Systems and methods for automated parallelization of deployment

• US 20070027737A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hessedenz, Hans-Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for creating a distribution plan for one or more products from a source location to a destination location. In one exemplary embodiment, the systems and methods may include defining a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan, and determining whether the parallel processing profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan. If the profile is determined to be specified, one or more packages may then be built of the one or more products. Building one or more packages may comprise building a location products table of one or more location products. The location products table may specify the name, location, and deployment information of each of the one or more location products. The one or more location products may be selected for each package based on the deployment information. The distribution plan for each package of the one or more products may then be determined.

Claims

1. A method for creating a distribution plan for one or more products, each product being represented by a location product, the method comprising:

providing a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan;

building one or more packages of the one or more location products, wherein building one or more packages comprises providing a table of the one or more location products, the table comprising deployment information associated with each of the one or more location products, and selecting the one or more location products for each package based on the deployment information and the parallel processing profile; and

generating the distribution plan for each package.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan, wherein defining the parallel processing profile comprises;

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of distribution plan processes to be associated with the deployment application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is the maximum number of the one or more location products to be grouped in one package.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether a profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan, wherein determining whether the profile is specified comprises;

determining whether the profile name is specified by a user of the application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein building one or more packages further comprises:

setting a remaining package size, wherein the remaining package size is equal to the maximum package size.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting a location product of the one or more location products in the table;

counting the number of location products with the same product as the selected location product, wherein the number of location products with the same product is the number of the one or more location products with the same location product name in the table as the selected location product;

determining whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size; and

grouping the location products with the same product based on the deployment information for each of the one or more location products and the determination of whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package to be processed if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the remaining package size;

deleting the location products added to the current package from the products table; and

setting the remaining package size to equal the remaining package size less the number of location products added to the current package.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the maximum package size;

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the current package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product equaling the remaining package size to the current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and the maximum package size;

determining a surplus of location products, wherein the surplus is determined by subtracting the number of location products added to the current package from the number of location products with the same product;

adding the surplus of location products to a buffer table; and

deleting the location products added to the current package and the surplus of location products from the table.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the current package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether more location products exist in the table; and

moving the location products from the buffer table to the table based on the determination of whether more location products exist in the table.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next location product of the one or more location products in the table.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.

14. A distribution system for creating a distribution plan for one or more products, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

wherein the processor and the memory are configured to perform a method comprising;

defining a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan;

building a plurality of packages for the one or more location products, wherein building a plurality of packages comprises;

storing in memory a plurality of location products representative of the products to be deployed,

storing in memory deployment information associated with each location product, and

selecting the one or more location products for the package based on the deployment information; and

generating the distribution plan for each package of the one or more location products.

15. The distribution system according to claim 14, wherein defining the parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan further comprises:

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of distribution plan processes to be associated with the application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is the maximum number of the one or more location products to be grouped in one package.

16. The distribution system according to claim 15, wherein building the plurality of packages further comprises:

setting a remaining package size, wherein the remaining package size is equal to the maximum package size.

17. The distribution system according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

selecting a location product of the one or more location products in the table;

counting the number of location products with the same product as the selected location product, wherein the number of location products with the same product is the number of the one or more location products with the same location product name in the table as the selected location product;

determining whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size; and

grouping the location products with the same product based on the deployment information for each of the one or more location products and the determination of whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size.

18. The distribution system according to claim 17, the method further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package to be processed if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the remaining package size;

deleting the location products added to the current package from the table; and

setting the remaining package size to equal the remaining package size less the number of location products added to the current package.

19. The distribution system according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the maximum package size;

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the current package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

20. The distribution system according to claim 19, the method further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product equaling the remaining package size to the current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and the maximum package size;

determining a surplus of location products, wherein the surplus is determined by subtracting the number of location products added to the current package from the number of location products with the same product;

adding the surplus of location products to a buffer table; and

deleting the location products added to the current package and the surplus of location products from the table.

21. The distribution system according to claim 20, the method further comprising:

determining whether the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached.

22. The distribution system according to claim 21, the method further comprising:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the current package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

23. The distribution system according to claim 22, the method further comprising:

determining whether more location products exist in the table; and

moving the location products from the buffer table to the table based on the determination of whether more location products exist in the table.

24. The distribution system according to claim 23, the method further comprising:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next location product of the one or more location products in the table.

25. The distribution system according to claim 14, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.

26. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for creating a distribution plan for one or more products each product being represented by a location product, the method comprising:

defining a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan;

determining whether the profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan;

if the profile is determined to be specified, building one or more packages of the one or more location products, wherein building the one or more packages comprises providing a table of the one or more location products, the table comprising deployment information associated with each of the one or more location products, and selecting the one or more location products for each package based on the deployment information and the parallel processing profile; and

generating the distribution plan for each package.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein defining the parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan further comprises:

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of distribution plan processes to be associated with the application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is the maximum number of the one or more location products to be grouped in one package.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the determination of whether the profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan further comprises:

determining whether the profile name is specified by a user of the application.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein building the one or more packages further comprises:

setting a remaining package size, wherein the remaining package size is equal to the maximum package size.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

selecting a location product of the one or more location products in the table;

counting the number of location products with the same product as the selected location product, wherein the number of location products with the same product is the number of the one or more location products with the same location product name in the table as the selected location product;

determining whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size; and

grouping the location products with the same product based on the deployment information for each of the one or more location products and the determination of whether the number of location products with the same product exceeds the remaining package size.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package to be processed if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the remaining package size;

deleting the location products added to the current package from the products table; and

setting the remaining package size to equal the remaining package size less the number of location products added to the current package.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product to a current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and if the number of location products with the same product is not greater than the maximum package size;

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the current package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

adding the location products with the same product equaling the remaining package size to the current package if the number of location products with the same product is greater than the remaining package size and the maximum package size;

determining a surplus of location products, wherein the surplus is determined by subtracting the number of location products added to the current package from the number of location products with the same product;

adding the surplus of location products to a buffer table; and

deleting the location products added to the current package and the surplus of location products from the table.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

determining whether the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, further comprising:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the current package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, further comprising:

determining whether more location products exist in the table; and

moving the location products from the buffer table to the table based on the determination of whether more location products exist in the table.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, further comprising:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next location product of the one or more location products in the table.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.