MANAGING APPLICATION TEMPLATE ARTIFACTS IN A NETWORKED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130268913A1
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Jason L., Boss, Gregory J., Coveyduc, Jeffrey L., Murakami, Shaun T., Reif, John, Singh, Animesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for managing application template artifacts throughout an application'"'"'s lifecycle in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment). In a typical embodiment, a workload template is assigned to each phase of a set of successive phases of the application'"'"'s lifecycle. Each template typically refers to a template in a preceding phase of the lifecycle. Moreover, the templates may contain pointers to artifacts used in the phases assigned thereto. Any changes occurring in the artifacts/phases are propagated to the corresponding templates so as to automatically manage application lifecycle operations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing application template artifacts in a networked computing environment, comprising:

assigning a set of templates to a set of successive phases, the set of successive phases corresponding to a lifecycle of an application, and the set of templates being stored in a computer storage device;

providing a reference in at least one template of the set of templates assigned to a particular phase, the reference referring to at least one previous template of the set of templates, and the at least one previous template being assigned to a previous phase in the set of successive phases;

providing a set of pointers in the set of templates, the set of pointers referring to a set of artifacts used in the set of successive phases;

identifying a set of changes to the set of artifacts, the set of changes occurring between individual phases of the set of successive phases; and

propagating the set of changes to the set of templates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the particular phase immediately following the previous phase in the set of successive phases.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the set of artifacts comprising at least one of the following:

application requirements, application tasks, application source codes, application test cases, application defects, application builds, or application compliance requirements.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the set of phases comprising at least one of the following a requirement phase, a design phase, a development phase, a test phase, or a production phase.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the propagating comprising generating a subsequent version of each of the set of templates to which the set of changes apply.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a notification corresponding to at least one of the set of changes.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

8. A system for managing application template artifacts in a networked computing environment, comprising:

a memory medium comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to;

assign a set of templates to a set of successive phases, the set of successive phases corresponding to a lifecycle of an application, and the set of templates being stored in a computer storage device;

provide a reference in at least one template of the set of templates assigned to a particular phase, the reference referring to at least one previous template of the set of templates, and the at least one previous template being assigned to a previous phase in the set of successive phases;

provide a set of pointers in the set of templates, the set of pointers referring to a set of artifacts used in the set of successive phases;

identify a set of changes to the set of artifacts, the set of changes occurring between individual phases of the set of successive phases; and

propagate the set of changes to the set of templates.

9. The system of claim 8, the particular phase immediately following the previous phase in the set of successive phases.

10. The system of claim 8, the set of artifacts comprising at least one of the following:

application requirements, application tasks, application source codes, application test cases, application defects, application builds, or application compliance requirements.

11. The system of claim 8, the set of phases comprising at least one of the following:

a requirement phase, a design phase, a development phase, a test phase, or a production phase.

12. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to generate a subsequent version of each of the set of templates to which the set of changes apply.

13. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to generate a notification corresponding to at least one of the set of changes.

14. The system of claim 8, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

15. A computer program product for managing application template artifacts in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media, to:

assign a set of templates to a set of successive phases, the set of successive phases corresponding to a lifecycle of an application, and the set of templates being stored in a computer storage device;

provide a reference in at least one template of the set of templates assigned to a particular phase, the reference referring to at least one previous template of the set of templates, and the at least one previous template being assigned to a previous phase in the set of successive phases;

provide a set of pointers in the set of templates, the set of pointers referring to a set of artifacts used in the set of successive phases;

identify a set of changes to the set of artifacts, the set of changes occurring between individual phases of the set of successive phases; and

propagate the set of changes to the set of templates.

16. The computer program product claim 15, the particular phase immediately following the previous phase in the set of successive phases.

17. The computer program product claim 15, the set of artifacts comprising at least one of the following:

application requirements, application tasks, application source codes, application test cases, application defects, application builds, or application compliance requirements.

18. The computer program product claim 15, the set of phases comprising at least one of the following:

a requirement phase, a design phase, a development phase, a test phase, or a production phase.

19. The computer program product claim 15, the computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to generate a subsequent version of each of the set of templates to which the set of changes apply.

20. The computer program product claim 15, the computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to generate a notification corresponding to at least one of the set of changes.

21. The computer program product claim 15, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

22. A method for deploying a system for managing application template artifacts in a networked computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

assign a set of templates to a set of successive phases, the set of successive phases corresponding to a lifecycle of an application, and the set of templates being stored in a computer storage device;

assign a set of templates to a set of successive phases, the set of successive phases corresponding to a lifecycle of an application, and the set of templates being stored in a computer storage device;

provide a reference in at least one template of the set of templates assigned to a particular phase, the reference referring to at least one previous template of the set of templates, and the at least one previous template being assigned to a previous phase in the set of successive phases;

provide a set of pointers in the set of templates, the set of pointers referring to a set of artifacts used in the set of successive phases;

identify a set of changes to the set of artifacts, the set of changes occurring between individual phases of the set of successive phases; and

propagate the set of changes to the set of templates.