Systems and methods for automated parallelization of deployment

• US 8,126,755 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hessedenz, Hans-Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett, Jonathan G
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELICH, STEPHANIE ZAGARELLA
• Application Number:
  US11/190,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.12, 705/28, 709/102, 709/100, 709/202, 701/201
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for creating a distribution plan for one or more products from a source location to a destination location. In one exemplary embodiment, the systems and methods may include defining a parallel processing profile to be associated with the distribution plan, and determining whether the parallel processing profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan. If the profile is determined to be specified, one or more packages may then be built of the one or more products. Building one or more packages may comprise building a location products table of one or more location products. The location products table may specify the name, location, and deployment information of each of the one or more location products. The one or more location products may be selected for each package based on the deployment information. The distribution plan for each package of the one or more products may then be determined.

Claims

1. A method for creating a distribution plan for products, the method comprising:

providing a parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes of a plurality of products, the distribution plan processes of the plurality of products being executed in parallel, the parallel processing profile comprising deployment information for creating the distribution plan;

providing a table for the plurality of products including at least a first product and a second product, wherein;

the table specifies a first product location associated with the first product and a second product location, distinct from the first product location, associated with the second product; and

the table further indicates in individual table entries a plurality of occurrences of the first product and a plurality of occurrences of the second product;

wherein the occurrences of the first product or the second product indicate numbers of the table entries including the first product or the second product;

determining a first distribution plan process and a second distribution plan available for processing the first product and the second product in parallel;

building in parallel a first package within the first distribution plan process and a second package within the second distribution plan process;

the first package including the first product;

the second package including the second product;

the first package being built based on the occurrences of the first product and a first set of priority information; and

the second package being built based on the occurrences of the second product and a second set of priority information; and

generating, using a processor, the distribution plan based on the first package and the second package built in parallel according to the parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the parallel processing profile further comprises:

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of the distribution plan processes to be associated with the deployment application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is e maximum number of the plurality of products to be grouped in one package.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the parallel processing profile further comprises determining whether the profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan and whether the profile name is specified by a user of the application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein building the package further comprises setting a remaining package size, wherein the remaining package size is equal to the maximum package size.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the table further specifies a first product egory associated with the first product, the method further cornprising:

determining, based on the first product category, a number indicating the occurrences of the first product the number indicating the occurrences of the first product being to a number of table entries comprising the occurrences of the first product; and

determining whether the number indicating the occurrences exceeds the remaining package size.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising

adding the occurrences of the first product to the package if the number indicating the occurrences is not greater than the remaining package size;

and

deleting the occurrences of the first product from the table.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a surplus of products by subtracting the number indicating the occurrences from the remaining package size;

adding the surplus of products to a buffer table; and

deleting the surplus of the products from the table.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising;

determining whether the first distribution plan process and the second distribution plan process are available by comparing a current number of distribution plan processes with the maximum number of the distribution plan processes.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether more products exist in the table; and

moving the surplus of products from the buffer table to the table when more products exist in the table.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next product from the one or more products.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.

14. A distribution system for creating a distribution plan for products, the method comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

providing a parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes of a plurality of products, the distribution plan processes of the plurality of products being executed in parallel, the parallel processing profile comprising deployment information for creating the distribution plan;

providing a table for the plurality of products including at least a first product and a second product, wherein;

the table specifies a first product location associated with the first product and a second product location, distinct from the first product location, associated with the second product; and

the table further indicates in individual table entries a plurality of occurrences of the first product and a plurality of occurrences of the second product;

wherein the occurrences of the first product or the second product indicate numbers of the table entries including the first product or the second product;

determining a first distribution plan process and a second distribution plan are available for processing the first product and the second product in parallel;

building in parallel a first package within the first distribution plan process and a second package within the second distribution plan process;

the first package including the first product;

the second package including the second product;

the first package being built based on the occurrences of the first product and a first set of priority information; and

the second package being built based on the occurrences of the second product and a second set of priority information; and

generating, using a processor, the distribution plan based on the first package and the second package built in parallel according to the parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes.

15. The distribution system according to claim 14, wherein providing the parallel processing profile further comprises:

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of the distribution plan processes to be associated with the application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is the maximum number of the plurality of products to be grouped in one package.

16. The distribution system according to claim15, wherein building the package further comprises

setting a remaining package size, wherein the remaining package is equal to the maximum package size.

17. The distribution system according to claim 16, wherein the table further specifies a first product category associated with the first product, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on the product category, a number indicating the occurrences of the first product, the number indicating the occurrences of the first product being equal to a number of table entries comprising the occurrences of the first product; and

determining whether the number indicating the occurrences exceeds the remaining package size.

18. The distribution system according to claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

adding the occurrences of the first product to the package if the number indicating the occurrences is not greater than the remaining package size; and

deleting the occurrences of the first product from the table.

19. The distribution system according to claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

20. The distribution system according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a surplus of products, wherein the surplus is determined by subtracting the remaining package size from the number indicating the occurrences;

adding the surplus of products to a buffer table; and

deleting the surplus of the products from the table.

21. The distribution system according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached.

22. The distribution system according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

23. The distribution system according to claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether more products exist in the table; and

moving the surplus of products from the buffer table to the table when more products exist in the table.

24. The distribution system according to claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next product of the one or more products in the table.

25. The distribution system according to claim 14, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.

26. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which, when executed, perform a method for creating a distribution plan for products, the method comprising:

providing a parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes of a plurality of products, the distribution plan processes of the plurality of products being executed in parallel, the parallel processing profile comprising deployment information for creating the distribution plan;

providing a table for the plurality of products including at least a first product and a second product, wherein;

the table specifies a first product location associated with the first product and a second product location, distinct from the first product location, associated with the second product; and

the table further indicates in individual table entries a plurality of occurrences of the first product and a plurality of occurrences of the second product;

wherein the occurrences of the first product or the second product indicate numbers of the table entries including the first product or the second product;

determining a first distribution plan process and a second distribution plan available for processing the first product and the second product in parallel;

building in parallel a first package within the first distribution plan process and a second package within the second distribution plan process;

the first package including the first product;

the second package including the second product;

the first package being built based on the occurrences of the first product and a first set of priority information; and

the second package being built based on the occurrences of the second product and a second set of priority information; and

generating, using a processor, the distribution plan based on the first package and the second package built in parallel according to the parallel processing profile associated with distribution plan processes.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein providing the parallel processing profile further comprises:

defining a profile name to be associated with the profile;

setting a deployment application to be associated with the profile;

setting a maximum number of the distribution plan processes to be associated with the application; and

setting a maximum package size, wherein the maximum package size is the maximum number of the plurality of products to be grouped in one package.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein providing the parallel processing profile further comprises determining whether the profile is specified prior to creating the distribution plan and whether the profile name is specified by a user of the application.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein building the package further comprises setting a remaining package size;

wherein the remaining package size is equal to the maximum package size.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the table further specifies a first product category associated with the first product, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on the first product category, a number indicating the occurrences of the first product, the number indicating the occurrences of the first product being equal to a number of table entries comprising the occurrences of the first product; and

determining whether the number indicating the occurrences exceeds the remaining package size.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

adding the occurrences of the first product to the package if the number indicating the occurrences is not greater than the remaining package size; and

deleting the occurrences of the first product from the table.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available;

starting the distribution plan process for the package; and

setting the remaining package size equal to the maximum package size.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a surplus of products, wherein the surplus is determined by subtracting the remaining package size from the number indicating the occurrences;

adding the surplus of products to a buffer table; and

deleting the surplus of the products from the table.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached.

35. The compute-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until at least one distribution plan process is available before starting a distribution plan process for the package if the maximum number of distribution plan processes has been reached; and

setting the remaining package size to the maximum package size.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether more products exist in the table; and

moving the surplus of products from the buffer table to the table when more products exist in the table.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises:

waiting until all current distribution plan processes are finished processing; and

moving to a next product from the one or more products.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the deployment information comprises at least one of a low level code and a priority code.