Workflow Anywhere: Invocation of Workflows from a Remote Device

Abstract

A method and program for providing the ability for systems personnel to use a personal wireless device, such as a mobile phone, palm device, or blackberry device, to receive a system alert regarding a developing situation requiring action and to be notified of pre-selected workflows that can resolve the situation prompting the alert. The systems personnel are then able to select a workflow, provide needed parameters, and provide the human approval to execute the workflow. The application packages the information provided by the user into a form usable by the orchestration/provisioning server. The server will perform the requested workflow as if entered on a local console and will respond to the device with a workflow status.

1 . A method of managing a computer system, comprising the computer-initiated steps:
 receiving notification from a monitoring program of a triggering event;   sending notification of the triggering event and a list of proposed workflows to a wireless device for display to a user;   when a given one of said list of proposed workflows is chosen, providing a list of parameters necessary to run said chosen one of said proposed workflows; and   when an instruction to launch said chosen one of said proposed workflows is received accompanied by an authorized user name and password, causing said chosen one of said proposed workflows to be launched.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing notification of whether or not said chosen one of said workflows completed successfully or not. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing notification of whether or not said chosen one of said workflows completed successfully or not. 
   
   
       4 . A method of managing a computer system from a handheld wireless device, comprising the steps:
 receiving, at a program on a handheld wireless device, notification of a triggering event and a list of workflows that can respond to the triggering event;   displaying said notification and said list for the user;   receiving a choice of one of said list of workflows and requesting parameters associated with said one of said workflows;   receiving said parameters, populating ones of said parameters with associated values, and displaying said parameters and said associated values;   forwarding said parameters, said associated values, a user name, and a password to a server for initiation of said one of said list of workflows.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of populating a value for said user name from memory. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of receiving a password from the use. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said list of workflows contains only a single workflow. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said list of workflows contains at least two workflows. 
   
   
       9 . A system, comprising:
 a first server containing a first processor and a first memory and connected to receive notification of triggering events occurring on a second server; and   a wireless handheld device containing a second processor and a second memory and connected to receive messages from said first server;   first instructions stored in said first memory and second instructions stored in said second memory, said first instructions and said second instructions together capable of performing the steps of:   receiving a notice of a first triggering event of said triggering events;   passing said notice and a list of proposed workflows to said wireless device for display to a user;   when a given one of said list of proposed workflows is chosen by the user, retrieving a and presenting a list of parameters necessary to run said given one of said proposed workflows; and   when an instruction to launch said given one of said proposed workflows is received accompanied by an authorized user name and password, causing said given one of said proposed workflows to be launched.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said first instructions and said second instructions further comprise providing notification of whether or not said given one of said workflows completed successfully or not. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said first instructions further comprise, when said given one of said workflows did not complete successfully, presenting a second workflow on said handheld device for user approval. 
   
   
       12 . A computer program product on a computer-readable media, comprising:
 first instructions for receiving notification from a monitoring program of a triggering event;   second instructions for sending notification of the triggering event and a list of proposed workflows to a wireless device for display to a user;   third instructions for, when a given one of said list of proposed workflows is chosen, providing a list of parameters necessary to run said chosen one of said proposed workflows; and   fourth instructions for, when an instruction to launch said given one of said proposed workflows is received accompanied by an authorized user name and password, causing said given one of said proposed workflows to be launched.   
   
   
       13 . A computer program product of  claim 12 , further comprising fifth instructions for providing a notice of whether or not said given one of said workflows completed successfully or not. 
   
   
       14 . A computer program product on a computer-readable media for a handheld wireless device, comprising:
 first instructions for receiving notification of a triggering event and a list of workflows that can respond to the triggering event;   second instructions for displaying said notification and said list for the user;   third instructions for receiving a choice of one of said list of workflows and requesting parameters associated with said one of said workflows;   fourth instructions for receiving said parameters, populating ones of said parameters with associated values, and displaying said parameters and said associated values;   fifth instructions for forwarding said parameters, said associated values, a user name, and a password to a server for initiation of said one of said list of workflows.   
   
   
       15 . A computer program product of  claim 14 , further comprising sixth instructions for populating a value for said user name from memory. 
   
   
       16 . A computer program product of  claim 14 , further comprising seventh instructions for receiving a password from the user.