Re-establishing traceability method and system

• US 8,224,869 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jalaldeen, Ahamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan
• Application Number:
  US12/335,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/10
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A traceability link establishing method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computing system, mapping data comprising data associating elements of a source model to elements of a target model. The computing system retrieves the target model and elements of the target model. The computing system processes an element of the elements. The computing system retrieves first traceability links from the element. The computing system processes the traceability links. The computing system retrieves supplier data associated with the traceability links. The supplier data comprises data associated with a first supplier. The computing system verifies if the supplier comprises a valid supplier. The computing system stores results of the verifying process. The results indicate if the supplier comprises a valid supplier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a computing system, a transformation mapping file comprising mapping data, wherein said mapping data comprises data associating elements of a source model to elements of a target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first elements of said target model;

processing, by said computing system, a first element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first traceability links from said first element, wherein said first traceability links link to said first element;

processing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, first supplier data associated with a first supplier of said first traceability links;

first verifying, by said computing system, if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

storing, by said computing system, results of said first verifying, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

regenerating, by said computing system said source model resulting in a regenerated source model;

identifying, by said computing system, broken traceability links between elements of said regenerated source model and said target model; and

restoring, by said computing system, said broken traceability links resulting in re-established traceability links between said regenerated source model and said target model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier comprises a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computing system, that an additional element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model has not been processed;

processing, by said computing system in response to said determining, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, second traceability links from said second element, wherein said second traceability links are associated with said second element;

processing, by said computing system, said second traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, second supplier data associated with said second traceability links, wherein said second supplier data comprises data associated with a second supplier;

second verifying, by said computing system, if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier; and

storing, by said computing system, results of said second verifying, wherein said results of said second verifying indicate if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not comprise a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

removing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

identifying, by said computing system, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model that is associated with a source element of source elements from said source model, wherein said identifying is based on said mapping data;

creating, by said computing system, a second traceability link between said second element of said first elements and said source element; and

storing, by said computing system, said second traceability link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not exist.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after said retrieving said transformation mapping file, initializing by said computing system said transformation mapping file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing comprises retrieving said first element for said retrieving said first traceability links from said first element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation mapping file comprises an

XML file.

8. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in said computing system, wherein the code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing the method of claim 1.

9. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor implements a traceability link re-establishing method, said method comprising:

retrieving, by said computing system, a transformation mapping file comprising mapping data, wherein said mapping data comprises data associating elements of a source model to elements of a target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first elements of said target model;

processing, by said computing system, a first element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first traceability links from said first element, wherein said first traceability links link to said first element;

processing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, first supplier data associated with a first supplier of said first traceability links;

first verifying, by said computing system, if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

storing, by said computing system, results of said first verifying, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

regenerating, by said computing system said source model resulting in a regenerated source model;

identifying, by said computing system, broken traceability links between elements of said regenerated source model and said target model; and

restoring, by said computing system, said broken traceability links resulting in re-established traceability links between said regenerated source model and said target model.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier comprises a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computing system, that an additional element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model has not been processed;

processing, by said computing system in response to said determining, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, second traceability links from said second element, wherein said second traceability links are associated with said second element;

processing, by said computing system, said second traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, second supplier data associated with said second traceability links, wherein said second supplier data comprises data associated with a second supplier;

second verifying, by said computing system, if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier; and

storing, by said computing system, results of said second verifying, wherein said results of said second verifying indicate if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not comprise a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

removing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

identifying, by said computing system, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model that is associated with a source element of source elements from said source model, wherein said identifying is based on said mapping data;

creating, by said computing system, a second traceability link between said second element of said first elements and said source element; and

storing, by said computing system, said second traceability link.

12. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not exist.

13. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

after said retrieving said transformation mapping file, initializing by said computing system said transformation mapping file.

14. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said processing comprises retrieving said first element for said retrieving said first traceability links from said first element.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code adapted to implement a traceability link re-establishing method within a computing system comprising a computer-readable memory unit, said method comprising:

retrieving, by said computing system, a transformation mapping file comprising mapping data, wherein said mapping data comprises data associating elements of a source model to elements of a target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first elements of said target model;

processing, by said computing system, a first element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, first traceability links from said first element, wherein said first traceability links link to said first element;

processing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, first supplier data associated with a first supplier of said first traceability links;

first verifying, by said computing system, if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

storing, by said computing system, results of said first verifying, wherein said results of

said first verifying indicates if said first supplier comprises a valid supplier;

regenerating, by said computing system said source model resulting in a regenerated source model;

identifying, by said computing system, broken traceability links between elements of said regenerated source model and said target model; and

restoring, by said computing system, said broken traceability links resulting in reestablished traceability links between said regenerated source model and said target model.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier comprises a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computing system, that an additional element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model has not been processed;

processing, by said computing system in response to said determining, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model;

retrieving, by said computing system, second traceability links from said second element, wherein said second traceability links are associated with said second element;

processing, by said computing system, said second traceability links;

retrieving, by said computing system, second supplier data associated with said second traceability links, wherein said second supplier data comprises data associated with a second supplier;

second verifying, by said computing system, if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier; and

storing, by said computing system, results of said second verifying, wherein said results of said second verifying indicate if said second supplier comprises a valid supplier.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not comprise a valid supplier, and wherein said method further comprises:

removing, by said computing system, said first traceability links;

identifying, by said computing system, a second element of said data associating said elements of said source model to said elements of said target model that is associated with a source element of source elements from said source model, wherein said identifying is based on said mapping data;

creating, by said computing system, a second traceability link between said second element of said first elements and said source element; and

storing, by said computing system, said second traceability link.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said results of said first verifying indicates that said first supplier does not exist.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

after said retrieving said transformation mapping file, initializing by said computing system said transformation mapping file.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said processing comprises retrieving said first element for said retrieving said first traceability links from said first element.