Software model business objects

• US 20070220046A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• 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 8,407,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for defining a software model business object are described. A plurality of business objects and interactions between these business objects are defined. Each business object is operable to encapsulate business data and can be associated with exactly one process component. Each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct process and defines a respective at least one service interface for communicating and interacting with business objects in other process components. Moreover, all communication and interaction between process components takes place through the respective interfaces of the process components. Additionally, the interactions among business objects in different deployment units occur solely via the process component interfaces.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

defining interactions among the plurality of business objects, wherein the interactions among business objects in different deployment units occur solely via the process component interfaces.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein at least one of the process agents is an inbound process agent characterizing an inbound operation to handle incoming messages.

6. A method as in claim 4, 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.

7. A method as in claim 4, 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.

8. A method as in claim 4, wherein each process agent is operable to communicate through the service interface of its respective process component.

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

logically associating a plurality of process components to realize a business scenario.

10. 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.

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

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

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

13. 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.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein at least one of the deployment units comprises at least one business object that is not associated with a process component.

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

16. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of business objects, each business object operable to encapsulate business data; and

associating each of the business objects with exactly one process component, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defining a respective at least one service interface for communicating and interacting with other business objects in other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising:

grouping process components to form a plurality of deployment units.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising:

logically associating the deployment units to realize a business scenario.

19. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of business objects in a foundation layer, each foundation layer business object operable to encapsulate business data and associated with one or more process components, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defining a respective at least one service interface for communicating and interacting with business objects in other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components; and

defining interactions among the plurality of foundation layer business objects, wherein the interactions among business objects in different business objects occur solely via the process component interfaces.

20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising:

defining a plurality of business objects external to the foundation layer, each external business object being associated with exactly one process component.