DISCOVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF CONFIGURATION DATA CONTAINED WITHIN MASHUPS

• US 20090157728A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Riley, Wayne B., Fletcher, James C., Kenna, Kimberly D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer program product for discovering and distributing relevant business information contained in a mashup comprises computer usable program code is configured to interrogate a mashup maker to discover the elements, relationships, and dependencies embodied by a mashup page; assemble this information into a data structure; and make the data structure accessible. A method for updating a configuration management database, where an end user creates a mashup page that embodies the end user'"'"'s knowledge about the elements and processes required to fulfill a specific task, comprises deriving elements, relationships, and dependencies from the mashup page; creating a data structure representing this information, and communicating this data structure to the configuration management database.

Claims

1. A computer program product for discovering and distributing relevant business information contained in a mashup, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to interrogate a mashup maker to discover the elements, relationships, and dependencies embodied by a mashup page;

computer usable program code configured to assemble information representing said elements, relationships, and dependencies to a data structure, and

computer usable program code configured to make said data structure accessible to other entities.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said computer useable program code configured to interrogate said mashup maker is a discovery module within said mashup maker.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said mashup maker is configured to create a mashup page by generating mashup code, said mashup code comprising data source locations and formatting commands.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein said discovery module analyzes said mashup code to discover said elements, relationships, and dependences.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said discovery module is further configured to analyze said data source locations to discover applications, resources, or networks that support said data source.

6. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said discovery module is further configured to interrogate said data sources within said mashup maker to discover said elements, relationships, and dependencies.

7. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein said data structure is made available to other entities via at least one of an extensible markup language, derivatives thereof, a Web service, and a publish/subscribe model.

8. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said computer usable program code is configured make said data structure accessible to a configuration management database.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said data structure comprises a logical object, said logical object representing said elements and said dependencies of said mashup page.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said data structure is made available to other entities as a discovery library.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said discovery module provides updates to said configuration management database by creating a new logical object.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said configuration management database uses an autodiscovery method for updating said configuration management database.

13. A method for updating a configuration management database comprising:

extracting elements, relationships, and dependencies from a mashup page, wherein said mashup page embodies knowledge about elements and processes required to fulfill a specific task;

creating a data structure representing said elements, relationships, and dependencies embodied in said mashup page; and

communicating said data structure to said configuration management database.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating said configuration management database when said mashup page is revised.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said data structure is at least one of a logical object and a discovery library.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said communicating said data structure to said configuration management database comprises an exposed interface making said data structure available via at least one of an extensible markup language, derivatives of extensible markup language, a Web service, and a publish/subscribe model.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said updating said configuration management database comprises communicating a new logical object to said configuration management database or updating said discovery library.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein updating said configuration management database comprises autodiscovery mechanisms within said configuration management database.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said extracting said dependencies comprises analyzing said mashup page elements to determine which resources are required to support said mashup page elements.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said resources required to support said mashup page elements comprise at least one of applications, servers, and communication networks.

21. A system for providing information regarding system dependencies, said system comprising:

a computer for executing a mashup maker for producing mashups; and

a configuration management database in communication with said computer;

wherein a said mashup embodies a user'"'"'s knowledge about elements and processes required to fulfill a specific task;

wherein said mashup maker is configured to extract elements, relationships, and dependencies from said mashup page and create a data structure representing said elements, relationships, and dependencies embodied in said mashup page; and

wherein said data structure is communicated to said configuration management database.