Error handling for intermittently connected mobile applications

• US 20080163252A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lock, Hendrik, Matic, Dragon
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation

Abstract

An intermittently connected mobile device asynchronously communicates with a middleware system for subsequent communication with a back-end system. Local data objects are given an inconsistent state when charged on the mobile device and the back-end system is not available for data validation. Due to the intermittent communication, a waiting period for possible validation may be hours, days, weeks, etc. If an error occurs, the mobile device then receives and maintains a list of the error notifications. Upon selection of an error notification, an error resolution process is executed on the mobile device so that the user can select between the local data object and the remote data object. If the back-end object is selected, the process terminates otherwise if the local is selected, the user is presented the interface to update the data object, which is again verified by the back-end system.

Claims

1. A method for error handling in an intermittently connected mobile application, the method comprising:

receiving an error message from a back-end server, where the error message relates to a local data object rejected by a back-end processing system;

setting the data object to a rejected state;

executing an error resolution process including;

displaying a local data object and a remote data object;

receiving a user-selection of the local data object or the remote data object;

if the remote state data object is selected, terminating the error resolution process; and

if the local data object is selected, setting the data object to an inconsistent state.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a data message including a data object to the back-end processing system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data message is transmitted through a middleware application.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the data message is transmitted from a remote device.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing the current value of the object as the local data object.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying of the local data object and the remote data object is based on retrieving the data objects from a local storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein during the error resolution process, if remote data object is selected, the method further comprises setting the data object to a consistent state.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein during the error resolution process, if the local data object is selected, the method further comprises receiving user input to update the data object.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the updated data object is added to an outgoing message queue, the method further comprising:

transmitting the contents of the outgoing message queue to a middleware application such that another back-end processing operation is performed.

10. A mobile device with an intermittently connected mobile application, the mobile device comprising:

a receiving device and a transmitting device, both, in intermittent operative communication with a back-end server;

a memory device including executable instructions; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

receive an error message from the back-end server, the error message relating to a local data object rejected by a back-end processing system;

set the data object to a rejected state;

execute an error resolution process including;

displaying a local data object and a remote data object;

receiving a user-selection of the local data object or the remote data object;

if the remote data object is selected, terminating the error resolution process; and

if the local data object is selected, setting the data object to an inconsistent state.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the transmitting device transmits a data message including the local data object to the back-end processing system.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the data message is transmitted through a middleware application.

13. The mobile device of claim 10 further comprising:

a local data storage device wherein processing device is operative to, in response to the executable instructions, store the current value of the object as the local data object; and

the processing device, is operative to display the local data object and the remote data object based on retrieving the objects from the local data storage device.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processing device is further operative to, during the error resolution process, if remote data object is selected, set the data object to a consistent state.

15. The mobile device of claim 10 further comprising:

an input device; and

wherein the processing device is further operative to, during the error resolution process, if the local data object is selected, receive a user input via the input device to adjust the data object.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the adjusted object data is added to an outgoing message queue, such that the transmitting device is operative to transmit the contents of the outgoing message queue to a middleware application such that a back-end operation is performed by the middleware application.

17. A wireless computing system having a mobile device with an intermittently connected mobile application, the mobile device comprising:

a back-end processing system including a back-end processing device and a back-end server;

a middleware processing system including a middleware processing device; and

the mobile device including;

a receiving device and a transmitting device, both, in intermittent operative communication with the back-end server;

a memory device including executable instructions; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

receive an error message from the back-end server, the error message relating to a local data object rejected by a back-end processing system;

set the data object to a rejected state;

execute an error resolution process including;

displaying a local data object and a remote data object;

receiving a user-selection of the local data object or the remote data object;

if the remote data object is selected, terminating the error resolution process; and

if the local data object is selected, setting the data object to an inconsistent state.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the transmitting device of the mobile device transmits a data message including the data object to the back-end processing system and the data message is transmitted through a middleware application executable on the middleware processing device.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the mobile device further includes:

a local data storage device wherein processing device is operative to, in response to the executable instructions, store the current value of the data object as the local data object; and

the processing device, is operative to display the local data object and the remote data object based on retrieving the objects from the local data storage device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing device of the mobile device is further operative to, during the error resolution process, if remote data object is selected, set the data object to a consistent state.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the mobile device further includes:

an input device; and

wherein the processing device is further operative to, during the error resolution process, if the local data object is selected, receive a user input via the input device to adjust the data object.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the adjusted data object is added to an outgoing message queue, such that the transmitting device is operative to transmit the contents of the outgoing message queue to a middleware application executing on the middleware processing device such that another back-end operation is performed.