Method, System, and Computer Program Product for Implementing a Model Exchange Framework

• US 20090172042A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Bracha, Gilad, Kashai, Yaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, a system, and a computer program products for implementing model exchange in a system design. In various embodiments, the method or system receives a model exchange request from a client where model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the client and a system design on the server, implements the first model exchange request by processing the first model exchange, generates a second synchronization record in response to the first model exchange, transmitting the second synchronization record to the first client by using a fusion technology, and displaying a result of implementing the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing model exchange in a system design, comprising:

receiving, on a server, a first model exchange request from a first client, wherein

the first model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the client and a system design on the server;

implementing the first model exchange request by processing the first model exchange;

generating a second synchronization record in response to the first model exchange;

transmitting the second synchronization record to the first client by using a fusion technology; and

displaying a result of implementing the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining or identifying a first mapping between each of a plurality of local unique identifiers for the first client and a corresponding global unique identifier for the server, in which the each of a plurality of local unique identifiers and the corresponding global unique identifier identifies a component used in the system design.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the action of receiving, on a server, a first model exchange request comprises:

maintaining or identifying a global object table for a plurality of components in the system design on the server, in which the global object table comprises at least one entry for each of the plurality of components in the system design; and

determining a new master system design based on the first synchronization record received.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

describing each of the plurality of components by at least one of an anchor, an initial state of the each of the plurality of components, and a list of one or more changes to the each of the plurality of components; and

maintaining or identifying a first mapping between the server and the first client for the plurality of components.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3, in which the action of implementing the first model exchange request comprises:

de-serializing the first synchronization record;

allocating a global unique identifier for a new component created by the first client; and

adding the new component in the system design to the global object table.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

implementing a change made to an existing component in the system design by adding to or modifying the at least one entry in the global object table.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, in which the action of implementing a change made to an existing component is performed without detecting or reconciling a potential conflict for the existing component.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 2, in which the action of generating a second synchronization record comprises:

identifying, in the second synchronization record, a first delta of a master representation on the server of a first component used in the system design on the first client;

identifying a second delta of a second component which is not used in the system design on the client but is connected to the first client by one or more changes made to a persistent heap of the first client; and

serializing the second synchronization record.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

optimizing a change log; and

converting the global unique identifiers of the first and the second component to corresponding local unique identifiers.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing access right management upon receiving the first model exchange request form the first client.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a first information of the first client;

determining an access right of the first client to the system design on the server based in part upon a first tier of the first client and the first model exchange request; and

generating and transmitting the second synchronization record in response to the first model exchange based on the access right of the first client.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, in which the action of determining an access right of the first client further comprises:

partitioning the first model exchange into at least one of a plurality of portions, wherein each of the plurality of portions corresponds to a respective tier which defines a respective level of access; and

determining an access right of the first client to the at least one of a plurality of portions.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing to remove a first model from the client based upon the access right determined.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

modifying the access right of the first client based upon the access right determined.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which each of the server and the first client comprises a computing node, a programmable device, or a class, a task, a process, a job, an application, or a thread residing on the same computing node or programmable device.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the delta comprises minimal difference in both the program aspect and the data aspect.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the action of implementing the first model exchange request comprises:

updating the system design on the server according to the first model exchange request received.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a second model exchange request which comprises the second synchronization record; and

transmitting the second model exchange request to a second client.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the second synchronization record comprises a second delta made by a second client.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the action of transmitting the second synchronization record to the first client comprises:

identifying an internal common modeling framework which represents internally all external models in a common representation;

importing the system model on the first client by processing the first model exchange request, wherein

the system on the first client represents a part of the system design,

the action of importing the system model on the first client further comprises preserving interpretation of the system model on the first client, and

the computer implemented method requires no compliance on the first client on which the system model is constructed or updated; and

determining a first internal common representation for the system model on the client within the internal common modeling framework.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the second synchronization record comprises a second delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between the system design on the first client and the system design on the server

22. A computer implemented method for implementing model exchange in a system design, comprising:

initiating, from a first client, a first model exchange request and transmitting the first model exchange request to a server, wherein

the first model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the first client and a corresponding system design on the server;

receiving a second synchronization record from the server, in which the second synchronization record comprises a second delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between the system design on the first client and the corresponding system design on the server;

processing the second synchronization record;

completing the first model exchange request by applying a change log; and

displaying a result of the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.

23. A system for implementing model exchange in a system design, comprising:

means for receiving, on a server, a first model exchange request from a first client, wherein

the first model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the client and a system design on the server;

means for implementing the first model exchange request by processing the first model exchange;

means for generating a second synchronization record in response to the first model exchange;

means for transmitting the second synchronization record to the first client by using a fusion technology;

means for displaying a result of implementing the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.

24. A computer program product that includes a medium usable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to execute a process for implementing model exchange in a system design, the process comprising:

receiving, on a server, a first model exchange request from a first client, wherein

the first model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the client and a system design on the server;

implementing the first model exchange request by processing the first model exchange;

generating a second synchronization record in response to the first model exchange;

transmitting the second synchronization record to the first client by using a fusion technology;

displaying a result of implementing the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.

25. A system for implementing model exchange in a system design, comprising:

means for initiating, from a first client, a first model exchange request and transmitting the first model exchange request to a server, wherein

the first model exchange request comprises a first synchronization record which comprises a delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between a system design on the first client and a corresponding system design on the server;

means for receiving a second synchronization record from the server, in which the second synchronization record comprises a second delta of both a program aspect and a data aspect between the system design on the first client and the corresponding system design on the server;

means for processing the second synchronization record;

means for completing the first model exchange request by applying a change log; and

means for displaying a result of the first model exchange request or storing the result in a tangible computer readable medium.