Configuring computer systems with business configuration information

• US 20060010163A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lang, Klaus-Peter, Herzog, Wolfgang, Frenzel, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A configuration server includes a configuration repository that stores a wide range of configuration information for possible use by application programs. The configuration repository may include configuration parameters, settings for the parameters, and meta-data of definitions and descriptions of the parameters. Configuration information is selected from the configuration repository and stored in a configuration directory for later use by application programs at runtime. The configuration information is accessed from the configuration directory when needed by an application program or a component thereof.

Claims

1. A system comprising an information carrier with data structures stored thereon, the data structures comprising:

a configuration repository to store configuration information for use by multiple versions of a software application program wherein the configuration information includes configuration information entries, each configuration information entry

     1) being associated with a configuration component that is used by the software application program, and

     2) having a configuration attribute having a value for the associated configuration information entry; and

a configuration directory to store selected configuration information entries for use by a particular version of the software application program, wherein the configuration information entries of the configuration directory are provided to the particular version of the software application program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a server having a processor connected to a storage device, one or more input/output devices, and a port through which user devices are served.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a server configured within a distributed system and having a processor connected to a storage device, one or more input/output devices, and a port through which at least one other server is served.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular type of industry.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular country or geographic region.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular business process.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular software application.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular data type.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a data management technique used by the configuration repository is different from a data management technique used by the configuration directory.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second information carrier including instructions that, when executed, cause selected configuration information entries in the configuration repository to be stored in the configuration directory.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second information carrier is configured to:

receive an indication of a configuration information entry in the configuration repository,

access the indicated configuration information entry in the configuration repository, and

store the indicated configuration information entry in the configuration directory.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication of a configuration information entry is received based on an association of the configuration information entry with a particular type of industry.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication of a configuration information entry is received based on an association of the configuration information entry with a particular country or geographic region.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication of a configuration information entry is received based on an association of the configuration information entry with a particular business process.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication of a configuration information entry is received based on an association of the configuration information entry with a particular software application.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the indication of a configuration information entry is received based on an association of the configuration information entry with a particular data type.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the second information carrier includes instructions that, when executed, cause a configuration information entry in the configuration directory to be provided to the particular version of the software application program for use in configuring the particular version of the software application program.

18. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a configuration information handling component to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user, a selection of configuration information stored in a configuration repository for use by multiple versions of a software application program wherein the configuration information includes configuration information entries, each configuration information entry

     1) being associated with a configuration component that is used by the software application program, and

     2) having a configuration attribute having a value for the associated configuration information entry; and

storing the configuration information entries that correspond to the selected configuration information in a configuration directory for use by a particular version of the software application program, wherein the configuration information entries of the configuration directory are provided to the particular version of the software application program.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular type of industry.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular country or geographic region.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular business process.

22. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular software application.

23. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the configuration information entries are organized in the configuration repository based on an association of a particular configuration information entry having a particular value with a particular data type.

24. A method of handling configuration information, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a selection of configuration information stored in a configuration repository for use by multiple versions of a software application program wherein the configuration information includes configuration information entries, each configuration information entry

     1) being associated with a configuration component that is used by the software application program, and

     2) having a configuration attribute having a value for the associated configuration information entry; and

storing the configuration information entries that correspond to the selected configuration information in a configuration directory for use by a particular version of the software application program, wherein the configuration information entries of the configuration directory are provided to the particular version of the software application program.