Deduction engine to determine what configuration management scoping questions to ask a user based on responses to one or more previous questions

• US 7,912,800 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Viehmann, Robert, Sattler, Juergen, Gaffga, Joachim, Riemann, Steffen, Markert, Frank, Gao, Peng
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks; Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr.; Nathan H
• Application Number:
  US11/512,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to configuring computer systems and, more particularly, to a computer system configuration deduction engine. Various systems, methods, and software are described. Some embodiments include determining a scoping question to ask as a function of a response to one or more other scoping questions, wherein possible responses to one or more scoping questions are associated with one or more application configuration packages. Some such embodiments further include selecting one or more application configuration packages for deployment as a function of one or more received scoping question responses.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, on a processor of a computer performing the method, a scoping question to ask as a function of a response to at least one other scoping question, wherein possible scoping question responses are associated with application configuration packages for an application to be configured, each application configuration package including configuration setting values to configure the application;

selecting at least one application configuration package for deployment as a function of received scoping question responses;

storing, on a data storage device, the received scoping question responses and the selected application configuration packages;

wherein an application configuration package includes predefined content; and

deploying the selected application configuration packages to a baseline application in an application execution environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein predefined content includes application demonstration data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a second configuration package is further selected as a function of:

a first configuration package selected as a function of the received scoping question responses; and

a configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a second application configuration package is not selected for deployment as a function of an exclusion constraint associated with a first selected application configuration package.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package requires selection of the second application package.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein application functionality associated with the first application configuration package leverages functionality of the second application configuration package.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, with encoded instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to:

determine a scoping question to ask as a function of a response to at least one other scoping question, wherein possible scoping question responses are associated with at least one application configuration package for an application to be configured, each configuration package including configuration setting values to configure the application;

select at least one application configuration package for deployment as a function of received scoping question responses;

store the received scoping question responses and the selected application configuration packages;

wherein an application configuration package includes predefined content; and

deploying the selected application configuration packages to a baseline application in an application execution environment.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein predefined content includes application demonstration data.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein a second configuration package is further selected as a function of:

a first configuration package selected as a function of the received scoping question responses; and

a configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein a second application configuration package is not selected for deployment as a function of an exclusion constraint associated with a first selected application configuration package.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package requires selection of the second application package.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein application functionality associated with the first application configuration package leverages functionality of the second application configuration package.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor;

a data storage device;

a configuration package repository stored in the memory, wherein the configuration package repository includes at least one configuration package;

an adaptation catalog stored in the memory, wherein the adaptation catalog includes scoping questions associated with the at least one configuration package for an application to be configured, each configuration package including configuration setting values to configure the application through instantiation of the configuration package in the application;

a configuration scoping application that executes on the processor to;

determine a scoping question to ask as a function of a received response to at least one other scoping question, wherein possible scoping question responses are associated with at least one application configuration package; and

select at least one application configuration package for deployment as a function of received scoping question responses; and

store, on the data storage device, received scoping question responses and the selected application configuration packages; and

a deployment module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to;

deploy the at least one application configuration package selected for deployment to an application execution environment;

wherein an application configuration package includes an association to content in a content repository.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein content includes application demonstration data.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein a second configuration package is further selected as a function of:

a first configuration package selected as a function of the received scoping question responses; and

a configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration package selection constraint of the first configuration package requires selection of the second application package.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein application functionality associated with the first application configuration package leverages functionality of the second application configuration package.