Apparatus and method for managing design of a software system using dependency structure

• US 20050160411A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lattix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lattix, Inc.
• Inventors: Waldman, Francis A., Parisi, Carl D., Sangal, Neeraj, Jordan, Everette T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/144
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system. Various embodiments include receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system and providing an output from the computer system responsive to the input. A rule is imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and data for the rule is provided as part of the input.

Claims

1. A method for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the method comprising:

receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system wherein a rule is imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and data for the rule is provided as part of the input; and

providing an output from the computer system responsive to the input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of rules are imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and data for the rules is provided as part of the input.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule allows the dependency relationship.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule disallows the dependency relationship.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule requires the dependency relationship.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule requires dependency on a subsystem not specified in the dependency relationship.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule allows an otherwise disallowed dependency relationship.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein specifying dependency relationships includes processing program code associated with the software system to determine existing dependency relationships in such code and specifying such existing dependency relationships explicitly.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the processing of the program code occurs automatically on providing of the program code as an input to the computer system.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships is determined from metadata definitions.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing an output includes providing a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the hierarchical display of the subsystems can be altered and the dependencies among the subsystems automatically altered to be consistent therewith.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the hierarchical display of a subsystem can be moved in a manner as to preserve the dependencies of the subsystem.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the hierarchical display of a subsystem can be removed in a manner as also to cause removal of dependencies of the subsystem.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the hierarchical display of a subsystem can be copied and inserted at another location in the hierarchical display in a manner as to preserve the dependencies of the subsystem.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein, in an instance when a given parent subsystem has been expanded to show its hierarchical children, dependencies are shown for such hierarchical children but not for such parent subsystem.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems includes receiving an inheritable rule for a given subsystem so that the inheritable rule is inherited by any descendants of the given subsystem in the hierarchy.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems includes receiving a override rule that has the effect of overriding any inheritable rule applied to an ancestor subsystem in the hierarchy, such override rule being itself an inheritable rule.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the inheritable rule can be imposed at any desired point in the hierarchy.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing an output further includes providing a reference to the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing an output includes (i) providing a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems, and (ii) providing a graphical indication of a state of the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein such display and the graphical indication are viewable simultaneously.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix, and the indication of the state of the rule is in a pertinent cell of the matrix.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the indication of the state of the rule includes use of color.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein indication of the state of the rule includes use of a symbol.

29. A method according to claim 26, wherein indication of the state of the rule includes use of location of placement in the cell.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix, and the indication of the state of the rule is provided in a panel separate from the dependency structure matrix and viewable simultaneously with the matrix.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the state of a rule, involving a given subsystem in the display for which children thereof are also displayed, is indicated for such children and not for the given subsystem.

32. A method according to claim 11, wherein the display uses color in a manner consistent with hierarchical relationships of subsystems to assist in identifying related subsystems.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

34. A method according to claim 24, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix, and subsystems used by a subsystem selected in the hierarchical display are provided in a first panel separate from the dependency structure matrix and viewable simultaneously with the matrix.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the subsystems used by the selected subsystem are provided in the first panel in the form of a tree-structure.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein subsystems that use a subsystem selected from the subsystems provided in the first panel are provided in a second panel separate from the dependency structure matrix and the first panel and viewable simultaneously with the matrix and the first panel.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the subsystems that use a subsystem selected from the subsystems provided in the first panel are provided in the second panel in the form of a tree-structure.

38. A method according to claim 1, wherein (i) providing an output includes providing a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems, and (ii) wherein receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems includes receiving an inheritable rule for a given subsystem so that the inheritable rule is inherited by any descendants of the given subsystem in the hierarchy.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

40. A method according to claim 1, wherein the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship is based on classification of relevant subsystems.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the classification is assignable manually.

42. A method according to claim 40, wherein the classification is assigned automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

43. A method according to claim 40, wherein the classification is based on properties of the relevant subsystems.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein the properties are assignable manually.

45. A method according to claim 43, wherein the properties are determined automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

46. A method according to claim 40, wherein the classification is defined as part of a hierarchical classification system.

47. A method according to claim 1, wherein the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship is based on properties of the relevant subsystems.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein the properties are assignable manually.

49. A method according to claim 47, wherein the properties are determined automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

50. A method according to claim 47, wherein the properties of the relevant subsystems include allowed sources of changes to the relevant subsystems, so that editing of the subsystems is subject to control in relation to source

51. A method for managing, in a computer system, testing of a software system, the method comprising:

receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

providing a graphical output from the computer system responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes an indicator of any subsystem changed by editing or addition of code.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein the graphical output includes a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems in a dependency structure matrix.

53. A method according to claim 51, wherein the graphical output includes an indicator of any subsystem affected by editing or addition of code.

54. A method according to claim 53, wherein the graphical output includes a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems in a dependency structure matrix.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein the graphical output includes a subsystem label style for the graphical output of a changed subsystem different from a subsystem label style for the graphical output of a subsystem affected by the change.

56. A method according to claim 54, wherein the indicator of a dependency relationship affected by a change to a subsystem differs from an indicator of dependency unaffected by the change.

57. A method for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the method comprising:

receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

providing a graphical output from the computer system responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes indicators of sources of the subsystems.

58. A method according to claim 57, wherein the graphical output includes a matrix display, the matrix including a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, to facilitate indication of the sources of the subsystems.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein the matrix also includes a hierarchical organizational display of human resources associated with the sources.

60. A method according to claim 59, wherein the hierarchical organizational display is selectively expandable and collapsible.

61. A method according to claim 57, further comprising grouping the subsystems according to a taxonomy, wherein the graphical output includes a matrix display, the matrix including a series of taxonomical entities along one axis and sources along another axis, wherein the sources are associated with taxonomical entities for which they have had responsibility.

62. A method for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the method comprising:

receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

providing a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems.

63. A method according to claim 62, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

64. A method according to claim 62, wherein, in an instance when a given parent subsystem has been expanded to show its hierarchical children, dependencies are shown for such hierarchical children but not for such parent subsystem.

65. A method according to claim 64 where relation of such hierarchical children to such parent subsystem is shown by placing the parent subsystem sidewise alongside such children.

66. A method for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the method comprising:

receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

providing an output containing a hierarchy of the subsystems and the dependency relationships among the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible.

67. A method according to claim 66, wherein the hierarchy of the subsystems can be altered and the dependency relationships among the subsystems automatically altered to be consistent therewith.

68. A method according to claim 67, wherein the hierarchy of a subsystem can be moved in a manner as to preserve the dependencies of the subsystem.

69. A method according to claim 66, wherein the hierarchy of a subsystem can be removed in a manner as also to cause removal of dependencies of the subsystem.

70. A method according to claim 66, wherein the hierarchy of a subsystem can be copied and inserted at another location in the hierarchy of the subsystems in a manner as to preserve the dependencies of the subsystem.

71. A method according to claim 66, further providing a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating the dependencies among subsystems.

72. A method according to claim 71, wherein the display is represented as a dependency structure matrix.

73. A method according to claim 71, wherein, in an instance when a given parent subsystem has been expanded to show its hierarchical children, dependencies are shown for such hierarchical children but not for such parent subsystem.

74. A method according to claim 73 where relation of such hierarchical children to such parent subsystem is shown by placing the parent subsystem sidewise alongside such children.

75. An apparatus for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system wherein a rule is imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and data for the rule is provided as part of the input; and

means for providing an output from the computer system responsive to the input.

76. A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing design of a software system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, which, when loaded into the computer system, establishes an apparatus comprising:

an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system, wherein a rule is imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and data for the rule is provided as part of the input; and

an output from the computer system responsive to the input.

77. The computer program product of claim 76, wherein a plurality of rules is imposed on at least one of the dependency relationships and the input receives data for the rules.

78. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems.

79. A computer program product according to claim 78, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical input for altering the hierarchical display of the subsystems; and

means for automatically altering the dependencies among the subsystems to be consistent with the altered hierarchical display.

80. A computer program product according to claim 79, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical input for moving a given subsystem within the hierarchical display; and

means for moving the given subsystem within the hierarchical display in response to the graphical input while preserving dependencies of subsystems that depend on the given subsystem.

81. A computer program product according to claim 79, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical input for removing a given subsystem within the hierarchical display; and

means for removing the given subsystem within the hierarchical display in response to the graphical input while removing dependencies of subsystems that depend on the given subsystem.

82. A computer program product further according to claim 79, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical input for copying, and inserting at another location, a given subsystem within the hierarchical display; and

means for copying and inserting at the other location of the given subsystem within the hierarchical display in response to the graphical input while preserving dependencies of the given subsystem.

83. A computer program product according to claim 78, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix.

84. A computer program product according to claim 83, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for showing dependencies, in an instance when a given parent subsystem has been expanded to show its hierarchical children, for such hierarchical children but not for such parent subsystem.

85. A computer program product according to claim 78, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for allowing an inheritable rule for a given subsystem to be inherited by any descendants of the given subsystem.

86. A computer program product according to claim 85, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for overriding an inheritable rule applied to an ancestor subsystem in the hierarchy, such overriding being itself inheritable.

87. A computer program product according to claim 85, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix.

88. A computer program product according to claim 85, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for imposing the inheritable rule at any desired point in the hierarchy.

89. A computer program product according to claim 88, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for representing the display as a dependency structure matrix.

90. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical output in which appears a reference to the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship.

91. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems;

the graphical output also including a graphical indication of a state of the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship.

92. A computer program product according to claim 91, wherein the display and the graphical indication are presented simultaneously.

93. A computer program product according to claim 91, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix and the state of the rule is indicated graphically within a pertinent cell of the matrix.

94. A computer program product according to claim 93, wherein color is used to indicate the state of the rule.

95. A computer program product according to claim 93, wherein a symbol is used to indicate the state of the rule.

96. A computer program product according to claim 93, wherein location of placement in the cell indicates the state of the rule.

97. A computer program product according to claim 91, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix and the state of the rule is indicated in a panel separate from the dependency structure matrix and viewable simultaneously with the matrix.

98. A computer program product according to claim 97, wherein the state of a rule, involving a given subsystem in the display for which children thereof are also displayed, is indicated for such children and not for the given subsystem.

99. A computer program product according to claim 79, wherein the display uses color in a manner consistent with hierarchical relationships of subsystems to assist in identifying related subsystems.

100. A computer program product according to claim 99, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix.

101. A computer program product according to claim 91, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix;

and subsystems used by a subsystem selected in the hierarchical display are viewable simultaneously in a first panel separate from the dependency structure matrix.

102. A computer program product according to claim 101, wherein the subsystems used by the selected subsystem in the first panel are presented in a tree-structure.

103. A computer program product according to claim 101, wherein subsystems that use a subsystem, selected from the subsystems provided in the first panel, are simultaneously viewable in a second panel separate from the dependency structure matrix and the first panel.

104. A computer program product according to claim 103, wherein subsystems, that use a subsystem selected from the subsystems provided in the first panel, are presented in the second panel in a tree-structure.

105. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems, and

means for receiving an inheritable rule for a given subsystem so that the inheritable rule is inherited by any descendants of the given subsystem in the hierarchy.

106. A computer program product according to claim 105, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix.

107. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship is based on classification of relevant subsystems.

108. A computer program product according to claim 107, wherein the classification is determined manually based on data provided at the input.

109. A computer program product according to claim 107, wherein the classification is assigned automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

110. A computer program product according to claim 107, wherein the classification is based on properties of the relevant subsystems.

111. A computer program product according to claim 110, wherein the properties are assigned manually.

112. A computer program product according to claim 110, wherein the properties are determined automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

113. A computer program product according to claim 107, wherein the classification is defined as part of a hierarchical classification system

114. A computer program product according to claim 76, wherein the rule imposed on the at least one dependency relationship is based on properties of the relevant subsystems.

115. A computer program product according to claim 114, wherein the properties are assigned manually.

116. A computer program product according to claim 114, wherein the properties are determined automatically on the basis of prespecified criteria.

117. A computer program product according to claim 114, wherein the properties of the relevant subsystems include allowed sources of changes to the relevant subsystems, so that editing of the subsystems is subject to control in relation to source

118. An apparatus for managing, in a computer system, testing of a software system, the apparatus comprising:

an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output from the computer system responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes an indicator of any subsystem changed by editing or addition of code.

119. A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing, in a computer system, testing of a software system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, which, when loaded into the computer system, establishes an apparatus comprising:

an input specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes an indicator of any subsystem changed by editing or addition of code.

120. A computer program product according to claim 119, wherein the graphical output including a hierarchical display of the subsystems in the graphical output, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems in a dependency structure matrix.

121. A computer program product according to claim 119, wherein the graphical output includes an indicator of any subsystem affected by editing or addition of code.

122. A computer program product according to claim 121, wherein the graphical output includes a hierarchical display of the subsystems, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems in a dependency structure matrix.

123. A computer program product according to claim 122, wherein the graphical output includes a subsystem label style for the graphical output of a changed subsystem different from a subsystem label style for the graphical output of a subsystem affected by the change.

124. A computer program product according to claim 122, wherein the indicator of a dependency relationship affected by a change to a subsystem differs from an indicator of dependency unaffected by the change.

125. An apparatus for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the apparatus comprising:

an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output from the computer system responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes indicators of sources of the subsystems.

126. A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing design of a software system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, which, when loaded into the computer system, establishes an apparatus comprising:

an input specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output responsive to the input, wherein the graphical output includes indicators of sources of the subsystems.

127. A computer program product according to claim 126, wherein the graphical output includes a matrix display, the matrix including a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, to facilitate indication of the sources of the subsystems.

128. A computer program product according to claim 127, wherein the matrix also includes a hierarchical organizational display of human resources associated with the sources.

129. A computer program product according to claim 128, wherein the hierarchical organizational display is selectively expandable and collapsible.

130. A computer program product according to claim 126, wherein the subsystems are grouped according to a taxonomy, and the graphical output includes a matrix display, the matrix including a series of taxonomical entities along one axis and sources along another axis, wherein the sources are associated with taxonomical entities for which they have had responsibility.

131. An apparatus for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the apparatus comprising:

an input to the computer system specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems.

132. An computer program product for use on a computer system for managing, in a computer system, design of a software system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, which, when loaded into the computer system, establishes an apparatus comprising:

an input specifying dependency relationships among subsystems of the software system; and

a graphical output in which appears a hierarchical display of the subsystems, the hierarchy being selectively expandable and collapsible, such display graphically indicating dependencies among subsystems.

133. A computer program product according to claim 132, wherein the display is a dependency structure matrix.

134. A computer program product according to claim 132, wherein, in an instance when a given parent subsystem has been expanded to show its hierarchical children, dependencies are shown for such hierarchical children but not for such parent subsystem.

135. A computer program product according to claim 132, wherein relation of such hierarchical children to such parent subsystem is shown by placing the parent subsystem sidewise alongside such children.