Computer-Implemented System And Method For Transparently Interfacing With Legacy Line Of Business Applications

• US 20110320366A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OVS, LLC, Smartek21 Product Holdings Company, Smartek21 Services Corporation
• Original Assignee: SmarTek21 LLC
• Inventors: Lalji, Alkarim "Al", Gross, John Michael, Krishnamurthy, Shrinidhi
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for transparently interfacing with legacy line of business applications is provided. A plurality of legacy line of business applications execute on a line of business server platform. A connector is interfaced to each legacy line of business application. Each legacy line of business application implements business logic for a specific business need. A dashboard application executes on a client platform into which at least one Widget application is tailored to and installed for one or more of the legacy line of business applications. An enterprise collaboration server executes on a collaboration server platform communicatively interposed between the line of business server platform and the client platform. A data access framework coupled to the dashboard application is provided through a user interface layer. A data service bus coupled to the line of business applications through their respective connector and to the data access framework is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for transparently interfacing with legacy line of business applications, comprising:

a line of business server platform executing a plurality of legacy line of business applications and interfacing a connector to each legacy line of business application, each legacy line of business application implementing business logic for a specific business need;

a client platform executing a dashboard application into which at least one Widget application is tailored to and installed for one or more of the legacy line of business applications; and

a collaboration server platform executing an enterprise collaboration server communicatively interposed between the line of business server platform and the client platform, comprising;

data access framework coupled to the dashboard application through a user interface layer; and

a data service bus coupled to the legacy line of business applications through their respective connector and to the data access framework.

2. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

an integrated business adapter defining each connector, wherein the integrated business adapter is tailored to communicate with a plurality of the legacy line of business applications; and

a wrapper defining each connector, wherein the wrapper extracts content from a data source associated with the legacy line of business application and translates the extracted content into another form of content for use by the dashboard application.

3. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a Web application framework implementing the dashboard application and providing a user interface to each widget.

4. A computer-implemented system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a site collection component comprised in the enterprise collaboration server with a document library and a Web subsite and coupled to the user interface layer and organizing local enterprise information,

wherein the document library and a Web subsite are accessible via the dashboard application through the user interface layer.

5. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

business data retrieved from a business data catalog and supplementing the dashboard application, wherein business objects that incorporate the business logic to operate on the business data are executed.

6. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

controls within the dashboard application to modify content, appearance, and behavior of the at least one Widget application.

7. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a module providing single sign-on functionality in the dashboard application, comprising;

state information through storage of user profile data for each user through the data access framework,

wherein credentials of each user in each of the legacy line of business applications are synchronized with the state information.

8. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a set of mappers that convert and supply data to the at least one Widget; and

a set of providers that convert and supply data to Web services provided through the dashboard application.

9. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

sets of Widget applications selected from the group comprising manager functions, employee functions, personal administration, compensation, time management, sales and distribution, customer relation management, order entry, and opportunity management.

10. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a set of rules that express business policy and implementing the business logic; and

a workflow enumerating ordered tasks and define information flow between entities and implementing the business logic.

11. A computer-implemented method for transparently interfacing with legacy line of business applications, comprising:

executing a plurality of legacy line of business applications on a line of business server platform and interfacing a connector to each legacy line of business application, each legacy line of business application implementing business logic for a specific business need;

executing a dashboard application on a client platform into which at least one Widget application is tailored to and installed for one or more of the legacy line of business applications; and

executing an enterprise collaboration server on a collaboration server platform communicatively interposed between the line of business server platform and the client platform, comprising;

providing a data access framework coupled to the dashboard application through a user interface layer; and

providing a data service bus coupled to the legacy line of business applications through their respective connector and to the data access framework.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

defining each connector as an integrated business adapter, which is tailored to communicate with a plurality of the legacy line of business applications; and

defining each connector as a wrapper for extracting content from a data source associated with the legacy line of business application and translating the extracted content into another form of content for use by the dashboard application.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

implementing the dashboard application as a Web application framework providing a user interface to each widget.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 13, further comprising:

organizing local enterprise information through a site collection component comprised in the enterprise collaboration server with a document library and a Web subsite and coupled to the user interface layer,

wherein the document library and a Web subsite are accessible via the dashboard application through the user interface layer.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

supplementing the dashboard application with business data retrieved from a business data catalog; and

executing business objects that incorporate the business logic to operate on the business data.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

including controls within the dashboard application to modify content, appearance, and behavior of the at least one Widget application.

17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing single sign-on functionality in the dashboard application, comprising;

maintaining state information through storage of user profile data for each user through the data access framework; and

synchronizing credentials of each user in each of the legacy line of business applications with the state information.

18. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

including a set of mappers that convert and supply data to the at least one Widget; and

including a set of providers that convert and supply data to Web services provided through the dashboard application.

19. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing sets of Widget applications selected from the group comprising manager functions, employee functions, personal administration, compensation, time management, sales and distribution, customer relation management, order entry, and opportunity management.

20. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

implementing the business logic through a set of rules that express business policy; and

implementing the business logic as a workflow, which enumerates ordered tasks and define information flow between entities.

21. A computer-implemented apparatus for transparently interfacing with legacy line of business applications, comprising:

means for executing a plurality of legacy line of business applications on a line of business server platform and means for interfacing a connector to each legacy line of business application, each legacy line of business application implementing business logic for a specific business need;

means for executing a dashboard application on a client platform into which at least one Widget application is tailored to and installed for one or more of the legacy line of business applications; and

means for executing an enterprise collaboration server on a collaboration server platform communicatively interposed between the line of business server platform and the client platform, comprising;

means for providing a data access framework coupled to the dashboard application through a user interface layer; and

means for providing a data service bus coupled to the legacy line of business applications through their respective connector and to the data access framework.