Method, system, and program product for modeling processes

• US 7,861,215 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Leung, Humie, Lafond, Anne Marie, Tong, Tack, Benayon, Jay W., Mirlas, Lev, Williams, Randolph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US11/421,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 717/102, 717/104, 715/763, 715/230, 715/233, 718/106, 705/7
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, system, and program product for modeling processes such as business processes. Specifically, under the present invention, a process having multiple variations is modeled as a placeholder process, and is associated with an annotation that maps the multiple variations to different contexts of the placeholder process. Thereafter, process variations can be generated based on the different contexts of the placeholder process. Integrity checks can also be performed to determine if any of the process variations has an error so that the generation of any corresponding process will be prevented.

Claims

1. A method for modeling processes using a computer system, comprising:

modeling a process having multiple variations as a placeholder process;

associating an annotation with the placeholder process, the annotation mapping the multiple variations to different contexts of the placeholder process; and

generating at least two process variations for the modeled process using the placeholder process, each generated process variation based on a different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process and providing a distinct input set and/or a distinct output set for the different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing integrity checks to determine if any of the process variations has an error.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising preventing the generation of any process variation determined to have an error.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is a business process, and wherein at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to business process and at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to consumer process.

5. A system for modeling processes using a computer system, comprising:

a modeler tool for modeling a process having multiple variations as a placeholder process;

a mapping tool for associating an annotation with the placeholder process, the annotation mapping the multiple variations to different contexts of the placeholder process;

a generator for generating at least two process variations for the modeled process using the placeholder process, each generated process variation based on a different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process and providing a distinct input set and/or a distinct output set for the different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system performs integrity checks to determine if any of the process variations has an error.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system prevents the generation of any process variation determined to have an error.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the process is a business process, and wherein at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to process and at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to consumer process.

9. A program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for modeling processes using a computer system, the program product comprising program code for causing the computer system to perform:

modeling a process having multiple variations as a placeholder process;

associating an annotation with the placeholder process, the annotation mapping the multiple variations to different contexts of the placeholder process; and

generating at least two process variations for the modeled process using the placeholder process, each generated process variation based on a different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process and providing a distinct input set and/or a distinct output set for the different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process.

10. The program product of claim 9, further comprising program code for causing the computer system to perform:

performing integrity checks to determine if any of the process variations has an error.

11. The program product of claim 10, further comprising program code for causing the computer system to perform:

preventing the generation of any processing variation determined to have an error.

12. The program product of claim 9, wherein the process comprises a business process, and wherein at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to business process and at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to consumer process.

13. A method for deploying an application for modeling processes, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

model a process having multiple variations as a placeholder process;

associate an annotation with the placeholder process, the annotation mapping the multiple variations to different contexts of the placeholder process; and

generate at least two process variations for the modeled process using the placeholder process, each generated process variation based on a different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process and providing a distinct input set and/or a distinct output set for the different one of the different contexts of the placeholder process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to perform integrity checks to determine if any of the process variations has an error.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to prevent the generation of any process variation determined to have an error.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the process is a business process, and wherein at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to business process and at least one of the multiple variations corresponds to a business to consumer process.