Method and apparatus for identifying applicable business rules

• US 6,016,477 A
• Filed: 12/18/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McKee, Barbara Jane Alspach, Ehnebuske, David Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US08/993,718
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 706/11, 706/60, 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying decision points in Business Objects and classifying business rules that are applicable to the decision points. Business Objects are created which are decorated with business rules, either manually or programmatically. Control Points are used to represent the named decision points or triggers within the behavior of the Business Objects. The Control Points are visually exposed to business analysts to allow the examination of the business rules attached to the various Control Points. The business analysts are permitted to manually attach or detach business rules associated with the Control Points. A system can programmatically decide which rules to attach to a Control Point based on execution context.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a computer system, for identifying decision points in an object-oriented object, comprising the steps of:

creating said object having a plurality of decision points in said computer system;

identifying and naming points of attachment for business rules in the operation of said object for each of said plurality of decision points;

associating by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to at least one trigger point in said object;

assigning selected business rules to said named points of attachment for business rules in said object to said named associated decision point;

executing said object in said computer system until said at least one trigger point is detected in said object attached to said named associated decision point; and

displaying to a user in said computer the points of attachment for business rules in said object and the selected rules which have been associated with said named decision point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating further comprises:

assigning by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to a different trigger point in said object to allow reuse of at least one of said plurality of decision points to different business operations of said object; and

assigning acceptance criteria for the selected business rules to said associated decision point for said trigger point.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of executing said object further comprises:

identifying a new set of business rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

verifying the acceptability of said identified business rules to said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules using rule acceptance criteria;

attaching said new set of business rules to said object to affect the operation of said object; and

executing said new set of business rules for said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules for said object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing said object further comprises:

examining the selected business rules attached to points of attachment for business rules in said object by said user;

identifying a set of replacement rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

manually attaching said set of replacement rules to said object by said user to affect the operation of said object; and

deleting at least one of said selected rules from a different one of said points of attachment for business rules by said user.

5. An apparatus for identifying decision points in an object-oriented object, comprising:

means for creating said object having a plurality of decision points in a computer system;

means for identifying and naming points of attachment for business rules in the operation of said object for each of said plurality of decision points;

means for associating by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to at least one trigger point in said object;

means for assigning selected business rules to said named points of attachment for business rules in said object to said named associated decision point;

means for executing said object in said computer system until said at least one trigger point is detected in said object and executing rules attached to said named associated decision point; and

means for displaying to a user in said computer the points of attachment for business rules in said object and the selected rules which have been associated with said named decision point.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for associating further comprises:

means for assigning by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to a different trigger point in said object to allow reuse of at least one of said decision points to different business operations of said object; and

means for assigning acceptance criteria for selected business rules to said associated decision point for said trigger point.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means for executing said object further comprises:

means for identifying a new set of business rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

means for verifying the acceptability of said identified business rules to said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules using rule acceptance criteria;

means for attaching said new set of business rules to said object to affect the operation of said object; and

means for executing said new set of business rules for said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules for said object.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means for executing said object further comprises:

means for examining the selected business rules attached to points of attachment for business rules in said object by said user;

means for identifying a set of replacement rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

means for manually attaching said set of replacement rules to said object by said user to affect the operation of said object; and

means for deleting at least one of said selected rules from a different one of said points of attachment for business rules by said user.

9. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for identifying decision points in an object-oriented object, comprising:

computer readable means for creating said object having a plurality of decision points in a computer system;

computer readable means for identifying and naming points of attachment for business rules in the operation of said object for each of said plurality of decision points;

computer readable means for associating by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to at least one trigger point in said object;

computer readable means for assigning selected business rules to said named points of attachment for business rules in said object to said named associated decision point;

computer readable means for executing said object in said computer system until said at least one trigger point is detected in said object and executing rules attached to said named associated decision point; and

computer readable means for displaying to a user in said computer the points of attachment for business rules in said object and the selected rules which have been associated with said named decision point.

10. A computer program product of claim 9 wherein said computer readable means for associating further comprises:

computer readable means for assigning by name a selected one of said plurality of decision points to a different trigger point in said object to allow reuse of at least one of said decision points to different business operations of said object; and

computer readable means for assigning acceptance criteria for selected business rules to said associated decision point for said trigger point.

11. A computer program product of claim 9, wherein said computer readable means for executing said object further comprises:

computer readable means for identifying a new set of business rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

computer readable means for verifying the acceptability of said identified business rules to said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules using said rule acceptance criteria;

computer readable means for attaching said new set of business rules to said object to affect the operation of said object; and

computer readable means for executing said new set of business rules for said selected one of said points of attachment for business rules for said object.

12. A computer program product of claim 9 wherein said computer readable means for executing said object further comprises:

computer readable means for examining the selected business rules attached to points of attachment for business rules in said object by said user;

computer readable means for identifying a set of replacement rules at a selected one of said points of attachment for business rules in said object;

computer readable means for manually attaching said set of replacement rules to said object by said user to affect the operation of said object; and

computer readable means for deleting at least one of said selected rules from a different one of said points of attachment for business rules by said user.