Update processes in an enterprise planning system

• US 7,426,524 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patterson, James Edmund
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/236,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/6, 707/10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 705/36, 705/36.R, 703/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

An enterprise planning system accumulates newly submitted planning data in a manner that minimizes database contention, allows ongoing entry of planning data, and allows queries against that data to return consistent results while accumulations are ongoing. An “update process” is the set of activities required to bring the entire data store up to date with a newly submitted value set. The activities may be interleaved with an arbitrary number of other submitted value set changes (other update processes). The enterprise planning system also provides for labeling of consistent sets and removal of obsolete versions of value sets.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing enterprise planning data in a data store according to a calculation model for an enterprise planning system, wherein the calculation model includes a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, and wherein each node has a corresponding level measure which identifies the node'"'"'s position relative to a leaf level of the hierarchically arranged nodes;

receiving a submitted value set from a user corresponding to a leaf node in the calculation model;

initiating an update process to accumulate the submitted value set into the data store, wherein the update process includes a set of activities each corresponding to a node in the calculation model;

determining a subset of the set of available activities that are not inter-dependent;

scheduling the activities of the subset that correspond to nodes having a lowest one of the level measures; and

executing the scheduled activities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the scheduled activities comprises:

completing a scheduled activity to create an updated value set for the corresponding node in the calculation model;

adding to the set of available activities additional activities to which the updated value set is a dependent.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising assigning a version to the updated value set and storing the updated value set in the data store.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising maintaining list of versions of dependents that were inputs to the updated value set.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether there are any remaining scheduled activities; and

determining a subset from the set of remaining scheduled activities that are independent.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether there are any remaining available activities;

scheduling the remaining available activities.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a plurality of update processes, each corresponding to one of a plurality of submitted value sets.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying an activity assigned to a first update process which would result in a conflicting update with a second update process, wherein the first update process has an associated higher level measure and the second update process has an associated lower level measure; and

handing-off the activity assigned to the first update process to the second update process.

9. The method of claim 1, further including identifying consistent versions of nodes in the calculation model in response to a query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying consistent versions of nodes further comprises:

identifying a highest level node in the query;

determining the most recent completed version of the highest level node; and

identifying versions of dependents to the highest level node corresponding to the most recent completed version of the highest level node.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising labeling consistent versions of all nodes in the calculation model.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting obsolete versions of nodes in the calculation model.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculation model comprises a directed acyclic graph.

14. A method comprising:

storing enterprise planning data in a data store according to a calculation model for an enterprise planning system, wherein the calculation model includes a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, and wherein each node has a corresponding level measure which identifies the node'"'"'s level within the hierarchically arranged nodes;

receiving a submitted value set from a user corresponding to a leaf node in the calculation model;

labeling consistent versions of all nodes in the calculation model by;

selecting a label;

identifying root nodes in the calculation model;

determining a most recent calculated value set for each root node;

identifying dependent nodes having values sets that served as input to the calculated value sets of the root nodes; and

associating the selected label with the root nodes and the identified dependent nodes;

initiating an update process to accumulate the submitted value set into the data store, wherein the update process includes a set of activities each corresponding to a node in the calculation model;

determining a subset of the set of available activities that are not inter-dependent;

scheduling the activities of the subset that correspond to nodes having a lowest one of the level measures; and

executing the scheduled activities.

15. A method comprising:

storing enterprise planning data in a data store according to a calculation model for an enterprise planning system, wherein the calculation model includes a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, and wherein each node has a corresponding level measure which identifies the node'"'"'s position relative to a leaf level of the hierarchically arranged nodes;

receiving a submitted value set from a user corresponding to a leaf node in the calculation model;

deleting obsolete versions of value sets for nodes in the calculation model by;

identifying a consistent value set in the calculation model that was most recently created;

identifying any labeled consistent value sets in the calculation model;

identifying any value sets created by an update process that is in progress; and

deleting any remaining value sets in the calculation model;

initiating an update process to accumulate the submitted value set into the data store, wherein the update process includes a set of activities each corresponding to a node in the calculation model;

determining a subset of activities from the set of available activities that are not inter-dependent;

scheduling the activities of the subset that correspond to nodes having a lowest one of the level measures; and

executing the scheduled activities.

16. A system comprising:

at least one computer having a programmable processor;

an enterprise planning system to execute on the computer and perform an enterprise planning session for a set of enterprise users in accordance with a calculation model, wherein the calculation model defines hierarchically arranged nodes, wherein each node in the calculation model has an associated level measure that identifies the node'"'"'s level within the hierarchically arranged nodes; and

an update process manager executing on the computer to initiate update processes to accumulate submitted value sets from users into the data store, wherein each update process includes a set of activities that correspond to nodes in the calculation model;

wherein the update process manager further identifies potentially conflicting activities among the update processes;

wherein the update process manager identifies consistent versions of nodes in the calculation model in response to a query,

and wherein the update process manager schedules the activities that are available for execution and that have a lowest one of the level measures.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the update process manager labels consistent versions of all nodes in the calculation model.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the update process manager deletes obsolete versions of value sets in the calculation model.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the calculation model comprises a directed acyclic graph.

20. A computer-implemented system comprising:

at least one computer having a programmable processor;

an enterprise planning system to execute on the computer and perform an enterprise planning session for a set of enterprise users in accordance with a calculation model, wherein the calculation model defines hierarchically arranged nodes; and

an update process manager that initiates update processes to accumulate submitted value sets from users into the data store, wherein each update process includes a set of activities that correspond to nodes in the calculation model,

wherein the update process manager further identifies potentially conflicting activities among the update processes,

wherein the update process manager identifies consistent versions of nodes in the calculation model in response to a query, and

wherein the update process manager identifies an activity assigned to a first update process which would result in a conflicting update with a second update process, wherein the first update process has an associated higher level measure and the second update process has an associated lower level measure, and hands-off the activity assigned to the first update process to the second update process.