On-demand cloud robots for robotic process automation
Systems and methods for implementing robotic process automation (RPA) in the cloud are provided. An instruction for managing an RPA robot is received at an orchestrator in a cloud computing environment from a user in a local computing environment. In response to receiving the instruction, the instruction for managing the RPA robot is effectuated.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at an orchestrator in a cloud computing environment from a user in a local computing environment, a command for executing a job for performing a robotic process automation (RPA) workflow in the cloud computing environment, the command comprising an instruction for managing an RPA robot;
in response to receiving the command for executing the job, effectuating the instruction for managing the RPA robot;
performing a task by the RPA robot executing in the cloud computing environment; and
transmitting results of the task from the RPA robot executing in the cloud computing environment to the user in the local computing environment.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction for managing the RPA robot comprises an instruction for creating the RPA robot, the method further comprising:
generating an image of a virtual machine; and
creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the RPA robot on based on the image.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the virtual machine is configured by the user via remote desktop protocol.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the virtual machine is configured with a virtual private network to enable the RPA robot to access data behind a firewall of a local network in the local computing environment.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the RPA robot on based on the image comprises:
automatically creating the one or more new virtual machines based on a workload.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the RPA robot is part of a robot pool, the method further comprising:
automatically updating RPA robots of the robot pool during a maintenance window, wherein the RPA robots are automatically set to not accept new jobs during the maintenance window.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein automatically updating RPA robots of the robot pool during a maintenance window comprises:
during a first period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating a first portion of the RPA robots of the robot pool while a second portion of the RPA robots of the robot pool continues to accept jobs; and
in response to the updating of the first portion being completed, during a second period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating the second portion of the RPA robots while the first portion of the RPA robots accepts jobs.
8. A cloud computing environment comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
a cloud orchestrator executing in the cloud computing environment for:
receiving, from a user in a local computing environment, a command for executing a job for performing a robotic process automation (RPA) workflow in the cloud computing environment, the command comprising an instruction for managing one or more RPA robots, and
in response to receiving the command for executing the job, effectuating the instruction for managing the RPA robot; and
a cloud robot pool comprising the one or more RPA robots for:
performing a task in the cloud computing environment for the user in the local computing environment, and
transmitting results of the task from the one or more RPA robots executing in the cloud computing environment to the user in the local computing environment.
9. The cloud computing environment of claim 8 , wherein the instruction for managing the one or more RPA robots comprises an instruction for creating the one or more RPA robots, the cloud orchestrator further for:
generating an image of a virtual machine; and
creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the one or more RPA robots on based on the image.
10. The cloud computing environment of claim 9 , wherein the virtual machine is configured by the user via remote desktop protocol.
11. The cloud computing environment of claim 9 , wherein the virtual machine is configured with a virtual private network to enable the one or more RPA robots to access data behind a firewall of a local network in the local computing environment.
12. The cloud computing environment of claim 11 , wherein creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the one or more RPA robots on based on the image comprises:
automatically creating the one or more new virtual machines based on a workload.
13. The cloud computing environment of claim 8 , the cloud orchestrator further for:
automatically updating the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool during a maintenance window, wherein the one or more RPA robots are automatically set to not accept new jobs during the maintenance window.
14. The cloud computing environment of claim 13 , wherein automatically updating the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool during a maintenance window comprises:
during a first period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating a first portion of the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool while a second portion of the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool continues to accept jobs; and
in response to the updating of the first portion being completed, during a second period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating the second portion of the one or more RPA robots while the first portion of the one or more RPA robots accepts jobs.
15. A computer-implemented method comprising:
maintaining a cloud robot pool comprising one or more robotic process automation (RPA) robots in a cloud computing environment, the one or more RPA robots performing a task in the cloud computing environment for a user in a local computing environment and transmitting results of the task from the one or more RPA robots executing in the cloud computing environment to the user in the local computing environment; and
managing the cloud robot pool using a cloud orchestrator implemented in the cloud computing environment, the cloud orchestrator:
receiving, from a user in a local computing environment, a command for executing a job for performing an RPA workflow in the cloud computing environment, the command comprising an instruction for managing the one or more RPA robots, and
in response to receiving the command for executing the job, effectuating the instruction for managing the one or more RPA robots.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the instruction for managing the one or more RPA robots comprises an instruction for creating one or more additional RPA robots, the cloud orchestrator further:
generating an image of a virtual machine; and
creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the one or more additional RPA robots on based on the image.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the virtual machine is configured by the user via remote desktop protocol.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the virtual machine is configured with a virtual private network to enable the one or more RPA robots to access data behind a firewall of a local network in the local computing environment.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein creating one or more new virtual machines for executing the one or more additional RPA robots on based on the image comprises:
automatically creating the one or more new virtual machines based on a workload.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , the orchestrator further:
automatically updating the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool during a maintenance window, wherein the one or more RPA robots are automatically set to not accept new jobs during the maintenance window.
21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 , wherein automatically updating the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool during a maintenance window comprises:
during a first period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating a first portion of the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool while a second portion of the one or more RPA robots of the cloud robot pool continues to accept jobs; and
in response to the updating of the first portion being completed, during a second period of time of the maintenance window, automatically updating the second portion of the one or more RPA robots while the first portion of the one or more RPA robots accepts jobs.