SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION CONTROL WHEREIN CONTAINERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL STORAGE OF SOFTWARE APPLICATION VERSIONS IN A SOFTWARE PRODUCTION LANDSCAPE

• US 20100153917A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Kramer, Wolfram, Krueger, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 8,776,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a source version of a software product may be established in connection with a software production landscape. A first container, representing a first uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, may then be associated with the source version. An executable derivative version of the software product may be built from the source version, and a second container, representing a second uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, may be associated with the executable derivative version. Software configuration information may then be automatically provided to a user based at least in part on a relationship between the first and second containers at a given point in time.

Claims

1. A method associated with a software production landscape, comprising:

establishing a source version of a software product;

associating a first container, representing a first uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, with the source version;

building an executable derivative version of the software product from the source version;

associating a second container, representing a second uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, with the executable derivative version; and

automatically providing, to a user, software configuration information based at least in part on a relationship between the first and second containers at a given point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a directory within a software configuration management tool that hosts snapshots of the software product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a label defined in a software configuration management tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a directory within a software configuration management tool along with a time stamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a centrally accessible directory into which a build server places the executable derivative version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a directory into which a previously generated derivative version is copied.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a runtime environment where a generated derivate version is executed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying the executable derivative version to a test environment, wherein another container, representing another uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, is associated with the deployed executable derivative version in the test environment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying the executable derivative version to a run-time environment of a customer, wherein another container, representing another uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, is associated with the deployed executable derivative version in the run-time environment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a graphical user interface, a selection of a container from a user;

providing, via the graphical user interface, information associated with another container based on the selected container.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second container includes a sequence of snapshots including different executable derivative versions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a transformation provides read access to a first snapshot in an input container and produces a second snapshot in an output container.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transformation comprises a transport such that the second snapshot is identical to the first snapshot.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said building the executable derivative version of the software product is associated with integration of multiple elements from development branches.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an integration branch to establish a source version of a software product, wherein a first container, representing a first uniquely addressable physical location in a software production landscape, is associated with the source version;

a derivative storage element to receive an executable derivative version of the software product built from the source version, wherein a second container, representing a second uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, is associated with the executable derivative version; and

an application server to automatically provide, to a user, software configuration information based at least in part on a relationship between the first and second containers at a given point in time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a process log tool core to facilitate an exchange of information with the user.

17. A computer-readable medium storing processor-executable process steps that, when executed by a processor, perform a method, wherein the method comprises:

establishing a source version of a software product;

associating a first container, representing a first uniquely addressable physical location in a software production landscape, with the source version;

building an executable derivative version of the software product from the source version;

associating a second container, representing a second uniquely addressable physical location in the software production landscape, with the executable derivative version; and

automatically providing, to a user, software configuration information based at least in part on a relationship between the first and second containers at a given point in time.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a directory within a software configuration management tool that hosts snapshots of the software product.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a label defined in a software configuration management tool.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a directory within a software configuration management tool along with a time stamp.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a centrally accessible directory into which a build server places the executable derivative version.