System and method for resource identification

• US 10,185,594 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhamidipaty, Anuradha, Kannan, Kalapriya
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebresilassie, Kibrom K
• Application Number:
  US12/608,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,372 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1, 703 6, 705 172, 707763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

Systems and methods for resource identification. Preferably, this can be undertaken via modeling in which primary constraints include requirements and availability and building a resource map that includes alternatives which can help in the realization of the function.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a resource identification tool having one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules comprising computer program code comprising;

computer program code configured to identify software and hardware resources of a target computer platform which meet each of a plurality of predetermined functional requirements, via;

computer program code configured to model resource constraints relating to each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements and the target computer platform;

the modeling including decomposing, using a functional decomposition module, each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements into at least one of a resource component corresponding to at least one resource and platform component corresponding to a implementation platform, and functionally classifying each of the components of the predetermined functional requirement via identifying and assigning a resource category to each component;

computer program code configured to identify constraints for each of the components, wherein the constraints are applicable to the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to identify at least one resource meeting the constraints applicable to the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to identify the software and hardware resources based on the identified at least one resource and identified constraints of the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to develop a resource map comprising the identified software and hardware resources for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as required and at least one resource alternative for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as desired, wherein the at least one resource alternative is not specified in the functional requirement and comprises an alternative to the at least one resource; and

computer program code configured to determine whether the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met based upon the resource map by applying the identified constraints to the resource map; and

computer program code configured to, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met, output the resource map and implementing a best fit of resources available on the target computer platform corresponding to the resources identified in the output resource map; and

computer program code configured to, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirement cannot be met, output a set of components needed to meet the plurality of predetermined functional requirements.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is further configured to provide confirmation of the target computer platform successfully meeting the functional requirement.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is further configured to output at least one required component for the target computer platform to successfully meet the functional requirement.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is further configured to filter resource constraints such that solely those resource constraints applicable to the target computer platform are considered.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is configured to determine additional resource constraints via ascertaining at least one alternative to a given resource constraint.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is configured to determine additional resource constraints via ascertaining resource constraints for components available on the target computer platform.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is further configured to ascertain resources already available on the target computer platform.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said computer program code is configured to model resource constraints via modeling resources already available on the target computer platform as constraints.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is configured to assign resource constraints via employing preexisting information on functional requirement resource categories and on functional requirement resource constraints corresponding thereto.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program code is configured to assign resource constraints via employing preexisting information on target computer platform resource categories and on functional requirement resource constraints corresponding thereto.

11. A method comprising:

executing with one or more processors one or more modules of computer program code configured for identifying software and hardware resources of a target computer platform which meet each of a plurality of predetermined functional requirements;

said identifying comprising;

modeling resource constraints relating to each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements and the target computer platform;

said modeling comprising decomposing, using a functional decomposition module, each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements into at least one of a resource component corresponding to at least one resource and platform component corresponding to a implementation platform, and functionally classifying each of the components of the predetermined functional requirement via identifying and assigning a resource category to each component;

identifying constraints for each of the components, wherein the constraints are applicable to the target computer platform;

identifying at least one resource meeting the constraints applicable to the target computer platform;

identifying the software and hardware resources based on the identified at least one resource and identified constraints of the target computer platform;

developing a resource map comprising the identified software and hardware resources for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as required and at least one resource alternative for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as desired, wherein the at least one resource alternative is not specified in the functional requirement and comprises an alternative to the at least one resource; and

determining whether the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met based upon the resource map by applying the identified constraints to the resource map; and

outputting, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met, the resource map and implementing a best fit of resources available on the target computer platform corresponding to the resources identified in the output resource map; and

outputting, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirement cannot be met, a set of components needed to meet the plurality of predetermined functional requirements.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing confirmation of the target computer platform successfully meeting the functional requirement.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising outputting at least one required component for the target computer platform to successfully meet the functional requirement.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising filtering resource constraints such that solely those resource constraints applicable to the target computer platform are considered.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said determining comprises ascertaining at least one alternative to a given resource constraint.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said determining comprises ascertaining resource constraints for components available on the target computer platform.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising ascertaining resources already available on the target computer platform.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said modelling comprises modelling resources already available on the target computer platform as constraints.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein said assigning comprises employing preexisting information on functional requirement resource categories and on functional requirement resource constraints corresponding thereto.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said assigning comprises employing preexisting information on target computer platform resource categories and on functional requirement resource constraints corresponding thereto.

21. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable storage medium comprising;

computer program code configured to identify software and hardware resources of a target computer platform which meet each of a plurality of predetermined functional requirements, via;

computer program code configured to model resource constraints relating to each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements and the target computer platform;

the modeling including decomposing, using a functional decomposition module, each of the plurality of predetermined functional requirements into at least one of a resource component corresponding to at least one resource and platform component corresponding to a implementation platform, and functionally classifying each of the components of the predetermined functional requirement via identifying and assigning a resource category to each component;

computer program code configured to identify constraints for each of the components, wherein the constraints are applicable to the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to identify at least one resource meeting the constraints applicable to the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to identify the software and hardware resources based on the identified at least one resource and identified constraints of the target computer platform;

computer program code configured to develop a resource map comprising the identified software and hardware resources for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as required and at least one resource alternative for predetermined functional requirements from the plurality of predetermined functional requirements identified as desired, wherein the at least one resource alternative is not specified in the functional requirement and comprises an alternative to the at least one resource; and

computer program code configured to determine whether the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met based upon the resource map by applying the identified constraints to the resource map; and

computer program code configured to, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirements can be met, output the resource map and implementing a best fit of resources available on the target computer platform corresponding to the resources identified in the output resource map; and

computer program code configured to, if the plurality of predetermined functional requirement cannot be met, output a set of components needed to meet the plurality of predetermined functional requirements.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein said computer program code is further configured to provide confirmation of the target computer platform successfully meeting the functional requirement.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein said computer program code is further configured to output at least one required component for the target computer platform to successfully meet the functional requirement.

24. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein said computer program code is further configured to filter resource constraints such that solely those resource constraints applicable to the target computer platform are considered.

25. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein said computer program code is configured to determine additional resource constraints via ascertaining at least one alternative to a given resource constraint.