Management instrumentation and discovery (MID) server support for executing automated flows within a cloud based system

A method of operating a cloud-based computer system for dispatching autonomous task flows of multiple operations across a plurality of operating environments, at least two of the plurality of operating environments having different execution capabilities, the method comprising:

• maintaining a customer instance environment communicatively coupled, via a network interface, to at least one management instrumentation and discovery (MID) server environment located in a customer private network;
• obtaining a task flow definition from a non-transitory computer readable medium of the cloud-based computer system, the task flow definition comprising a plurality of operations, each operation representing a discrete portion of an overall task as identified in the task flow definition;
• receiving an indication, at a processing unit of the cloud-based computer system, to initiate processing of the overall task at the customer instance environment;
• making a first determination, at the customer instance environment, of a proper execution environment for a first operation of the plurality of operations, the proper execution environment selected from the group consisting of:
• the customer instance environment, a MID server environment, and either the customer instance environment or the MID server environment;
• identifying at least a first execution environment for execution of the first operation based on the first determination;
• receiving an indication of a determined first environment for execution of the first operation;
• providing information sufficient to process at least a first portion of the task flow to the determined first environment if the determined first environment is not a current execution environment;
• providing an indication to initiate execution of the first operation in the determined first environment as the current execution environment;
• receiving an indication of a second determination, from the current execution environment, the indication providing information that a second operation of the plurality of operations requires execution within an execution environment different from the current execution environment;
• identifying at least a second environment for execution of the second operation based on the second determination;
• receiving an indication of a determined second environment for execution of the second operation;
• providing information sufficient to process at least a second portion of the task flow to the second determined environment;
• and
• providing an indication to initiate execution of the second operation in the second determined environment as the current execution environment.

An apparatus configured to manage and control task flows of multiple operations across a plurality of operating environments, at least three of the plurality of operating environments having different execution capabilities, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory storage area;
• a network interface communicatively coupled to one or more processing units and the memory storage area, wherein the memory storage area comprises computer instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the apparatus to:
• initiate an instance of a flow plan as a run-time task flow from a customer instance environment communicatively coupled, via the network interface, to at least a first management instrumentation and discovery (MID) server environment and a second MID server environment, the first MID server environment and the second MID server environment having operational capabilities different from each other and from the customer instance environment;
• identify an initial execution environment for a first operation as an initial operation of the run-time task flow, each operation in the run-time task flow representing a discrete portion of an overall task as identified in the flow plan, the initial execution environment identified based on matching execution requirements of the first operation to operational capabilities of the initial execution environment;
• provide an indication to initiate execution of the first operation in the initial execution environment, the initial execution environment selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) the customer instance environment, (ii) the first MID server environment, and (iii) the second MID server environment;
• make a first determination of a second execution environment, different from the initial execution environment, for a second operation of the run-time task flow;
• transfer information pertaining to the run-time task flow to the second execution environment;
• and
• provide an indication to initiate execution of the second operation in the second execution environment, the second execution environment selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) the customer instance environment, (ii) the first MID server environment, and (iii) the second MID server environment,
• wherein the first MID server environment and the second MID server environment are provided by network infrastructure located in a customer private network remote from the apparatus.