Patent ID: 8442852

Claim:
A printing system job workflow analysis and control system, comprising: a plurality of printing devices, each printing device associated with one or more printing processes; a GUI (graphical user interface); a controller operatively connected to the printing devices and the GUI, the controller configured with instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the controller, enable the controller to perform functions comprising: receiving a JDF (Job Definition Format) data representation of a workflow including a plurality of print jobs to be executed by the printing system; accessing a knowledge database including service descriptions defining printing processes necessary to execute the respective services; performing a Hierarchical Dependence Graph representation of the workflow, including process and resource dependencies; performing an initial workflow analysis including a J-HDG, Definition 2, process-centric representation of the workflow, and a Connectivity Matrix of J-HDG, wherein the Connectivity Matrix transforms the J-HDG, Definition 2, representation to a J-HDG, Definition 6, representation; beginning the execution of the workflow based on the initial workflow analysis; performing a dynamic workflow analysis during the execution of the workflow, the dynamic workflow analysis including the J-HDG, Definition 2, representation of the workflow, and the Connectivity Matrix of J-HDG, and adjusting the execution of the workflow based on the dynamic workflow analysis, wherein the J-HDG Definition 2 process-centric representation is defined as a HDG G=+V, E, where V={v|v i εV, 1=1, . . . , |V]} is a set of vertex and E={e|e k εE, k=1, . . . |E|} is a set of directed edges, and JDF resources are vertices, the vertex incoming edges are JDF nodes which produce the JDF resources and the vertex outgoing edges are JDF nodes which consume the JDF resources.