Integration of software into an existing information technology (IT) infrastructure

• US 20060184933A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chessell, Amanda E., Hopkins, Richard A., Winter, Christopher C., Dring, Giles J. B., Yusuf, Larry, Lojek, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A method and apparatus for integrating a software application into an information technology (IT) infrastructure. An inventory is created using a Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) approach from the Object Management Group (OMG). The inventory includes information about: each component of the IT infrastructure, the software application, how each component communicates with each other component, and how the software application communicates with each component. Each element of information in the inventory has a single source and owner. The inventory is used to analyze the IT infrastructure and the software application during integrating the software application. From contents of the inventory, using the MDA approach from the OMG, artifacts that execute the integration are generated, and test programs are generated to verify that the integration is complete and correct. The inventory is progressively updated during and after the integration as more information about the IT infrastructure or the software application is developed.

Claims

1. A method for performing integration of a software application into an existing information technology (IT) infrastructure, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating an inventory, using a Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) approach from the Object Management Group (OMG), the inventory including information about each component of the IT infrastructure and information about the software application being integrated into the IT infrastructure, and information about how each component communicates with each other component of the IT infrastructure, and information about how the software application communicates with each component, wherein each element of information in the inventory has a single source and owner;

(b) using the inventory to analyze the existing IT infrastructure and the software application during the integration of the software application into the existing IT infrastructure;

(c) from the contents of the inventory, using the MDA approach from the OMG, generating artifacts that execute the integration; and

(d) from the contents of the inventory, using the MDA approach from the OMG, generating test programs to verify that the integration is complete and correct;

wherein the inventory is progressively updated during and after the integration process as more information about the IT infrastructure or the software application is developed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory is populated using a plurality of tools using a controlled publish process, to ensure that each element of information in the inventory has an identifiable single source and owner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the inventory is included within a plurality of domains, and some domains of the plurality of domains are dedicated to business level information while other domains of the plurality of domains are dedicated to system implementation information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a first domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to system implementation information which includes information on a format of a message, and a second domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to business level information which includes the fact that a customer is to be identified by a name and address.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to a services directory which includes information regarding which services are exposed.

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

using a plurality of views to create, view, and update controlled subsets of the inventory.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a view of the plurality of views represents a particular user'"'"'s view of the inventory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is a custom off the shelf (COTS) software application.

9. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, said computer program product comprising computer code that, when run on a computer system, instructs the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for performing integration of a software application into an existing information technology (IT) infrastructure, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for creating an inventory, using a Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) approach from the Object Management Group (OMG), the inventory including information about each component of the IT infrastructure and information about the software application being integrated into the IT infrastructure, and information about how each component communicates with each other component of the IT infrastructure, and information about how the software application communicates with each component;

wherein each element of information in the inventory has a single source and owner; and

(b) means for using the inventory to analyze the existing IT infrastructure and the software application during the integration of the software application into the existing IT infrastructure;

(c) means for, from the contents of the inventory, using the MDA approach from the OMG, generating artifacts that execute the integration; and

(d) means for, from the contents of the inventory, using the MDA approach from the OMG, generating test programs to verify that the integration is complete and correct;

wherein the inventory is progressively updated during and after the integration process as more information about the IT infrastructure or the software application is developed.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inventory is populated using a plurality of tools using a controlled publish process, therefore ensuring that each element of information in the inventory has an identifiable single source and owner.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information included in the inventory is included within a plurality of domains, and some domains of the plurality of domains are dedicated to business level information while other domains of the plurality of domains are dedicated to system implementation information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a first domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to system implementation information which includes information on the format of a message, and a second domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to business level information which includes the fact that a customer is to be identified by a name and address.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a domain of the plurality of domains is dedicated to a services directory which includes information regarding which services are exposed.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for using a plurality of views to create, view, and update controlled subsets of the inventory.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a view of the plurality of views represents a particular user'"'"'s view of the inventory.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the software application is a custom off the shelf (COTS) software application.