Method and System for Generating Dynamic Comparison Models

• US 20060225030A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deffler, Tad A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for generating dynamic comparison models. In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, first and second models are compared. A comparison model may be generated that indicates differences between the first model and the second model.

Claims

1. A method for comparing models, comprising:

comparing first and second models; and

generating a comparison model that indicates differences between the first model and the second model.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first user designated change to the first model;

updating the first model to reflect the user designated change; and

updating the comparison model to reflect the first user designated change before receiving a second user designated change.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising issuing a notification to the first model, the second model and the comparison model that the first user designated change to the first model has been implemented, upon successful completion of the first user designated change.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the first and second user designated changes to allow the user to undo the first user designated change or the second user designated change, upon command from the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing information regarding ones of the first or second user designated changes that were undone, to allow the user to redo ones of the first or second user designated changes that were undone, upon command from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second models, and the comparison model comprise models of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison model comprises a plurality of comparison nodes, each comparison node being represented as an object of the comparison model.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input operation to modify the first model;

updating the first model in response to the input operation;

notifying the notification manger in response to the input operation; and

running the comparison engine to update the comparison model.

8. A system for comparing models, comprising:

a comparison engine being operable to compare first and second models; and

a modeling tool being operable to generate a comparison model that indicates differences between the first model and the second model.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface being operable to receive a first user designated change to the first model;

the modeling tool being further operable to update the first model to reflect the user designated change; and

the modeling tool being further operable to update the comparison model to reflect the first user designated change before receiving a second user designated change.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a notification manager being operable to issue a notification to the first model, the second model and the comparison model that the first user designated change to the first model has been implemented, upon successful completion of the first user designated change.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a transaction manager being operable to store the first and second user designated changes to allow the user to undo the first user designated change or the second user designated change, upon command from the user.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising memory being operable to store information regarding ones of the first or second user designated changes that were undone, to allow the user to redo ones of the first or second user designated changes that were undone, upon command from the user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second models, and the comparison model comprise models of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) format.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the comparison model comprises a plurality of comparison nodes, each comparison node being represented as an object of the comparison model.

15. A method for generating a dynamic comparison model, comprising:

receiving a first model and a second model;

running a comparison engine on the first model and the second model;

generating a comparison model based on differences between the first model and second model;

registering the comparison model as a subscriber to the first model and the second model in a notification manager, wherein the notification manager notifies all subscribers of changes that occur to the first or second model; and

displaying the comparison model using a modeling tool.

17. A system for generating a dynamic comparison model, comprising:

an interface being operable to receive a first model and a second model;

a comparison engine being operable to run a comparison on the first model and the second model;

a modeling tool being operable to generate a comparison model based on differences between the first model and second model;

a notification manager being operable to register the comparison model as a subscriber to the first model and the second model, wherein the notification manager notifies all subscribers of changes that occur to the first or second model; and

a graphical display being operable to display the comparison model using the modeling tool.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive an input operation to modify the first model;

the modeling tool is further operable to update the first model in response to the input operation;

the notification manger is further operable to notify the comparison model in response to the input operation; and

the comparison engine is further operable to update the comparison model based upon the input operation.

19. A system, comprising:

means for comparing first and second models; and

means for generating a comparison model that indicates differences between the first model and the second model.

20. Logic encoded in media, the logic being operable to:

compare first and second models; and

generate a comparison model that indicates differences between the first model and the second model.