Architecture designing method and system for e-business solutions

• US 20030040920A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Jonathan William, Galambos, George M., Vasudeva, Guruprasad Chitrapur, Koushik, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention provides a method for designing an architecture for e-business solutions. A business description of the e-business solution is developed. The business description describes each actor and each business function in the e-business solution. The business description further describes each interaction among one or more actors and one or more business functions. A pictorial representation of the business description is developed. Business pattern(s), integration pattern(s), composite pattern(s), and application pattern(s) that are identifiable within the pictorial representation are established. Each business pattern is indicative of each grouping of one or more actors and one or more business functions based on a nature of the interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions. Each integration pattern is indicative of an integration of two or more business patterns. Each composite pattern is indicative of a grouping of a recurring combination of one or more business patterns and one or more integration patterns. Each application pattern is indicative of a partitioning of an application logic and a data together with the styles of interaction among a plurality of logical tiers.

Claims

1. A method for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said method comprising:

developing a business description of the e-business solution, the business description describing each actor and each business function in the e-business solution, the business description further describing each interaction among one or more actors and one or more business functions;

developing a pictorial representation of the business description;

establishing one or more business patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each business pattern being indicative of each grouping of one or more actors and one or more business functions based on a nature of the interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions;

establishing one or more integration patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each integration pattern being indicative of an integration of two or more business patterns;

establishing one or more composite patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each composite pattern being indicative of a grouping of a recurring combination of one or more business patterns and one or more integration patterns; and

establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each application pattern being indicative of a partitioning of an application logic and a data together with the styles of interaction among a plurality of logical tiers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the developing a pictorial representation of the business description includes:

identifying all of the actors within the business description;

depicting each actor in the pictorial representation;

identifying each business function in the business description;

depicting each business function in the pictorial representation;

identifying each interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions; and

depicting each interaction in the pictorial representation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing one or more business patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

identifying each business pattern within the pictorial representation; and

depicting each business pattern within the pictorial representation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing one or more integration patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

identifying each integration pattern within the pictorial representation; and

depicting each integration pattern within the pictorial representation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing one or more composite patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

identifying each composite pattern within the pictorial representation; and

depicting each composite pattern within the pictorial representation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

gathering one or more business requirements corresponding to each business function and each interaction within a first business pattern of the one or more business patterns;

identifying each business driver corresponding to the one or more business requirements;

identifying each information technology driver corresponding to the one or more business requirements;

identifying an application pattern associated with the first business pattern having a best match to each business driver and each information technology driver; and

depicting the application pattern within the pictorial representation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

gathering one or more business requirements corresponding to each business function and each interaction within a first integration pattern of the one or more integration patterns;

identifying each business driver corresponding to the one or more business requirements;

identifying each information technology driver corresponding to the one or more business requirements;

identifying an application pattern associated with the first integration pattern having a best match to each business driver and each information technology driver; and

depicting the application pattern within the pictorial representation.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

refining the pictorial representation

9. A system for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said system comprising:

means for developing a business description of the e-business solution, the business description describing each actor and each business function in the e-business solution, the business description further describing each interaction among one or more actors and one or more business functions;

means for developing a pictorial representation of the business description;

means for establishing one or more business patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each business pattern being indicative of each grouping of one or more actors and one or more business functions based on a nature of the interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions;

means for establishing one or more integration patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each integration pattern being indicative of an integration of two or more business patterns;

means for establishing one or more composite patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each composite pattern being indicative of a grouping of a recurring combination of one or more business patterns and one or more integration patterns; and

means for establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each application pattern being indicative of a partitioning of an application logic and a data together with the styles of interaction among a plurality of logical tiers.

10. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable code for developing a business description of the e-business solution, the business description describing each actor and each business function in the e-business solution, the business description further describing each interaction among one or more actors and one or more business functions;

computer readable code for developing a pictorial representation of the business description;

computer readable code for establishing one or more business patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each business pattern being indicative of each grouping of one or more actors and one or more business functions based on a nature of the interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions;

computer readable code for establishing one or more integration patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each integration pattern being indicative of an integration of two or more business patterns;

computer readable code for establishing one or more composite patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each composite pattern being indicative of a grouping of a recurring combination of one or more business patterns and one or more integration patterns; and

computer readable code for establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation, each application pattern being indicative of a partitioning of an application logic and a data together with the styles of interaction among a plurality of logical tiers.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for developing a pictorial representation of the business description includes:

computer readable code for depicting each actor in the pictorial representation;

computer readable code for depicting each business function in the pictorial representation; and

computer readable code for depicting each interaction among the one or more actors and the one or more business functions.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for establishing one or more business patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

computer readable code for depicting each business pattern within the pictorial representation.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for establishing one or more integration patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

computer readable code for depicting each integration pattern within the pictorial representation.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for establishing one or more composite patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

computer readable code for depicting each composite pattern within the pictorial representation.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

computer readable code for depicting an application pattern within the pictorial representation, the application pattern being associated with one of the business patterns.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer readable code for establishing one or more application patterns that are identifiable within the pictorial representation includes:

computer readable code for depicting an application pattern within the pictorial representation, the application pattern being associated with one of the integration patterns.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 comprising:

computer readable code for refining the pictorial representation

18. A method for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said method comprising:

developing a business description of the e-business solution;

developing a pictorial representation of the business description; and

establishing a plurality of patterns within the pictorial representation, the patterns being indicative of various implementations of the business description whereby the pictorial representation serves as a documentation for designing the architecture of the e-business solution.

19. A system for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said system comprising:

means for developing a business description of the e-business solution;

means for developing a pictorial representation of the business description; and

means for establishing a plurality of patterns within the pictorial representation, the patterns being indicative of various implementations of the business description whereby the pictorial representation serves as a documentation for designing the architecture of the e-business solution.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for designing an architecture for an e-business solution, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable code for developing a business description of the e-business solution;

computer readable code for developing a pictorial representation of the business description; and

computer readable code for establishing a plurality of patterns within the pictorial representation, the patterns being indicative of various implementations of the business description whereby the pictorial representation serves as a documentation for designing the architecture of the e-business solution.