CONFLICT SWITCHES FOR IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE NODE CHANGES

• US 20120131457A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kemmler, Andreas, Kamenz, Torsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An enhancement implementation analysis method and system are provided. A processor may determine a node in an implementation guide hierarchy to be analyzed for conflicts. Based on the determination, a list of all switches assigned to the node in the implementation guide hierarchy may be retrieved from a data store. The list of retrieved switches may be checked by a processor to determine whether the switch is an active conflict switch. Upon a determination that the conflict switch is an inactive conflict switch, the conflict switch may be deleted from the retrieved list of all switches. If the conflict switch is determined to be an active conflict switch, the conflict switch may be added to a list of relevant switches, and the list of relevant switches may be processed to resolve conflicts, and a corresponding implementation guide may be presented.

Claims

1. A method for selecting computer application functionality for implementation from an enhancement package, comprising:

retrieving, by a processor in response to user selection of a specific computer application function, a list of all switches assigned to the selected function, wherein the selected function is represented as a node in a hierarchical data structure;

extracting individual switches from the list of all switches, wherein individual switches include at least one of either function switches or conflict switches, wherein a conflict switch has at least two switches of any combination of function or conflict switches assigned to it and function switches are assigned to a function and optionally also to a conflict switch;

determining whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch;

based on the determination that the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, adding the active conflict switch to a list of relevant switches;

after all switches in the list of switches have either been removed from the list of all switches or added to the list of relevant switches, processing the list of relevant switches; and

as a result of the processing, presenting, by the processor in a graphical user interface, an implementation guide indicating which specific computer application functions are to be executing on the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises:

analyzing by the processor, attributes of the selected function at a node or sub-node under review to identify which function switches are assigned to the node or sub-node under review;

further analyzing the attributes of the identified function switches to determine which are assigned to a respective conflict switch, and which conflict switch is also assigned to the selected function;

analyzing the respective conflict switch to determine if any other conflict switches are assigned to the respective conflict switch; and

based on the results of the analysis, adding each respective conflict switch that is assigned to the selected function to the list of all switches.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, comprises:

determining the extracted switch is an active conflict switch when all function or conflict switches assigned to the extracted switch that are switched on;

otherwise, the extracted switch is an inactive conflict switch; and

deleting the inactive conflict switch from the list of all switches.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the list of relevant switches, comprises:

indentifying the switch conflict resolution indicated by the active conflict switch; and

modifying the implementation guide according to the identified switch conflict resolution.

5. An enhancement implementation analysis method, comprising:

determining by a processor a node in an implementation hierarchy to be analyzed for conflicts;

retrieving from a data store, as a result of the determination by the processor, a list of all switches assigned to the node in the implementation hierarchy;

considering each switch in the list of all switches to determine whether the switch is a conflict switch;

for switches determined to be a conflict switch, determining whether the conflict switch is active or inactive;

upon a determination the conflict switch is an inactive conflict switch, deleting the conflict switch from the retrieved list of all switches;

upon a determination the conflict switch is an active conflict switch, adding the conflict switch to a list of relevant switches; and

processing the list of relevant switches to resolve conflicts.

6. An enhancement implementation analysis tool, comprising:

a display device for displaying a graphical user interface; and

a processor configured to;

construct, in response to a selection of a specific computer application function in the graphical user interface, a list of all switches assigned to the selected function, wherein the selected function is represented as a node in a hierarchical data structure;

extract individual switches from the list of all switches, wherein individual switches include at least one of either a function switch or a conflict switch, wherein a conflict switch has at least two switches of any combination of function or conflict switches assigned to it and a function switches are assigned to either a function and optionally also to a conflict switch;

determine whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch;

based on the determination that the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, add the active conflict switch to a list of relevant switches;

after all switches in the list of switches have either been removed from the list of all switches or added to the list of relevant switches, process the list of relevant switches; and

as a result of the processing, present, by the processor in a graphical user interface, an implementation guide indicating which specific computer application functions are to be executing on the processor.

7. The enhancement implementation analysis tool of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to construct the list of all switches by:

analyzing by the processor, attributes of the selected function at a node or sub-node under review to identify which function switches are assigned to the node or sub-node under review;

further analyzing the attributes of identified function switches to determine which are assigned to a respective conflict switch and the attributes of any conflict switches to identify selected functions to which the conflict switches are assigned;

analyzing the respective conflict switch to determine if any other conflict switches are assigned to the respective conflict switch; and

based on the results of the analysis, adding each respective conflict switch that is assigned to the selected function to the list of all switches.

8. The enhancement implementation analysis tool of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, by:

determining the extracted switch is an active conflict switch when all function or conflict switches assigned to the extracted switch that are switched on;

otherwise, the extracted switch is an inactive conflict switch; and

deleting the inactive conflict switch from the list of all switches.

9. The enhancement implementation analysis tool of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to process the list of relevant switches by:

indentifying the switch conflict resolution indicated by the active conflict switch; and

modifying the implementation guide according to the identified switch conflict resolution.

10. A computer readable medium embodied with program instructions executable by a processor, the processor performing a method for selecting computer application functionality for implementation from an enhancement package, comprising:

retrieving, by a processor in response to user selection of a specific computer application function, a list of all switches assigned to the selected function, wherein the selected function is represented as a node in a hierarchical data structure;

extracting individual switches from the list of all switches, wherein individual switches include at least one of either function switches or conflict switches, wherein a conflict switch has at least two switches of any combination of function or conflict switches assigned to it and function switches are assigned to a function and optionally also to a conflict switch;

determining whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch;

based on the determination that the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, adding the active conflict switch to a list of relevant switches;

after all switches in the list of switches have either been removed from the list of all switches or added to the list of relevant switches, processing the list of relevant switches; and

as a result of the processing, presenting, by the processor in a graphical user interface, an implementation guide indicating which specific computer application functions are to be executing on the processor.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the retrieving comprises:

analyzing by the processor, attributes of the selected function at a node under review to identify which function switches are assigned to the node under review;

analyzing the identified function switches to determine which are assigned to a respective conflict switch;

analyzing the respective conflict switch to determine if any other conflict switches are assigned to the respective conflict switch; and

based on the results of the analysis, adding each respective conflict switch that is assigned to the selected function to the list of all switches.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the determining whether the extracted switch is an active conflict switch, comprises:

determining the extracted switch is an active conflict switch when all function or conflict switches assigned to the extracted switch that are switched on;

otherwise, the extracted switch is an inactive conflict switch; and

deleting the inactive conflict switch from the list of all switches.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the processing the list of relevant switches, comprises:

indentifying the switch conflict resolution indicated by the active conflict switch; and

modifying the implementation guide according to the identified switch conflict resolution.

14. An enhancement implementation analysis method, comprising:

determining by a processor a node in an implementation hierarchy to be analyzed for conflicts;

retrieving from a data store, as a result of the determination by the processor, a list of all switches assigned to the node in the implementation hierarchy;

checking the list of retrieved switches to determine whether the switch is a conflict switch;

for switches determined to be a conflict switch, determining whether the conflict switch is active;

upon a determination the conflict switch is an inactive conflict switch, deleting the conflict switch from the retrieved list of all switches;

upon a determination the conflict switch is an active conflict switch, adding the conflict switch to a list of relevant switches; and

processing the list of relevant switches to resolve conflicts.