Managing reusable software assets

• US 20070033567A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akana, Inc. (Perforce Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: LogicLibrary, Inc. (Perforce Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carlson, Brent, Palof, John, Mariner, Debra, Gross, Dave, Tamminga, Paul, Graser, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

In general, techniques are described that facilitate the reuse of software assets within an enterprise. A software asset, as used herein, refers to a set of one or more related artifacts that have been created or harvested for the purpose of applying that asset repeatedly in subsequent development environments. A system, for example, is described that includes a repository to store artifacts, and an asset source to generate a software asset based on the artifacts. The system further includes an asset management system to receive the software asset from the asset source and store the software asset within an asset library. The system may further include a model having one or more elements, and an asset retrieval module to selectively retrieve a subset of the software assets from the asset library based on input from a user identifying one or more of the elements.

Claims

1. A system for managing software within an enterprise, comprising:

a capture module to map software resources to a domain model representing a business process, wherein the software resources are web services having functional interfaces;

a database to store information for the software resources including location information and functionality information for the software resources, the functionality information specifying functions provided by interfaces of the web services;

a graphical user interface (GUI) to present a graphical view of the domain model to a user for viewing the domain model and inputting a search specification for searching the database; and

a search engine for searching the database based on the search specification to locate one or more of the software resources usable by a software developer for a software development project.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI allows the user to identify elements associated with the software resources including software components, functions, keywords, classifiers and case steps for inclusion within the search specification.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain model comprises:

a process model comprising processes and use cases; and

a structural model comprising reference components, reference interfaces, and reference functions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein portions of the process model are linked to reference components, reference interfaces, or reference functions of the structural model.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the domain model comprises a plurality of process models, portions of each process model linked to reference components, reference interfaces, or reference functions of the structural model.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the capture module allows the user to map data types of the web services to the domain model.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the capture module allows the user to map functions provided by the web services to the domain model.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the capture module use synonyms to suggest mapping candidates.

9. A method of classifying a resource comprising functions and data types, the method comprising:

mapping software resources to a domain model representing a business process, wherein the software resources are web services having functional interfaces;

maintaining a searchable database of software resource information including location information and functionality information for the software resources, the functionality information including functions provided by interfaces of the web services;

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides a graphical view of the domain model to a user;

receiving, in response to the user interacting with the graphical view of the domain model, a search specification for searching the database; and

searching the database based on the search specification to locate one or more of the software resources usable by a software developer for a software development project.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the domain model comprises:

a process model comprising processes and use cases; and

a structural model comprising reference components, reference interfaces, and reference functions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising linking portions of the process model to reference components, reference interfaces, or reference functions of the structural model.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising ranking the software resources according to how closely they match the search specification.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising creating a persistent search specification for the database that can be shared between multiple users.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising attaching at least one software resource to the persistent search specification.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising publishing the portions of the search specification not met by any of the attached software resource as requirements for development of additional software resources.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising notifying a user when a resource is added to the database that matches the persistent search specification.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising publishing the persistent search specification as requirements for development of additional resources.