Method and system for representing, configuring and deploying distributed applications

• US 20040230670A1
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schmidt-Karaca, Markus, Smilek, Janusz, Bernhard, Sven
• Application Number:
  US10/720,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230670A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

An application solution descriptor (“ASD”) maintains a representation of all resources associated with computing entities participating in the application solution. The ASD may be utilized to perform automatic configuration of the participating computing entities as well as deployment of resources to particular computing entities

Claims

1. A method for representing a distributed software application comprising:

determining at least one distributed application, the application including the collective behavior of at least one computing entity, wherein each computing entity is associated with at least one resource;

storing at least one application descriptor, wherein the application descriptor describes the association between each of the at least one computing entity participating in the application and each of the respective resources;

providing access to the application descriptor in order to facilitate administration of the distributed software application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application descriptor is stored at a network node, the network node performing administrative tasks with respect to the distributed application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application descriptor is used for at least one of configuration, deployment of the distributed application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distributed application is installed on a network including an application server, a middleware server and a mobile device.

5. A method for representing a software application operating within a mobile environment, the mobile application including the collective behavior of a mobile device a middleware server and a backend server comprising:

specifying a behavior for the mobile device;

determining at least one first resource to be associated with mobile device, at least one second resource to be associated with the middleware server and at least one third resource to be associated with the backend server as a function of the specified behavior for the mobile device;

storing an application descriptor, the application descriptor describing the association between the first resource, the second resource, the third resource and, respectively, the mobile device, the middleware server and the backend server.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the application descriptor is stored at a network node, the network node performing administrative tasks with respect to the distributed application.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the application descriptor is used for at least one of configuration, deployment of the distributed application.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one first resource, the at least one second resource and the at least one third resource are deployed to at least one of the mobile device, the middleware server and the backend server as a function of the application descriptor.

9. A data structure for representing a distributed software application, the data structure including:

a unique identifier for representing a distributed software application;

at least one identifier specifying at least one computing entity to participate in the distributed software application;

at least identifier specifying at least one resource;

an association between each of the at least one computing entity and the at least one resource.

10. A system for administering a distributed software application including the collective behavior of a plurality of computing entities within a network comprising:

a server including a processor, said processor performing at least one of deploying, configuring and updating the distributed application with respect to the computing entities within the network;

a database for storing at least one application descriptor, the application descriptor representing an association between at least one distributed application, computing entities participating in the application and resources to be associated with the computing entities;

at least one administrative module, the administrative module performing administration tasks for the application with respect to the computing entities participating in the application.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the administrative tasks include at least one of configuration, deployment of the distributed application.

12. A program storage device, said program storage device including instructions for representing a distributed software application comprising:

determining at least one distributed application, the application including the collective behavior of at least one computing entity, wherein each computing entity is associated with at least one resource;

storing at least one application descriptor, wherein the application descriptor describes the association between each of the at least one computing entity participating in the application and each of the respective resources;

providing access to the application descriptor in order to facilitate administration of the distributed software application.

13. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein the application descriptor is stored at a network node, the network node performing administrative tasks with respect to the distributed application.

14. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein the application descriptor is used for at least one of configuration, deployment of the distributed application.

15. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein the distributed application is installed on a network including an application server, a middleware server and a mobile device.