Method and apparatus for managing workflow in a single sign-on framework
A method for managing workflow for an application, including obtaining an application adapter associated with the application, wherein the application adapter specifies a sub-task, monitoring the application to obtain a state, and performing an action associated with the sub-task, if the state is associated with the sub-task.
1. A method for managing workflow for an application, comprising:
authenticating a user;
retrieving a profile associated with the user, if the user is authenticated,
wherein the profile comprises an application adapter;
wherein the profile is a single sign-on profile;
said application adapter further comprises a pre-login task in which a user ID corresponding to the user is configured as an external parameter and a pre-state for which is configured to recognize a prompt for the user ID and, responsive to the prompt for the user ID, to supply the user ID to the application via an application adapter runtime;
obtaining the application adapter associated with the application, wherein the application adapter specifies a sub-task;
monitoring the application to obtain a state; and
performing an action associated with the sub-task, if the state is associated with the sub-task.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the application; and
associating the application adapter with the profile.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the application adapter comprises:
selecting a task;
specifying the sub-task associated with the task;
specifying a means for recording the state associated with the sub-task;
recording the state using the means for recording the state;
specifying the action to perform when the state associated with the sub-task is encountered; and
generating the application adapter using the state associated with the sub-task and the action.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the application adapter comprises an initialization portion and a script portion.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the script portion comprises the action.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the means for recording the associated state comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of auto-state configuration mechanism and manual-state configuration mechanism.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the action comprises passing a local parameter to the application.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-task is associated with a task.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the task is at least one selected from the group consisting of a pre-login task, a login task, a post-login task, a logout task, and a pre-termination task.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-task comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a pre-state setting, the action, and a post-state setting.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sub-task comprises a dynamic variable.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the action comprises functionality to use the dynamic variable to navigate the user to a particular point in the application.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises functionality to navigate the user to a particular point in the application.
14. The method of claim 1 , where in the application adapter is interpreted using an application adapter runtime.
15. A system for managing workflow for an application, comprising:
a processor;
an authentication infrastructure configured to authenticate a user and retrieve a profile associated with the user when the user is authenticated,
wherein the profile comprises an application adapter;
wherein the profile is an single sign-on profile; and
said application adapter further comprises a pre-login task in which a user ID corresponding to the user is configured as an external parameter and a pre-state for which is configured to recognize a prompt for the user ID and, responsive to the prompt for the user ID, to supply the user ID to the application via said application adapter runtime;
wherein the application comprises a state;
an application adapter configured to define an action associated with the state; and
an application adapter runtime configured to monitor the application and perform the action when the state is encountered.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a database configured to store the profile.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the action is associated with a sub-task.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the sub-task comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a pre-state and a post-state.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the sub-task comprises a dynamic variable.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the action is configured to use the dynamic variable to navigate the user to a particular point in the application.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sub-task is associated with a task.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the task is at least one selected from the group consisting of a pre-login task, a login task, a post-login task, a logout task, and a pre-termination task.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the action is configured to navigate the user to a particular point in the application.
24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the application adapter comprises an initialization portion and a script portion.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the script portion comprises the action.
26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the state comprises at least one application selected from the group consisting of text, window title, parent and child windows, and control IDs.