Managing Consistent Interfaces for Supply Network Business Objects Across Heterogeneous Systems

• US 20090248430A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Werner, Christian, Heinemann, Peter, Hubert, Matthias, Huber-Buschbeck, Andreas, Hader, Sven, Schweitzer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/348
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a supply network plan, a supply network plan configuration and/or a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network plan service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for receiving, from a service consumer, a first message for creating a long or midterm production or distribution plan;

program code for invoking a supply network plan business object, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for creating a long or midterm production or distribution plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan root node; and

a key figure value subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure value property subordinate node; and

a key figure value detail subordinate node; and

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on the data in the supply network plan business object, the message comprising a supply network plan key figure value by elements response message entity, a message header package, a key figure value package, and a log package.

2. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network plan service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on data in a supply network plan business object invoked by the second application, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for creating a long or midterm production or distribution plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan root node; and

a key figure value subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure value property subordinate node; and

a key figure value detail subordinate node;

and the message comprising a supply network plan key figure value by elements response message entity, a message header package, a key figure value package, and a log package; and

program code for receiving a second message from the second application, the second message associated with the invoked supply network plan business object and in response to the first message.

3. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services, the system processing business objects involving creating a long or midterm production or distribution plan, and comprising:

memory storing a business object repository storing a plurality of business objects, wherein each business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object of a particular business object type and at least one of the business objects is for creating a long or midterm production or distribution plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan root node; and

a key figure value subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure value property subordinate node; and

a key figure value detail subordinate node; and

a graphical user interface remote from the memory for presenting data associated with an invoked instance of the supply network plan business object, the interface comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible media.

4. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network plan configuration service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for receiving, from a service consumer, a first message for creating configurations for long-term or mid-term production plans, distribution plans or supply network plans;

program code for invoking a supply network plan configuration business object, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for the configuration required to access a supply network plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan configuration root node;

a characteristic subordinate node;

a key figure subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure property subordinate node;

a period subordinate node and wherein the period value node contains;

a period property subordinate node;

a function subordinate node and wherein the function value node contains;

an event subordinate node; and

a selection subordinate node and wherein the selection value node contains;

a selection criterion subordinate node; and

a selection group subordinate node; and

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on the data in the supply network plan configuration business object, the message comprising a supply network plan configuration by identifier response message entity, a supply network plan configuration package, and a log package.

5. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network plan configuration service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on data in a supply network plan configuration business object invoked by the second application, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for the configuration required to access a supply network plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan configuration root node;

a characteristic subordinate node;

a key figure subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure property subordinate node;

a period subordinate node and wherein the period value node contains;

a period property subordinate node;

a function subordinate node and wherein the function value node contains;

an event subordinate node; and

a selection subordinate node and wherein the selection value node contains;

a selection criterion subordinate node; and

a selection group subordinate node;

and the message comprising a supply network plan configuration by identifier response message entity, a supply network plan configuration package, and a log package; and

program code for receiving a second message from the second application, the second message associated with the invoked supply network plan configuration business object and in response to the first message.

6. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services, the system processing business objects involving creating configurations for long-term or mid-term production plans, distribution plans or supply network plans, and comprising:

memory storing a business object repository storing a plurality of business objects, wherein each business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object of a particular business object type and at least one of the business objects is for the configuration required to access a supply network plan, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network plan configuration root node;

a characteristic subordinate node;

a key figure subordinate node and wherein the key figure value node contains;

a key figure property subordinate node;

a period subordinate node and wherein the period value node contains;

a period property subordinate node;

a function subordinate node and wherein the function value node contains;

an event subordinate node; and

a selection subordinate node and wherein the selection value node contains;

a selection criterion subordinate node; and

a selection group subordinate node; and

a graphical user interface remote from the memory for presenting data associated with an invoked instance of the supply network plan configuration business object, the interface comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible media.

7. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for receiving, from a service consumer, a first message for creating aggregate hierarchies for long-term or mid-term production plans, distribution plans or supply network plans;

program code for invoking a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for a hierarchy of different planning levels and aggregates in supply network planning, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy root node;

an aggregate instance subordinate node and wherein the aggregate instance node contains;

a characteristic value subordinate node;

a navigation step subordinate node; and

an expand step subordinate node; and

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on the data in the supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object, the message comprising a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy by identifier response message entity, a message header package, a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy package, and a log package.

8. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for performing a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy service, the service exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry, wherein upon execution the program code executes in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services and comprises:

program code for initiating transmission of a message to a heterogeneous second application, executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, based on data in a supply network plan configuration business object invoked by the second application, wherein the business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object for a hierarchy of different planning levels and aggregates in supply network planning, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy root node;

an aggregate instance subordinate node and wherein the aggregate instance node contains;

a characteristic value subordinate node;

a navigation step subordinate node; and

an expand step subordinate node;

and the message comprising a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy by identifier response message entity, a message header package, a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy package, and a log package; and

program code for receiving a second message from the second application, the second message associated with the invoked supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object and in response to the first message.

9. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services, the system processing business objects involving creating aggregate hierarchies for long-term or mid-term production plans, distribution plans or supply network plans and comprising:

memory storing a business object repository storing a plurality of business objects, wherein each business object is a logically centralized, semantically disjointed object of a particular business object type and at least one of the business objects is for a hierarchy of different planning levels and aggregates in supply network planning, and comprises data logically organized as;

a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy root node;

an aggregate instance subordinate node and wherein the aggregate instance node contains;

a characteristic value subordinate node;

a navigation step subordinate node; and

an expand step subordinate node; and

a graphical user interface remote from the memory for presenting data associated with an invoked instance of the supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object, the interface comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible media.