INFORMATION SYSTEM WITH EVENT-ENABLED DATA OBJECTS

• US 20080184266A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bajaj, Sumeet, Bornhoevd, Christof
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer-implemented information system involves data objects stored in the database with characteristics of such data objects defined at a design time. The system is able to associate customized data object events with at least some of the data objects subsequent to the design time to define subscriber objects. Data objects which are publisher objects are determined based on the events. In one implementation, the information system includes a messaging manager, with a message broker and an event controller associated therewith.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented information system comprising:

data objects stored in a database, the data objects having a design time associated therewith, the data objects including subscriber objects and publisher objects;

an event controller for associating customized data object events with at least some of the data objects subsequent to the design time;

a list of subscriptions related to the data objects, the subscription list maintained by the event controller subsequent to the design time; and

a message broker adapted to receive and transmit subscription requests subsequent to the design time and to communicate with the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the event controller comprises a program module substantially separable from the message broker, whereby the event controller may function with different message brokers without substantial modification thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a business application having an application programming interface adapted to receive the subscription requests, wherein the data objects include business objects.

4. A computer-implemented information system comprising:

data objects stored in a database, the data objects having at least some characteristics defined at a design time; and

means for associating customized data object events with at lest some of the data objects subsequent to the design time to define subscriber objects;

means for communicating control events based on the customized data object events;

means for determining publisher objects based on the control events;

means for adding new data objects to the system; and

means for communicating already existing, customized data object events to the new data objects.

5. The system of claim 4, further including means associated with the publisher objects for receiving a corresponding one of the control events and means associated with the publisher objects for determining at least one predicate associated with the control event.

6. The system of claim 5, further including means for evaluating if the predicate is true and means for publishing a notification message if the predicate is true.

7. The system of claim 6, further including means for determining an absence of data objects subscribing to the event corresponding to the notification message and, in the event of said determination, not publishing the notification message.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising a messaging manager for the subscriber objects and publisher objects, the message manager having means for maintaining a subscription list including data corresponding to event types, customized data object events, and a reference count, the messaging manager having means for altering the value of the reference count for a given one of the data object events in response to a change in the number of subscriber objects associated with the given data object event.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for associating customized data objects includes means for generating an event condition string and wherein the publisher objects include means for parsing the string.

10. The system of claim 4, further including means for unsubscribing subscriber objects from previously associated ones of the customized data object events.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for associating customized data object events includes means for associating the subscriber objects with corresponding classes of the data objects.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the system includes a business application platform, wherein the data objects comprise business objects, and wherein the events comprise business events.

13. The system of claim 4, further including means for associating predefined data object events with the data objects at the design time, and wherein the customized data object events are at least partly defined with reference to the predefined data object events.

14. The system of claim 4, further comprising an application programming interface for accessing the data objects, and wherein the messaging manager comprises a message broker and an event controller.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the message broker and the event controller are substantially independent program modules.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the database is associated with means for processing database transactions, and wherein the message broker and the database include substantially independent program modules.

17. The system of claim 16, further including means for detecting when the database transactions are committed, wherein the message broker includes means for generating notification messages related to the database transactions after the database transactions are committed.

18. A computer-implemented method of associating business objects in a database of an enterprise system application with events, the method comprising:

defining business objects at design time, the business objects being characterized by type;

receiving a request subsequent to the design time for one of the business objects to subscribe to an event to define a subscriber object, the subscriber object being of a first type;

determining business objects which are related to the event to define publisher objects, the publisher objects being of a second type; and

generating a notification message when the event is detected.

19. The method of claim 18, further including communicating predicates of the event to the publisher objects and determining when the predicates are true.

20. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a data object to be added to a data structure containing multiple, previously defined data objects and multiple events associated with the previously defined data objects;

determining a class for the data object;

determining which of the events are associated with the class; and

associating the data object with the events associated with the class.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein associating the data object includes associating the data object with an event condition of publish, select, or both.