Method for setting change options of software systems of a software system landscape and computer system with software systems having change options

• US 20060155832A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Demuth, Michael, Stegmuller, Herbert, Schulz, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A method for setting change options of software systems of a software system landscape, wherein the systems are interconnected by logical transport paths for the transport of software services therebetween, the software services defining changes to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system, each system having change options that define changeability restrictions pertinent to the system, is described. The method includes providing an interface in each system, the interface allowing read and write access to the change options of the respective system from the outside of the system; providing a central control software system; providing an interface in the central system for communication with the interfaces of the systems; selecting a group of systems based on software service parameter data; and accessing the group of selected systems from the central system via the interfaces and centrally managing a change option in each system of the group.

Claims

1. A method for setting change options of software systems of a software system landscape, wherein the systems are interconnected by logical transport paths for the transport of software services therebetween, the software services defining changes to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system, each system having change options that define changeability restrictions pertinent to the system, the change options allowing or inhibiting changes of the code and the data of the respective system, the method including:

providing an interface in each system, the interface allowing read and write access to the change options of the respective system from the outside of the system;

providing a central control software system;

providing an interface in the central system for communication with the interfaces of the systems;

providing a set of change options for each system, respectively;

selecting a group of systems based on software service parameter data; and

accessing the group of selected systems from the central system via the interfaces and centrally managing a change option in each system of the group,

holding a copy of the sets of all systems in the central system;

providing at least one change option in the set of change options that implements an hierarchy for users and/or operators, defining which particular users respectively operators or which authorization level of users respectively operators is allowed to effect certain changes or types of changes, either by approving import of a software service or making changes to the system directly; and

defining a customization, adaptation, program or data update by the software service for at least one system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing of a change option comprises one or more of the group consisting of setting, clearing, defining and specifying a change option.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a list of systems that are effected by a project is used as software service parameter data and systems belonging to a particular software service project are selected to form the group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software service parameter data is stored in the central system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the central system manages a change option identically in all selected systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the central system manages the change options of the systems of the selected group of systems according to a predefined table for the group.

13. A computer program product comprising on a storage medium a computer code that upon execution on a computer system performs the method according to one of claim 1.

7. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of logical systems, each logical system having a change option that defines a changeability restriction pertinent to the system;

an interface in each system for read and write access to the change options of the respective system from the outside of the system;

logical transport paths interconnecting the logical systems to form a software system landscape and to transport software services between the systems, the software services defining changes to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system,

a central control software system with an interface for communication with the interfaces of the logical systems;

means for selecting a group of systems based on software service parameter data; and

means for accessing the group of selected systems from the central system via the interfaces and for centrally managing a change option in each system of the group.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the means for managing a change option comprises means for one or more of the group consisting of setting, clearing, defining and specifying a change option.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the software service parameter data comprises a list of systems that are effected by a project and the group is comprised of systems belonging to a particular software service project.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the central system comprises the software service parameter data.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the central system is designed to manage a change option identically in all selected systems.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the central system is designed to manage the change options of the systems of the selected group of systems according to a predefined table for the group.

14. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of logical systems, each logical system having a change option that defines a changeability restriction pertinent to the system;

an interface in each system for read and write access to the change options of the respective system from the outside of the system;

logical transport paths interconnecting the logical systems to form a software system landscape and to transport software services between the systems, the software services defining changes to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system,

a central control software system with an interface to communicate with the interfaces of the logical systems;

a selector to select a group of systems based on software service parameter data; and

module to access the group of selected systems from the central system via the interfaces and to centrally manage a change option in each system of the group.