Rule based instantiation of software- and system development processes

• US 8,234,621 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Killisperger, Peter, Nothhelfer-Kolb, Beate, Stückl, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US12/218,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20090235225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method, system and a computer readable medium for performing a rule based instantiation of a generic software and/or system development process to provide a project specific implemented instantiated process. The proposed approach provides a gradual way to provide an implemented instantiated process adapted to project specific needs by using a staggered instantiation mode. The approach distinguishes between high level instantiation and detailed instantiation depending on the nature of the instantiation operation. The approach is flexibly applicable to software and systems development processes and the set of instantiation operations is extendable.

Claims

1. A method for rule based instantiation of a generic software and/or system development process to provide a project specific instantiated process, the method comprising:

providing a reference process describing a workflow for software and/or system development, wherein the workflow is described by a modeling language describing the reference process with objects, comprising a control flow dependent part having control flow objects and a control flow independent part with independent objects that are not part of the control flow;

high-level instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the high-level instantiating is based on project characteristics which do not change frequently;

detailed instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the detailed instantiating comprises adapting the process on short-term process needs; and

providing a project specific instantiated process based on high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating the reference process, wherein

the method steps of high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating are based on the same basic instantiation operations.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

converting the reference process to the XML Process Definition Language (XPDL).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference process is described by Event-Driven-process-Chains (EPC) and/or Function-Allocation-Diagrams (FAD).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the steps high-level instantiating, detailed instantiating, and providing a project specific process can be performed iteratively.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step high-level instantiating is performed only at the beginning of a project or when major project characteristics change.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step high-level instantiating is performed as a batch by executing several instantiation operations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the project characteristics in step high-level instantiating comprising:

small project;

medium project;

large project;

inhouse project;

outfarm project;

offshore project;

high reliability; and

type of development process.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step detailed instantiating the instantiation operations are executed individually.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step detailed instantiating comprises the assignment of persons, timeframes, and due dates to process activities.

10. The method according claim 1, wherein the instantiation operations comprising:

inserting an activity;

deleting an activity;

inserting an alternative/parallel path;

selecting/deleting a path;

duplicating a sub-process;

associating an artifact with an activity;

deleting an association of an artifact with an activity;

adding an artifact to the process;

removing an artifact from the process;

associating an artifact with a file implementing the artifact;

associating a participant with an activity;

deleting an association of a participant with an activity;

adding a participant to the process;

removing a participant from the process;

inserting a milestone; and

deleting a milestone.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instantiation operations for the step high-level instantiating are an aggregation of the instantiation operations for the step detailed instantiating.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step detailed instantiating the instantiation operations are performed frequently.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the project specific instantiated process is implemented as process visualization and/or project plan and/or work flow support and/or management of project artifacts.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing of instantiation operations is documented and/or checked for consistency by quality assurance mechanisms.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing of instantiation operations is supported by tools.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the contexts considered are identified by workflow patterns around the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, the workflow patterns comprising the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, a preceding object and a succeeding objects in the control flow.

16. A computer-implemented system for performing by a processor a method for rule based instantiation of a generic software and/or system development process to provide a project specific instantiated process, the system comprising:

a mechanism for providing a reference process describing a workflow for software and/or system development, wherein the workflow is described by a modeling language describing the reference process with objects, comprising a control flow dependent part having control flow objects and a control flow independent part with independent objects that are not part of the control flow;

a mechanism for high-level instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the high-level instantiating is based on project characteristics which do not change frequently;

a mechanism for detailed instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the detailed instantiating comprises a short-term aligning of the process on alterable process requirements; and

a mechanism for providing a project specific instantiated process based on high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating the reference process, wherein

the instantiation operations for high-level instantiating are an aggregation of the instantiation operations for detailed instantiating and wherein high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating are based on the same instantiation operations.

19. The computer implemented system of claim 16, wherein the contexts considered are identified by workflow patterns around the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, the workflow patterns comprising the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, a preceding object and a succeeding objects in the control flow.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, wherein the program when executed by a processor causes a computer to perform the method steps:

providing a reference process describing a workflow for software and/or system development, wherein the workflow is described by a modeling language describing the reference process with objects, comprising a control flow dependent part having control flow objects and a control flow independent part with independent objects that are not part of the control flow;

high-level instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the high-level instantiating is based on project characteristics which do not change frequently;

detailed instantiating the reference process by applying basic instantiation operations and use cases to the objects according to predefined rules which consider contexts comprising dependencies between the objects to determine constraints to the applied instantiation operation for both control flow objects and independent objects, wherein the detailed instantiating comprises instantly adapting the process on short-term process requirements; and

providing a project specific instantiated process based on high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating the reference process, wherein

the method steps of high-level instantiating and detailed instantiating are based on the same basic instantiation operations.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the contexts considered are identified by workflow patterns around the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, the workflow patterns comprising the object to which the basic instantiation operations are being applied, a preceding object and a succeeding objects in the control flow.