Rapid application integration using reusable patterns

• US 20040044986A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Foerg, Karl-Heinz, Kompalli, Prasad, Pauly, Heinz
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Techniques are provided to integrate two or more application systems by using a declarative approach that describes functions or rules to be performed to integrate application systems. Particular integration functions are defined that may be useful for common integration activities. Integration functions may be defined for particular objects and may be assembled to form a declarative business process flow. The declarative business process flow identifies the objects to be exchanged between two or more systems, the sequence of particular transformation functions, the physical field to field transformations required, and the physical connection to be established between the systems. An application integration workstation is described that provides a framework and tools to design, develop and modify (or maintain) application integration software. Such an application integration workstation may reduce the time required to construct or maintain application integration software, which may be referred to as “rapid application integration.”

Claims

1. A method of designing integration software to perform a specified data transfer between different specified application software systems, the method comprising specifying an integration design that accomplishes the specified data transfer and that is made up of at least one integration design pattern, in response to receiving a user input 1) that selects, from a repository that identifies various standard processes used in data transfers, the integration design patterns needed to accomplish the specified data transfer, and 2) that specifies a sequence by which the selected integration design patterns are to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating, from the specified integration design, software code that controls the specified data transfer.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising associating at least one portion of the generated software code with at least one portion of the integration design, each particular portion of the generated software code being associated with a particular portion of the integration design.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a second user input that identifies a portion of the integration design to be displayed; and

displaying a portion of the generated software code that is associated with the portion of the integration design identified by the second user input.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising modifying the displayed portion of the generated software code.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the generated software code comprises generated executable instructions.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the generated software code comprises a generated template for integration software.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one integration design pattern includes at least one of a pattern for validating a data collection for mandatory information, a pattern for splitting data from one data collection into separate data collections, a pattern for invoking a key mapping function, a pattern for invoking a data transformation function, a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for a particular application system, and a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one integration design pattern decomposes into at least two integration design patterns.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one integration design pattern comprises at least one functional atom that describes at least one of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, or a helper functional atom.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the data processing functional atom describes at least one of a transformation functional atom, a branch functional atom, an unbranch functional atom, a split functional atom, or a join functional atom.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the functional atom comprises a transformation functional atom, further comprising:

receiving a data collection and a data transformation rule;

transforming the received data collection by applying the data transformation rule to the received data collection; and

producing a transformed data collection.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the data transformation rule comprises a transformation rule having multiple transformation components.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the functional atom comprises a branch functional atom, further comprising:

receiving a data collection;

transforming the received data collection based in data values within the received data collection; and

producing at least one data collection based on the received data collection.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the functional atom comprises a unbranch functional atom, further comprising:

receiving at least one data collection; and

producing a data collection based on the data collections received.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the functional atom comprises a split functional atom, further comprising:

receiving a data collection;

transforming the received data collection based on repeating data within the received data collection; and

producing at least one data collection based on the received data collection.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the functional atom comprises a join functional atom, further comprising:

receiving at least one data collection with each data collection including a particular type of data; and

producing a data collection based on the at least one data collection received.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the functional atom comprises a validate functional atom, further comprising:

receiving a data collection and a data validation rule,

validating the received data collection by applying the validation rule to the received data collection; and

producing a validation result.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the data validation rule comprises a data validation rule having multiple validation components.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the functional atom comprises one or more of a call atom or an include atom.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the functional atom comprises a call atom, further comprising:

receiving an identification of executable software; and

executing the identified executable software.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the functional atom comprises an include atom, further comprising:

receiving an identification of a second functional atom; and

executing the second functional atom.

23. A method of designing integration software to perform a specified data transfer between different specified application software systems, the method comprising:

specifying an integration design that accomplishes the specified data transfer and that is made up of at least one integration design pattern, in response to receiving a user input

     1) that selects, from a repository that identifies various standard processes used in data transfers, the integration design patterns needed to accomplish the specified data transfer, and

     2) that specifies a sequence by which the selected integration design patterns are to be performed;

generating, from the specified integration design, software code that controls the specified data transfer; and

associating at least one portion of the generated software code with at least one portion of the integration design, each particular portion of the generated software code being associated with a particular portion of the integration design.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one integration design pattern includes at least one of a pattern for validating a data collection for mandatory information, a pattern for splitting data from one data collection into separate data collections, a pattern for invoking a key mapping function, a pattern for invoking a data transformation function, a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for a particular application system, and a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one integration design pattern comprises at least one functional atom that describes at least one of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, or a helper functional atom.

26. A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon a computer program configured to design integration software to perform a specified data transfer between different specified application software systems, the medium or signal comprising at least one code segment configured to specify an integration design that accomplishes the specified data transfer and that is made up of at least one integration design pattern, in response to receiving a user input 1) that selects, from a repository that identifies various standard processes used in data transfers, the integration design patterns needed to accomplish the specified data transfer, and 2) that specifies a sequence by which the selected integration design patterns are to be performed.

27. The medium or signal of claim 26 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to generate, from the specified integration design, software code that controls the specified data transfer.

28. The medium or signal of claim 27 the at least one code segment is further configured to associate at least one portion of the generated software code with at least one portion of the integration design, each particular portion of the generated software code being associated with a particular portion of the integration design.

29. The medium or signal of claim 26 wherein the at least one integration design pattern includes at least one of a pattern for validating a data collection for mandatory information, a pattern for splitting data from one data collection into separate data collections, a pattern for invoking a key mapping function, a pattern for invoking a data transformation function, a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for a particular application system, and a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

30. The medium or signal of claim 26 wherein the at least one integration design pattern comprises at least one functional atom that describes at least one of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, or a helper functional atom.

31. A system for designing integration software to perform a specified data transfer between different specified application software systems, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and at least one input/output device, wherein the processor is configured to specify an integration design that accomplishes the specified data transfer and that is made up of at least one integration design pattern, in response to receiving a user input 1) that selects, from a repository that identifies various standard processes used in data transfers, the integration design patterns needed to accomplish the specified data transfer, and 2) that specifies a sequence by which the selected integration design patterns are to be performed.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the processor is further configured to generate, from the specified integration design, software code that controls the specified data transfer.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to associate at least one portion of the generated software code with at least one portion of the integration design, each particular portion of the generated software code being associated with a particular portion of the integration design.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the at least one integration design pattern includes at least one of a pattern for validating a data collection for mandatory information, a pattern for splitting data from one data collection into separate data collections, a pattern for invoking a key mapping function, a pattern for invoking a data transformation function, a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for a particular application system, and a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the at least one integration design pattern comprises at least one functional atom that describes at least one of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, or a helper functional atom.

36. A system for designing integration software comprising:

a computing workstation with which a user interacts to design integration software to perform data transfers between different application software systems; and

a repository accessible by the computing workstation and comprising a library of integration design patterns, each integration design pattern declaratively describing a standard process used in a data transfer, wherein the user is able to select one or more integration design patterns and use them to construct a software design that performs a specified data transfer between different specified application software systems.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the library of integration design patterns comprises at least one of a pattern for validating a data collection for mandatory information, a pattern for splitting data from one data collection into separate data collections, a pattern for invoking a key mapping function, a pattern for invoking a data transformation function, a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for a particular application system, and a pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the library of integration design patterns comprises at least one functional atom that describes at least one of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, or a helper functional atom.