Patent ID: 6104869
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method of controlling a work flow system having a plurality of computer nodes connected via an information network, data flowing through said computer nodes so that at least a part of said data is allocated to and processed at each of said computer nodes in accordance with a work defined beforehand, said method executed by a work flow engine comprising the steps of:storing, into a first memory area, first management information containing information expressing a connecting relation of said plurality of computer nodes arranged in accordance with a flow of said data, said connecting relation containing a joint point between outputs of at least two computer nodes;storing, into a second memory area, second management information containing information expressing data start and end positions of data allocated to and processed at each of said computer nodes; andconcatenating data allocated to and processed at said at least two computer nodes on the basis of said first and second management information to thereby generate at least a part of said data to be allocated to a subsequent computer node connected to said joint point.