METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING SYMBOLIC MODE CHECKING OF BUSINESS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• US 20090313073A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wegman, Mark N., Bloom, Bard, Keyser, Paul T., Simmonds, Ian D.
• Application Number:
  US12/545,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313073A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

A system and method for providing symbolic mode checking of business application requirements. A language allows for building a model for the business process, the model comprising a plurality of actions, with each action having a precondition and a postcondition or outcome. Specifications are constructed for the properties of the business application, with the specifications describing both the states of the business process and the order in which they may occur. Finally, the model and the specifications are analyzed to determine if the model satisfies the specifications. If the model fails to satisfy the specifications, a problem may be indicated in the business application. The process can be automated to permit the system to make assumptions for conducting a thorough analysis of selected potential problem areas in the application.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for a computing system having at least one processing device for checking a business process for operating on a plurality of objects, said process being capable of attaining a plurality of states, comprising the steps of:

identifying objects of said process using a dynamic multi-classification model;

determining actions that can take place in said process in terms of the classifications of the objects used in said actions;

evaluating how the classification of objects changes during actions; and

determining whether selected states of the business process are reachable based on said actions.

14-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A program storage device readable by machine storing a program of instructions executable by said machine for performing a method for checking a business process for operating on a plurality of objects, said process being capable of attaining a plurality of states, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying objects of said process using a dynamic multi-classification model;

determining actions that can take place in said process in terms of the classifications of the objects used in said actions;

evaluating how the classification of objects changes during actions; and

determining whether selected states of the business process are reachable based on said actions.

19-20. -20. (canceled)