Processing proposed changes to data

• US 20070118597A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Fischer, Uwe, Deshpande, Paresh, Jatheendran, Biju
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Processing proposed changes to data includes notifying a server of a proposed change to master data, receiving, from the server, an indication as to whether there is a concurrent change to the master data, where the concurrent change corresponds to a change to the master data in addition to the proposed change, and deciding whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

notifying a server of a proposed change to master data;

receiving, from the server, an indication as to whether there is a concurrent change to the master data, the concurrent change comprising a change to the master data in addition to the proposed change; and

deciding whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a client of the server, and wherein communications between the client and the server are effected via services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deciding comprises:

requesting, and receiving, an input from a user regarding whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making the proposed change to the master data;

notifying the server that the proposed change has been made; and

receiving an indication as to whether there is a subsequent concurrent change to the master data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if there is a subsequent concurrent change to the master data, the method further comprises:

requesting, and receiving, an input from a user regarding whether to save the proposed change or to abort the change.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, if the input indicates to save the proposed change, the method further comprises:

instructing the server to save the proposed change; and

receiving an instruction from the server to save the proposed change.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

saving the proposed change in response to the instruction.

8. A computer program product stored on one or more machine-readable media, the computer program product comprising instructions that are operable to cause one or more processing devices to:

notify a server of a proposed change to master data;

receive, from the server, an indication as to whether there is a concurrent change to the master data, the concurrent change comprising a change to the master data in addition to the proposed change; and

decide whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executed by a client of the server, and wherein communications between the client and the server are effected via Web services.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein deciding comprises:

requesting, and receiving, an input from a user regarding whether to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the one or more processing devices to:

make the proposed change to the master data;

notify the server that the proposed change has been made; and

receive an indication as to whether there is a subsequent concurrent change to the master data.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein, if there is a subsequent concurrent change to the master data, the instructions are operable to cause the one or more processing devices to:

request, and receive, an input from a user regarding whether to save the proposed change or to abort the change.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein, if the input indicates to save the proposed change, the instructions are operable to cause the one or more processing devices to:

instruct the server to save the proposed change; and

receive an instruction from the server to save the proposed change.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the one or more processing devices to:

save the proposed change in response to the instruction.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a first input indicative of a proposed change to master data;

determining whether there is a concurrent change to the master data, the concurrent change comprising a change to the master data in addition to the proposed change; and

receiving a second input to make the proposed change or to abort the change.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is performed by a server, and wherein the first input and the second input are effected via Web services.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining comprises:

comparing first metadata associated with the proposed change to second metadata on the server, the second metadata corresponding either to the master data or to a second proposed change to the master data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first metadata identifies a version of the possible update and a version of the master data upon which the possible update is based, and the second metadata identifies a current version of the master data and a version of the master data upon which the current version is based.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first metadata identifies a version of the possible update and a version of the master data upon which the possible update is based, and the second metadata identifies a version of the second possible update and a version of the master data upon which the second possible update is based.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

outputting an indication that there is a concurrent change to the master data;

wherein the second input is received in response to the indication.