Method, computer program product and article of manufacture for providing service-to-role assignment to launch application services in role-based computer system

• US 7,657,528 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schwerin-Wenzel, Sven, Vieth, Thorsten, Heymann, Jurgen, Kusterer, Sterfan, Bittner, Peter, Drittler, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pyo; Monica M
• Application Number:
  US10/472,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,885 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/2, 707/7, 726/1
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

In a computer system (100) that launches application services for predetermined roles, a service-to-role assignment is customized in a target table. The user inserts a CD-ROM with master and reference tables, and the system automatically provides the target table. The master table (119) stores a first assignment (112) of application services (S, 151-156) to roles (RO), and stores a second assignment (113) of service attributes (SA), such as language or industry branch, of the application services (S). The reference table (129) stores reference attributes (REA) for each application service (S) in the master table. The service representations for each role (RO) are forwarded from the master table (119) into the target table (149) if service and reference attributes match.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service-to-role assignment to launch application services through a role-based computer system, the method comprising the following steps:

providing a master table with a first assignment of application services to roles, and with a second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the first service attributes belong to a first type, the application services each executable by a processor, the application services each configured based on the master table, a reference table, and a target table;

providing the reference table with first reference attributes associated with the first type, the reference table used to configure, based on the first type, a system comprising the application services;

for each application service in the master table, comparing the first service attributes of the master table with the first reference attributes of the reference table;

when the comparison results in a match, forwarding, for each role, service representations from the master table into the target table, the content of the target table representing the service-to-role assignment to launch the application services;

defining the first type as at least one of an industry branch and a country;

combining a first table comprising the first assignment of application services to roles and a second table comprising the second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the combined first and second tables form the master table; and

wherein in the step providing the reference table, second reference attributes are provided that belong to a second type;

wherein in the comparing step, the second service attributes are compared with second reference attributes of the reference table;

wherein in the forwarding step, for each role, service representations from the master table are copied into the target table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding step is performed only when in the comparing step the service attributes match the reference attributes for both types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of providing a reference table, the first reference attribute is derived from user log on information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first reference attribute is a language of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reference attribute is determined by the type of the application system that is coupled to the role-based computer system.

6. A computer-readable medium having a plurality of sequences of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

providing a master table with a first assignment of application services to roles, and with a second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the first service attributes belong to a first type, the application services each executable by a processor, the application services each configured based on a master table, a reference table, and a target table;

providing the reference table with first reference attributes associated with the first type, the reference table used to configure, based on the first type, a system comprising the application services;

for each application service in the master table, comparing the first service attributes of the master table with the first reference attributes of the reference table;

when the comparison results in a match, forwarding, for each role, service representations from the master table into the target table, the content of the target table representing the service-to-role assignment to launch the application services;

defining the first type as at least one of an industry branch and a country;

combining a first table comprising the first assignment of application services to roles and a second table comprising the second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the combined first and second tables form the master table; and

wherein in the step providing the reference table, second reference attributes are provided that belong to the second type;

wherein in the comparing step, the second service attributes are compared with the second reference attributes of the reference table;

wherein in the forwarding step, for each role service, representations from the master table are copied into the target table.

7. An article of manufacture including one or more computer-readable media having a plurality of sequences of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

providing a master table with a first assignment of application services to roles, and with a second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the first service attributes belong to a first type, the application services each executable by a processor, the application services each configured based on the master table, a reference table, and a target table;

providing the reference table with first reference attributes associated with the first type, the reference table used to configure, based on the first type, a system comprising the application services;

for each application service in the master table, comparing the first service attributes of the master table with the first reference attributes of the reference table;

when the comparison results in a match, forwarding, for each role, service representations from the master table into the target table, the content of the target table representing the service-to-role assignment to launch the application services;

defining the first type as at least one of an industry branch and a country;

combining a first table comprising the first assignment of application services to roles and a second table comprising the second assignment of first service attributes to the application services, wherein the combined first and second tables form the master table; and

wherein in the step providing the reference table, second reference attributes are provided that belong to a second type;

wherein in the comparing step, the second service attributes are compared with second reference attributes of the reference table;

wherein in the forwarding step, for each role, service representations from the master table are copied into the target table.