System for controlling task execution using a graphical representation of task dependency

1. A method for control of task execution in a computer system including:

accepting a specification of a graphical representation of task dependency having

a plurality of task elements each associated with a different task,

a resource element having a plurality of attachment locations, wherein the resource element comprises a timeline with attachment locations being associated with points on the timeline, and

linking elements coupling the task elements to the resource element at the plurality of attachment locations, wherein couplings of task elements to attachment locations on the resource element specify an execution ordering constraint on the tasks associated with the task elements to define an order in which the tasks are to be executed; and

executing the tasks according to the graphical representation of task dependency.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the task elements comprise nodes in the graphical representation, and the linking elements comprise links in the graphical representation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource element is associated with a computation resource for access by the tasks.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the computation resource includes a storage resource.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the computation resource includes a data table.

6. A data structure tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium, the data structure including:

data representations of a plurality of task elements,

a data representation of a resource element having a plurality of attachment locations, wherein the resource element comprises a timeline with the attachment locations being associated with point on the timeline, and

data associating the task elements to the attachment locations, wherein associations of task elements to attachment locations specify an execution ordering constraint on tasks associated with the task elements to define an order in which the tasks are to be executed;

wherein the data structure specifies a graphical representation of task dependency used by a computer system to execute the tasks associated with the task elements according to the ordering constraint.

7. The data structure of claim 6 wherein the data structure is associated with a resource.

8. The data structure of claim 6 wherein the resource is associated with a computation resource for access by the tasks.

9. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the computation resource includes a storage resource.

10. The data structure of claim 8 wherein the computation resource includes a data table.

11. A task execution system including:

a repository including data conforming to a data model, the data model including

a plurality of task elements each associated with a different task,

a resource element having a plurality of attachment locations, wherein the resource element comprises a timeline with the attachment locations being associated with points on the timeline, and

linking elements coupling the task elements to the resource element at the plurality of attachment locations, wherein couplings of task elements to attachment locations on the resource element specify an execution ordering constraint on the tasks associated with the task elements to define an order in which the tasks are to be executed, and

a task execution module including at least one processor, having access to the repository over at least one input device or port in communication with the repository, configured to execute the tasks according to the graphical representation of task dependency.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the task elements comprise nodes in the graphical representation, and the linking elements comprise links in the graphical representation.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the resource element is associated with a computation resource for access by the tasks.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the computation resource includes a storage resource.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the computation resource includes a data table.

16. A task execution system including at least one processor including:

means for accepting a specification of a graphical representation of task dependency having

a plurality of task elements each associated with a different task,

a resource element having a plurality of attachment locations, wherein the resource element comprises a timeline with the attachment locations being associated with points on the timeline, and

linking elements coupling the task elements to the resource element at the plurality of attachment locations, wherein couplings of task elements to attachment locations on the resource element specify an execution ordering constraint on the tasks associated with the task elements to define an order in which the tasks are to be executed, and

means for executing the tasks according to the graphical representation of task dependency.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the task elements comprise nodes in the graphical representation, and the linking elements comprise links in the graphical representation.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the resource element is associated with a computation resource for access by the tasks.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the computation resource includes a storage resource.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the computation resource includes a data table.

21. A method for control of task execution in a computer system including:

accepting a specification of a graphical representation of task dependency having

a plurality of task elements each associated with a different task,

a resource element having a plurality of attachment locations, wherein the resource element comprises a timeline with the attachment locations being associated with points on the timeline, and

linking elements coupling the task elements to the resource element at a plurality of attachment locations, in a time-ordered sequence defining an execution ordering constraint on the tasks associated with the task elements to define an order in which the tasks are to be executed, and

executing the tasks according to the graphical representation of task dependency.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein relative positions of the plurality of attachment locations on the resource element define the ordering constraint.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of attachment locations comprise at least three attachment locations.

24. The data structure of claim 6 wherein relative positions of the plurality of attachment locations on the resource element define the ordering constraint.

25. The data structure of claim 24 wherein the plurality of attachment locations comprise at least three attachment locations.

26. The system of claim 11 wherein relative positions of the plurality of attachment locations on the resource element define the ordering constraint.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the plurality of attachment locations comprise at least three attachment locations.

28. The system of claim 16 wherein relative positions of the plurality of attachment locations on the resource element define the ordering constraint.