System and method utilizing a graphical user interface of a business process workflow scheduling program

A business process scheduling program having computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the business process scheduling program, comprising:

• a plurality of schedule tool components employed to create a representation of a business process schedule according to a set of predefined rules;
• an input screen for inputting interfaces and methods of the plurality of schedule tool components;
• a separator bar for separating the input screen into a first screen area and a second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a schedule tool component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;
• at least one implementation port that couples at least one workflow component to the schedule tool component, the at least one implementation port is created on the separator bar by dragging the schedule tool component into the second screen area using a user selection device;
• at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;
• a data flow screen that illustrates data flow between the business process schedule and the plurality of schedule tool components;
• a conversion component employed to convert the schedule to XML code;
• wherein the plurality of schedule tool components comprises at least one action component for defining actions in a business process schedule and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, and the action components grouped by the at least one action grouping component are selectable between an associated state and a non-associated state, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;
• and
• an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component.

A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

• code for providing a first screen region that is employed by a user to create a representation of a business workflow process and providing a second screen region that is employed by a user to bind the business process workflow representation to a representation of at least one technological component;
• and
• displaying a separator bar between the first screen area and the second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;
• displaying a workflow component menu having a plurality of workflow components employed to create a business workflow process in the first screen region, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one action component for defining actions in a business workflow process and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;
• retrieving and displaying an implementation port image employed to bind a technological component to a component in a business workflow process in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device;
• retrieving and displaying at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;
• displaying a data flow screen that illustrates data flow between the at least one implementation port and the at least one technological component;
• and
• displaying an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component;
• and
• wherein the representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.

A system comprising computer hardware for executing the following software components, the system facilitates modeling of business processes that are representable at a transaction level and an action level, the system is recorded on a computer-readable medium and capable of execution by a computer, comprising:

• a graphical user interface;
• a plurality of modeling components accessible through the graphical user interface and employed to create a graphical representation of a business process and a binding of the business process to at least one technological component;
• at least a portion of the plurality of modeling components residing on a workflow component menu employed to create the graphical representation of a business workflow process in a first screen area;
• at least a portion of the plurality of modeling components residing on a binding component menu employed to create a binding to the graphical representation of the business workflow process in a second screen area;
• a separator bar separating the first screen area from the second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;
• at least one implementation port coupling at least one component of the graphical representation of the business process to the technological component, the at least one implementation port is created on the separator bar by dragging the at least one technological component into the second screen area using a user selection device;
• at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;
• a data flow screen illustrating data flow between the implementation port and the technological component;
• and
• wherein the graphical representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.

A graphical user interface program having computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the graphical user interface program comprising:

• means for allowing a user to create a graphical representation of a business process;
• means for providing an input screen for inputting interfaces and methods of at least one technological component;
• means for displaying a separator bar for separating the input screen into a first screen area and a second screen area, the separator bar allows a user to drag a technological component from the first screen area to the second screen area to create an implementation port on the separator bar;
• means for allowing a user to create a binding of the graphical representation of the business process to at least one technological component;
• means for allowing a user to create a workflow component menu including a plurality of workflow components employed to create a business workflow process, the plurality of workflow components comprising at least one action component for defining actions in a business workflow process and at least one action grouping component for grouping the at least one action component, the at least one action grouping component being a role component and a transaction component;
• means for retrieving and displaying an implementation port image employed to bind a technological component to a component in a business workflow process in response to a user selecting one of the technological components and dragging the component into the second screen area using a user selection device;
• means for retrieving and displaying at least one role port that connects an action with an associated role to an implementation port on the separator bar, wherein once an action is associated with the role, a user is prevented from dragging a role to create another role port for associating the same action to the role;
• means for viewing data flow between the means for coupling and the at least one technological component;
• and
• means for displaying an editable transaction property screen employed to relate catch code and compensation code to the transaction component, wherein compensation code is invoked on other transaction components upon a failure of a given transaction component and catch code is invoked on the failed transaction component;
• and
• wherein the representation of the business workflow process is converted into XML code.