the deployment user is determined to be authorized to deploy the specific bot, then issuing a device request, and 
 issuing a request for a user token corresponding to the one or more users; 
 
 a device service responsive to the device request for assigning a device and for providing an identifier of the assigned device; 
 a user management service responsive to the request for a user token for retrieving one or more user tokens corresponding to the request for a user token and for providing the one or more user tokens to the deployment service; and 
 a packaging service for compiling the specific bot and for packaging, with the specific bot, dependencies required by the specific bot, the packaging service issuing a run command and causing delivery of the run command to the assigned device, 
 wherein the control room further comprises a credential vault that responds to a request for user credentials generated by the assigned device as a function of the one or more user tokens by retrieving one or more user credentials corresponding to the one or more user tokens and providing the one or more user credentials to the assigned device for initiating a session with the specific preexisting bot. 
   
     
     
         18 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 17 , wherein the control room further comprises a repository service that responds to a request for the specific bot by retrieving the specific bot and causing delivery of the specific preexisting bot to the assigned device. 
     
     
         19 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 17 , wherein the bot deployment request further identifies a number of devices requested to execute the specific bot. 
     
     
         20 . The robotic process automation system of  claim 17 , wherein the bot deployment request further comprises requirements on the execution device, the requirements including two or more of: processing capability, storage requirements, and software requirements.