Engine for validating proposed changes to an electronic entity

• US 20060020639A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gong, Huiling, Wu, Yuh-Cherng, Simon, Horatiu-Zeno
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

One implementation provides a method for analyzing the validity of a proposed change to an electronic entity. The method includes receiving the proposed changes to an electronic entity from an external device, and calculating a validity index based on a set of definable rules. The inputs to the calculation include quantified values that represent either contextual information about the proposed change or information about a user proposing the change, or some combination thereof. After the calculation of the validity index, the method includes deciding, based on the calculated validity index, whether to proceed further in applying the proposed change to the electronic entity.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a proposed change to an electronic entity, the method comprising:

calculating a validity index based on a definable rule set, the definable rule set having inputs including a plurality of quantified values representing either contextual information metadata about the proposed change or information about a user proposing the change, or some combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information about the proposed change further includes a quantifiable representation of either usage of the entity or a feedback rating of the entity, or some combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the user proposing the change includes a quantifiable representation of the skill level of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the skill level includes quantifiable representations of either the user'"'"'s experience or the user'"'"'s expertise, or some combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to calculating the validity index, analyzing the proposed change for similarity to other proposed changes from either the same user or from users of other external devices, and

grouping similar proposed changes within clusters of like proposed changes.

6. A method of analyzing a proposed change to an electronic entity, the method comprising:

receiving the proposed change to the electronic entity from an external device;

calculating a validity index based on a definable rule set, the definable rule set having inputs including a plurality of quantified values representing either contextual information metadata about the proposed change or information about a user proposing the change, or some combination thereof; and

deciding, based on the calculated validity index, whether to proceed further in applying the proposed change to the electronic entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the contextual information about the proposed change further includes a quantifiable representation of either usage of the entity or a feedback rating of the entity, or some combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the feedback rating of the entity is automatically generated based on a quantifiable representation of the quality of the entity, the quality of the entity being based on the manner in which the entity has been used by the external device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the information about the user proposing the change includes a quantifiable representation of the skill level of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the skill level includes quantifiable representations of either the user'"'"'s experience or the user'"'"'s expertise, or some combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the quantifiable data representing the skill level of the user is quantified with respect to either the user'"'"'s overall skill level or the user'"'"'s skill level specifically relating to the proposed change, or some combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to calculating the validity index, retrieving stored information about the user'"'"'s skill level, and

updating the stored information about the user'"'"'s skill level as the user'"'"'s skill level changes.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the decision to proceed further in the change control process is automated, the change control process continuing only if the validity index meets a definable threshold criterion.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to calculating the validity index, analyzing the proposed change for similarity to other proposed changes from either the same user or from users of other external devices, and

grouping similar proposed changes within clusters of like proposed changes.

15. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method to analyze a proposed change to an electronic entity, the method comprising:

receiving the proposed change to the electronic entity from an external device;

calculating a validity index based on a definable rule set, the definable rule set having inputs including a plurality of quantified values representing either contextual information metadata about the proposed change or information about a user proposing the change, or some combination thereof; and

deciding, based on the calculated validity index, whether to proceed further in applying the proposed change to the electronic entity.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contextual information about the proposed change further includes a quantifiable representation of either usage of the entity or a feedback rating of the entity, or some combination thereof.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the feedback rating of the entity is automatically generated based on a quantifiable representation of the quality of the entity, the quality of the entity being based on the manner in which the entity has been used by the external devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information about the user proposing the change includes a quantifiable representation of the skill level of the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the skill level includes quantifiable representations of either the user'"'"'s experience or the user'"'"'s expertise, or some combination thereof.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the quantifiable data representing the skill level of the user is quantified with respect to either the user'"'"'s overall skill level or the user'"'"'s skill level specifically relating to the proposed change, or some combination thereof.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to calculating the validity index, retrieving stored information about the user'"'"'s skill level, and

updating the stored information about the user'"'"'s skill level as the user'"'"'s skill level changes.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the decision to proceed further in the change control process is automated, the change control process continuing only if the validity index meets a definable threshold criterion.

23. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to calculating the validity index, analyzing the proposed change for similarity to other proposed changes from either the same user or from users of other external devices, and

grouping similar proposed changes within clusters of like proposed changes.