Modeling standards validation tool for use in enterprise architecture modeling

• US 7,213,233 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gifford, Thomas C., Vinodkrishnan, Nalledath P., Srinivasan, Lavanya
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US10/329,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 717/108, 717124-127, 717/133, 719/328
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

A device for modeling an integrated enterprise includes a first tool for constructing a model of the integrated enterprise and a second tool which validates compliance of documents constructed by the first tool with a set of standards. The documents which may be constructed by the first tool include an analysis interface control document (“ICD”) and a design ICD document. The second tool may then be used to selectively compare either the analysis ICD or the design ICD with selected ICD standards and generate an analysis ICD document standards exception report and a design ICD document standards exception report, respectively, which lists each variation of the analysis and design ICD documents from the selected ICD standards. The analysis and/or design ICD standards exception reports may subsequently be used as guides to correct errors in the analysis and/or design ICD documents causing the exceptions.

Claims

1. For an integrated enterprise having at least two applications and a database shared between said at least two applications, a method of establishing compliance of a model of said integrated enterprise with a set of standards by modeling the interface of call structures between said at least two applications and said shared database, comprising:

analyzing a plurality of modeled calls between said at least two applications and said shared database such that an exception exists between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards for each data attribute error in application-to-database modeled calls or application-to-application modeled calls;

identifying exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards;

if no exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, determining that said model of said integrated enterprise is in compliance with said set of standards; and

if one or more exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, revising said model of said integrated enterprise to correct said identified exceptions and storing said revised model on a computer readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said model of said integrated enterprise includes an analysis ICD and wherein identifying exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards further comprises identifying exceptions between said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards.

3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

generating, if one or more exceptions between said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, a report listing said identified exceptions;

wherein said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise is revised using said report listing said identified exceptions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said model of said integrated enterprise includes a design ICD and wherein identifying exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards further comprises identifying exceptions between said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards.

5. The method of claim 4 and further comprising:

generating, if one or more exceptions between said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, a report listing said identified exceptions;

wherein said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise is revised using said report listing said identified exceptions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said model of said integrated enterprise includes an analysis ICD and a design ICD and wherein identifying exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards further comprises:

identifying exceptions between said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards; and

identifying exceptions between said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards.

7. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

generating, if one or more exceptions between said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, a first report listing said exceptions identified for said analysis ICD; and

generating, if one or more exceptions between said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards are identified, a second report listing said exceptions identified for said design ICD;

wherein said analysis ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise is revised using said first report and said design ICD of said model of said integrated enterprise is revised using said second report.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two applications access said shared database through a data access layer and further comprising:

identifying, within said model of said integrated enterprise, operations interfacing said data access layer with one of said at least two applications; and

identifying an exception for each one of said identified operations which are not supported by said set of standards.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said set of standards support CREATE, RETRIEVE, UPDATE and DELETE operations.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

identifying an exception for each CREATE, UPDATE or return from a RETRIEVE operation lacking a storage type; and

identifying an exception for each RETRIEVE or DELETE operation lacking a key.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said model of said integrated enterprise includes at least one sequence diagram and further comprising:

identifying an exception for each operation not used at least once in said at least one sequence diagram.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said at least one sequence diagrams includes at least one call comprised of an object and a message and further comprising:

identifying an exception for each object of a call not associated with one of said at least two applications; and

identifying an exception for each message of a call not associated with an operation.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

identifying, within said model of said integrated enterprise, operations interfacing a first one of said at least two applications and a second one of said at least two applications; and

identifying an exception for each operation not used at least once in at least one sequence diagram depicting said operation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two applications access said shared database through a data access layer and further comprising:

identifying a first data access layer package, said first data access layer package detailing the interface between said at least two applications and said data access layer;

identifying at least one subsystem package, said at least one subsystem package detailing interfaces between said at least two applications;

identifying exceptions within said first data access layer package by applying a first set of rules to said first data access layer package and identifying an exception for each violation, by said first data access layer package, of said first set of rules; and

identifying exceptions within said at least one subsystem package by applying a second set of rules to said at least one subsystem package and identifying an exception for each violation, by said at least one subsystem package, of said second set of rules.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said second set of rules is a subset of said first set of rules.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising:

identifying a second data access layer package, said second data access layer package detailing the interface between said at least two applications and said shared database; and

identifying exceptions within said second data access layer package by applying a third set of rules to said second data access layer package and identifying an exception for each violation, by said second data access layer package of said third set of rules.

17. A device for validating a model of an integrated enterprise, said integrated enterprise having first and second applications and a shared database, said device comprising:

a unified modeling language (“

UML”

) tool for constructing a model of said integrated enterprise by modeling the interface of call structures between said at least two applications and said shared database; and

a tool for analyzing said model of said integrated enterprise, said tool identifying exceptions between said model of said integrated enterprise and a set of standards, and storing said exceptions on a computer readable medium;

wherein an exception exists between said model of said integrated enterprise and said set of standards for each data attribute error in application-to-database modeled calls or application-to-application modeled calls.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein said model analyzing tool generates a standard exception report identifying violations, by said model, of said set of standards.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein said tool comprises:

memory means for storing a selected portion of said set of standards; and

processor means for comparing said model of said integrated enterprise to said selected portion of said set of standards stored in said memory means.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein said model includes first and second interface control documents, said first interface control document detailing the interface between said at least two applications and a data access layer of said integrated enterprise and said second interface control document detailing the interface between said at least two applications and said shared database and wherein said memory means includes a first memory area in which a first subset of said selected portion of said set of standards to be applied against said first interface control document are stored and a second memory area in which a second subset of said selected portion of said set of standards to be applied against said second interface control document are stored.