Software model integration scenarios

• US 20070174811A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Moosmann, Gerd, Kaetker, Stefan, Freund, Jens, Latocha, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, to realize a business scenario are described. A plurality of process components and context independent interactions among the process components are defined. Each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct process. In addition, each of the process components defines at least one respective service interface for interacting with business objects associated with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of process components, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defining at least one respective service interface for interacting with business objects associated with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components; and

defining context independent interactions among the plurality of process components to realize a business scenario.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

defining, for each process component, at least one associated business object.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects associated with any of the other process components.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the process components characterize inbound operations to handle incoming messages associated with a modification of reading of data encapsulated in a business object associated with the process component.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the process components characterize outbound operations to handle outgoing messages associated with a modification or reading of data encapsulated in at least one business object associated with another process component.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the defining a plurality of process components comprises:

generating, for each process component, at least one process agent, each process agent enabling communications between a business object associated with the process component and a business object associated with any other process component.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein at least one of the process agents is an inbound process agent characterizing an inbound operation to handle incoming messages.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein at least one of the inbound process agents is operable to receive a message of a first type and convert it into a message of a second type.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein at least one of the process agents is an outbound process agent characterizing an outbound operation to transmit outgoing messages to an external process component.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein each process agent is operable to communicate through the service interface of its respective process component.

11. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of integration scenarios, each integration scenario comprising a plurality of logically associated process components to realize a business scenario; and

populating a catalog with the generated integration scenarios.

12. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

polling a data repository to obtain stored data characterizing the plurality of deployment units.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of communications between process components within a deployment unit is not message based.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein a first group of one or more process components is associated with a first deployment unit and a second group of one or more process components is associated with a second deployment unit, the deployment units characterizing independently operable software.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein communications between the first deployment unit and the second deployment unit are message based.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein at least one of the deployment units comprises at least one business object that is not associated with a process component.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein at least two of the deployment units are deployed on separate hardware platforms.

18. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of process components associated with an entity, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defining at least one respective service interface for interacting with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components;

defining message transfer interactions between at least a portion of the plurality of process components associated with the entity and an external system; and

defining context independent interactions among the plurality of process components to realize a business scenario.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein a first group of one or more process components is associated with a first deployment unit and a second group of one or more process components is associated with a second deployment unit, the deployment units characterizing independently operable software.

20. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit comprising at least one process component, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defining at least one respective service interface for interacting with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components; and

defining context independent interactions among process components in the plurality of deployment units to realize a business scenario.