Software Asset Packaging and Consumption Method and System

• US 20100333083A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Weng, Chang He, Li, Dong Bing, Tian, Chen, Zhao, Yong, He, Lei, Kahan, Eduardo T., Chancey, Raphael P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A reusable asset packaging and consumption method and system that support consumption activities and variability point instances associated with asset types or artifact types. Generic consumption activities and variability point types for different asset types or artifact types and developed and stored in a repository. When an asset packager packages an asset, a needed activity is selected from the activities associated with the type of the asset. The activity, a variability point instance bound with the activity, and the context constraints, together with the artifacts is packaged into the asset package, where the asset package is then stored in a repository. During consumption, the asset consumer obtains the asset package, verifies the context, and executes the activity packaged in the asset, while specifying variability point values for the bound variability instance.

Claims

1. A computer system for packaging an asset, comprising:

an obtaining module for obtaining artifacts of the asset to be packaged, and activities associated with the asset type or artifact types, wherein the activities comprise the execution code for executing asset consumption operations; and

a packaging engine for, in response to selecting an activity from the associated activities, packaging the selected activity and the artifacts into an asset package, wherein the packaging engine generates and stores (i) the meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package, and (ii) an association between an artifact and the activity.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further packages a variability point instance bound with the selected activity and associated with the asset type or the artifact type into the asset package, wherein the variability point comprises the identifier code for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact; and

wherein, the packaging engine further generates and stores the meta information on the variability point instance in the asset package and its binding with the activity during the packaging process.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further executes, for the artifact associated with the selected activity, the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance bound with the selected activity so as to generate at least one variability point values in the artifact, and for packaging the at least one variability point values into the asset package, wherein the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance is operable for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact; and

wherein, the packaging engine further generates and stores the meta information on the variability point instance in the asset package and its binding with the activity during the packaging process.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further generates and stores the meta information on the context for executing the activity in the asset package during the packaging process.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a creation module for creating an activity and a variability point type for an asset type or an artifact type;

a configuration module for configuring the context for executing the created activity, and the associations between the created activity and variability point type, and the asset type or artifact type; and

a storing module for storing the activity, variability point type, and the meta information on the activity, variability point type, context, and the associations between the activity and variability point type, and the asset type or artifact type in an activity library.

6. A computer system for consuming an asset, comprising:

an obtaining module for obtaining an asset package and the meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact, the meta information of the asset package includes the meta information on the artifacts and activity in the asset package and on an association between the artifact and the activity, wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact; and

a consumption engine for executing the activity in the asset package on the associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading and interpreting the meta information.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein:

the asset package further comprises a variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein the variability point instance comprises an identifier code for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact;

the meta information of the asset package further includes meta information on the variability point instance and its binding with the activity; and

the consumption engine further obtains the variability point values in the artifact through executing the identifier code of the bound variability point instance on the associated artifact during executing the activity in the asset package, and provides a selected variability point value to the activity so as to customize the activity.

8. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein:

the asset package further comprises variability point values of the variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein the variability point values are generated by applying on the associated artifact the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact;

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the variability point instance and its binding with the activity; and

the consumption engine further provides a variability point value selected from the variability point values to the activity in the asset package to customize the activity during executing the activity.

9. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the context for executing the activity in the asset package, and the system further comprises:

a context obtaining module for obtaining the current context of the asset consumption;

a context determination module for determining whether the current context matches with the context of the activity in the asset package; and

wherein, the consumption engine further executes the activity in response to the determination being positive.

10. A computer implemented method for packaging an asset, comprising steps of:

obtaining artifacts of an asset to be packaged, and activities associated with an asset type or an artifact type, wherein the activities comprise execution code for executing asset consumption operations; and

in response to selecting an activity from the associated activities, packaging the selected activity and the artifacts into an asset package,

wherein during the packaging process, meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package, and an association between an artifact and the activity, are generated and stored.

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

packaging a variability point instance bound with the selected activity and associated with the asset type or an artifact type into the asset package, wherein the variability point instance comprises the identifier code for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact; and

wherein meta information on the variability point instance, and its binding with the activity, are generated and stored.

12. The computer implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

executing on the artifact associated with the selected activity the identifier code comprised in a variability point instance associated with the asset type or the artifact type and bound with the selected activity so as to generate at least one variability point values in the artifact, and packaging the at least one variability point values into the asset package, wherein the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance is usable for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact; and

wherein meta information on the variability point instance in the asset package, and its binding with the activity, are generated and stored.

13. The computer implemented method according to claim 10, wherein meta information on parameters of the activity in the asset package is generated and stored.

14. The computer implemented method according to claim 10, wherein meta information on a context for executing the activity in the asset package is generated and stored.

15. The computer implemented method according to claim 10, further comprise:

creating an activity and a variability point type for the asset type or the artifact type;

configuring a context for executing the created activity;

configuring associations between the created activity and variability point type, and the asset type or the artifact type; and

storing the activity, variability point type, and the meta information on the activity, variability point type, context, and the associations between the activity and variability point type, and the asset type or the artifact type in an activity library.

16. A computer implemented method for consuming an asset, comprising steps of:

obtaining an asset package and meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact, the meta information of the asset package includes meta information on the artifacts and activity in the asset package and on association between the artifact and the activity, wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact;

executing the activity in the asset package on an associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading and interpreting the meta information.

17. The computer implemented method according to claim 16, wherein:

the asset package further contains a variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein the variability point instance contains an identifier code for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact;

the meta information of the asset package further includes meta information on the variability point instance and its binding with the activity; and

the method further comprising;

obtaining the variability point values in the associated artifact through executing the identifier code of the bound variability point instance on the associated artifact during executing the activity in the asset package, and providing a selected variability point value to the activity so as to customize the activity.

18. The computer implemented method according to claim 16, wherein:

the asset package further comprises variability point values of the variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein the variability point values are generated by applying on the associated artifact the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact;

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the variability point instance and its binding with the activity; and

the method further comprising;

providing a variability point value selected from variability point values to the activity in the asset package to customize the activity during executing the activity.

19. The computer implemented method according to claim 16, wherein:

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the parameters of the activity in the asset package; and

the method further comprising;

receiving values specified for the parameters of the activity in the assert package during executing the activity so as to customize the activity.

20. The computer implemented method according to claim 16, wherein the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the context for executing the activity in the asset package, and the method further comprising:

obtaining a current context of the asset consumption;

determining whether the current context matches with the context of the activity in the asset package; and

in response to the determination being positive, executing the activity.