Rapid application integration

• US 20040044987A1
• 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 7,225,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

Techniques are provided to integrate two or more application systems by using an 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 hitegration 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 system for use in the design, development or modification of application integration software that performs data exchange between at least two application systems, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and at least one input/output device, wherein the processor is configured to design, develop, or modify a declarative integration workflow.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one integration design pattern that describes a data exchange between at least two application systems.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one integration pattern that describes a function included in a particular data exchange between at least two application systems.

4. The system of claim 2 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.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one an integration design pattern that decomposes into two or more integration design patterns.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured indicate a sequence of at least two integration design patterns.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least two application systems between which data is to be exchanged in a declarative integration workflow.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least two application services between which data is to be exchanged in a declarative integration workflow.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to associate an application service with an application system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to represent the data to be exchanged between at least two application systems.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one type of data.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one data collection to be exchanged.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one of an object, an object type, an object instance, a database table, a database segment, a database table row, a document capable of being accessed thorough a format that may be transmitted by an Internet Protocol, an XML-document, a text file, a binary file, and a message.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to generate application integration software based on the declarative integration workflow.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to generate a template for application integration software.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to generate source code.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to generate executable instructions for a computer.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to permit a user to modify the generated application integration software.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to associate the generated application integration software with the declarative integration workflow.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to associate at least one portion of the generated application integration software with the at least one portion of the declarative integration workflow, each particular portion of the generated application integration software being associated with a particular portion of the declarative integration workflow.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to generate application integration software based on a layer of application integration.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to generate application integration software based on at least one of a business process layer, an integration design pattern layer, a functional atom layer, a data transformation rule layer, a data layer, and a physical connection layer.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the business process layer identifies at least one application system with which an application integration function is to be performed.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the business process layer identifies at least one service, each service being associated with an identified application system.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the integration design pattern layer specifies at least one declarative design pattern that identifies an integration function used during an application integration function.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the functional atom layer identifies at least one functional atom that declaratively describe an action that relates to an application integration function.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the data transformation rule layer specifies data transformation logic that describes how data is transformed.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the data transformation logic comprises a data transformation rule.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the data layer that specifies data included in an application integration function.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the data included in an application integration function comprises at least one of an object instance, an attribute, an attribute value, and control data included in an application integration function.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the physical connection layer comprises a physical connection layer that identifies or includes a physical connection and network that is used to connect two computer systems involved in an application integration function.

32. A design workstation and accompanying user interface for use in the design, development or modification of at least two application systems, the software design workstation comprising a processor connected to a storage device and at least one input/output device, wherein the processor is configured to design, develop, or modify a declarative integration workflow.

33. The design workstation of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to generate a user interface used to design, develop or modify a declarative integration workflow.

34. The design workstation of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one integration design pattern that describes a data exchange between two or more application systems.

35. The design workstation of claim 34 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.

36. The design workstation of claim 34 wherein the processor is further configured to represent at least one of an integration design pattern that decomposes into at least two integration design patterns.

37. A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon a computer program configured for use in the design, development or modification of application integration software that performs data exchange between at least two application systems, the medium or signal comprising at least one code segment configured to design, develop, or modify a declarative integration workflow.

38. The medium or signal of claim 37 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to represent in a computer at least one integration design pattern that describes a data exchange between two or more application systems.

39. The medium or signal of claim 38 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to represent at least one integration pattern that describes a function included in a particular data exchange between at least two application systems.

40. The medium or signal of claim 38 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to represent at least one integration design pattern that 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 design 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.

41. The medium or signal of claim 38 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to represent at least one of an integration design pattern that decomposes into at least two integration design patterns.

42. The medium or signal of claim 37 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to indicate a sequence of at least two integration design patterns.

43. The medium or signal of claim 37 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to generate application integration software based on the declarative integration workflow.

44. The medium or signal of claim 43 wherein at least one code segment is further configured to generate a template for application integration software.

45. The medium or signal of claim 43 wherein the at least one code segment is configured to associate one or more portions of the generated application integration software with one or more portions of the declarative integration workflow, each particular portion of the generated application integration software being associated with a particular portion of the declarative integration workflow.

46. The medium or signal of claim 43 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to generate application integration software based on at least one layer of application integration.

47. The medium or signal of claim 46 wherein the at least one code segment is further configured to generate application integration software based on at least one of a business process layer, an integration design pattern layer, a functional atom layer, a data transformation rule layer, a data layer, and a physical connection layer.

48. The medium or signal of claim 47 wherein the functional atom layer comprises a functional atom layer that identifies at least one functional atom that declaratively describes a discrete action that relates to an application integration function.

49. A method for use in the design, development or modification of application integration software that performs data exchange between at least two application systems comprising designing, developing, or modifying a declarative integration workflow.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising representing at least one integration design pattern that describes a data exchange between at least two application systems.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein representing at least one integration pattern comprises representing at least one integration pattern that describes a function included in a particular data exchange between at least two application systems.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein representing at least one integration pattern comprises representing 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 integration design pattern for invoking a connectivity function for invoking a particular service.

53. The method of claim 50 wherein representing at least one integration pattern comprises representing at least one an integration design pattern that decomposes into at least two integration design patterns.

54. The method of claim 49 further comprising indicating a sequence of at least two integration design patterns.

55. The method of claim 49 further comprising generating application integration software based on the declarative integration workflow.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein generating application integration software comprises generating a template for application integration software.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein associating the generated application integration software with the declarative integration workflow comprises associating at least one portion of the generated application integration software with at least one portion of the declarative integration workflow, each particular portion of the generated application integration software being associated with a particular portion of the declarative integration workflow.

58. The method of claim 55 wherein generating application integration software based on the declarative integration workflow comprises generating application integration software based on one or more layers of application integration.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein generating application integration software based on at least one layer of application integration comprises generating application integration software based on at least one of a business process layer, an integration design pattern layer, a functional atom layer, a data transformation rule layer, a data layer, and a physical connection layer.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the functional atom layer comprises a functional atom layer that identifies at least one functional atom that declaratively describes a discrete action that relates to an application integration function.