Common component modeling

• US 20060031048A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Griffo, Paul J., Gilpin, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing predictive performance and capacity information employing a type of factory to reduce the ongoing cost of providing simulation models to answer questions raised by the various business entities is provided. To achieve this, a continual process for providing on-going performance information is provided. The core concept is the development and long-term reuse of component models to create other, more broadly scoped performance models. This requires the implementation of standard simulation model constructs to facilitate reuse, processes for the development of models and their use by clients, and a stable yet flexible repository for component models. The invention comprises processes, standards, templates, and software tools that implement a performance service that consists of the long term maintenance of predictive performance models for repeated use by lines of business to provide capacity planning information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a component model, comprising:

a port object for designating an interface at which any other component model may interact;

a port specification object for defining specific capabilities and constraints of component model interaction; and

a legacy marker object for providing a persistent identifier of said component model.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a workload specification object to represent a processing burden.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flag of said port object to designate use of said port object.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said port specification object comprises data that:

uniquely identifies said port object;

precisely identifies the category or type of said port object;

identifies types of port objects contained in other component models with which data may be exchanged;

concisely identifies categories of data that may be exchanged with said port object;

specifies limits as to the amount of data that may be exchanged with said port object; and

specifies limits as to the number of port objects with which said port object may exchange data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said port specification object is accessed and evaluated by a builder engine in an automated process.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said two or more component models are generated according to claim 1.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein a channel of said channels is a relation between a pair of port objects.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein said channel provides a pathway for an exchange of message blocks when said composite model is executed.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said two or more component models are generated according to claim 1.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a channel of said channels is a relation between a pair of port objects.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said channel provides a pathway for an exchange of message blocks when said composite model is executed.

6. A computer implemented method for generating a composite model, comprising the steps of:

providing two or more component models; and

inserting channels between said two or more component models.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

providing an automated builder for batch mode construction.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

identifying and resolving naming conflicts.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said composite model is driven by one or more workload objects.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said composite model is saved and stored as a specification file.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

allowing changes to be made to any of said component models.

15. A computer implemented method for generating a component model, comprising the steps of:

providing a port object for designating an interface at which any other component model may interact;

providing a port specification object for defining specific capabilities and constraints of component model interaction; and

providing a legacy marker object for providing a persistent identifier of said component model.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

providing a workload specification object to represent a processing burden.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

a flag of said port object to designate use of said port object.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein said port specification object comprises data that:

uniquely identifies said port object;

precisely identifies the category or type of said port object;

identifies types of port objects contained in other component models with which data may be exchanged;

concisely identifies categories of data that may be exchanged with said port object;

specifies limits as to the amount of data that may be exchanged with said port object; and

specifies limits as to the number of port objects with which said port object may exchange data.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein said port specification object is accessed and evaluated by a builder engine in an automated process.

20. An apparatus for generating a composite model, comprising:

two or more component models; and

channels for inserting between said two or more component models.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

an automated builder for batch mode construction.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for identifying and resolving naming conflicts.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said composite model is driven by one or more workload objects.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said composite model is saved and stored as a specification file.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for allowing changes to be made to any of said component models.