FUNCTIONAL EXTENSIONS FOR BUSINESS OBJECTS

• US 20100057504A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Baeuerle, Stefan A., Klemenz, Oliver, Hartig, Martin, Zoch, Daniel, Fiedler, Thomas, Schlarb, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system may include generation of extension metadata defining a functional extension associated with a business object, and generation of a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata. In some aspects, a service request associated with the business object is received, it is determined whether the service request is associated with the functional extension, an extension service associated with the functional extension is provided if it is determined that the service request is associated with the functional extension, and a core service associated with core data of the business object is provided if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the functional extension.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating extension metadata defining a functional extension associated with a business object; and

generating a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a business object proxy comprising the core metadata of the business object based on a model of the business object,

wherein the enhanced metadata is generated based on the core metadata of the business object proxy.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the model of the business object is stored in an enterprise services repository,

wherein the business object proxy is generated in a business process platform, and

wherein the extension metadata is stored in an extension repository of the business process platform.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a service request associated with the business object;

determining whether the service request is associated with the functional extension;

if it is determined that the service request is associated with the functional extension, providing an extension service associated with the functional extension; and

if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the functional extension, providing a core service associated with core data or core logic of the business object.

5. A method according to claim 4,

wherein determining whether the service request is associated with the functional extension is based on the enhanced metadata of the runtime metadata buffer.

6. A method according to claim 4, further providing a core service associated with the business object if it is determined that the service request is associated with the functional extension.

7. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the extension repository stores extension metadata associated with a plurality of database tenants, and

wherein the enhanced metadata is associated with a single database tenant.

8. A system comprising:

an extension repository storing extension metadata defining a functional extension associated with a business object; and

a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata.

9. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a business object proxy comprising the core metadata of the business object,

wherein the enhanced metadata is based on the core metadata of the business object proxy.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an enterprise services repository storing a model of the business object; and

a business process platform comprising the business object proxy and the extension repository.

11. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an enterprise services framework to receive a service request associated with the business object;

a generic wrapper class to determine whether the service request is associated with the functional extension;

an extension service provider to provide an extension service associated with the functional extension if it is determined that the service request is associated with the functional extension; and

a core service provider to provide a core service associated with core data of the business object if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the functional extension.

12. A system according to claim 11,

wherein the generic wrapper class is to determine whether the service request is associated with the functional extension based on the enhanced metadata of the runtime metadata buffer.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the extension service provider is to call the core service provider to provide a core service associated with the business object.

14. A system according to claim 8,

wherein the extension repository stores extension metadata associated with a plurality of database tenants, and

wherein the enhanced metadata is associated with a single database tenant.