BPM system portable across databases

• US 20090070362A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Guizar, Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

A business process management (BPM) system operable with various database types. The BPM system may include a BPM process engine to execute business processes and request database access during execution, and a database module to access a database having one or more unique features that are inapplicable to other database types supported by the BPM system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a business process management (BPM) system operable with a plurality of database types;

executing business processes using the BPM system; and

when executing the business processes, accessing a database of one of the plurality of database types, the database having one or more unique features inapplicable to other database types.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein users of the BPM system are unaware that the database has unique features that are inapplicable to the other database types.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of database types comprises a MySQL database, an HSQL database, a PostgreSQL database, a Sybase database and an Oracle database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the business processes are defined using the business process execution language (BPEL).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the BPM system comprises:

installing the BPM system; and

generating a schema for the database of one of the plurality of database types.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the schema is generated using a database definition common for the plurality of database types, the database definition providing data types recognizable by all of the plurality of database types.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the database comprises:

receiving a request pertaining to a data object;

mapping data object data from the request to one or more elements of the database using a mapping document; and

accessing the database using the mapped elements.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the mapping document specifies properties of data elements, the properties being recognizable by any of the plurality of database types.

9. A business process management (BPM) system comprising:

a BPM process engine to execute business processes and request database access during execution, the BPM process engine operable with a plurality of database types; and

a database module, coupled to the BPM process engine, to access a database of one of the plurality of database types, the database having one or more unique features inapplicable to other database types.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of database types comprises a MySQL database, an HSQL database, a PostgreSQL database, a Sybase database and an Oracle database.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a BPM installer to install the BPM system, and to request a generation of a schema for the database of one of the plurality of database types.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the database module it to generate the schema using a database definition common for the plurality of database types, the database definition providing data types recognizable by all of the plurality of database types.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the database module is to access the database by

receiving a request pertaining to a data object,

mapping data object data from the request to one or more elements of the database using a mapping document, and

accessing the database using the mapped elements.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the mapping document specifies properties of data elements, the properties being recognizable by any of the plurality of database types.

15. A machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

providing a business process management (BPM) system operable with a plurality of database types;

executing business processes using the BPM system; and

when executing the business processes, accessing a database of one of the plurality of database types, the database having one or more unique features inapplicable to other database types.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15 wherein the plurality of database types comprises a MySQL database, an HSQL database, a PostgreSQL database, a Sybase database and an Oracle database.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15 wherein providing the BPM system comprises:

installing the BPM system; and

generating a schema for the database of one of the plurality of database types.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17 wherein the schema is generated using a database definition common for the plurality of database types, the database definition providing data types recognizable by all of the plurality of database types.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15 wherein accessing the database comprises:

receiving a request pertaining to a data object;

mapping data object data from the request to one or more elements of the database using a mapping document; and

accessing the database using the mapped elements.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 19 wherein the mapping document specifies properties of data elements, the properties being recognizable by any of the plurality of database types.