Validation framework for service oriented architecture (SOA) application adoption

• US 8,321,841 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Leung, Humie
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US11/971,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to business process model validation and provide a method, system and computer program product for validating a service oriented architecture (SOA) oriented application. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for validating an SOA oriented application can be provided. The method can include transforming a business process model for an SOA oriented application into a directed and connected, acyclic graph, further transforming service groupings for the business process model into corresponding directed and connected, acyclic graphs, computing all paths from root node to leaf node in the graph for the business process model, and validating the business process model by ensuring no loops or cycles in the graph for the business process model, and further validating the business process model by ensuring no shared vertices amongst the graphs for the service groupings.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor for validating a service oriented architecture (SOA) oriented application, the method comprising:

transforming a business process model for an SOA oriented application into a directed and connected graph;

further transforming a plurality of service groupings for the business process model into corresponding directed and connected, acyclic graphs;

computing all paths from root node to leaf node in the graph for the business process model; and

,

invalidating the business process model in response to either identifying a loop or cycle in the graph for the business process model, or identifying a shared vertex amongst the graphs for the service groupings.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

determining that an individual one of the paths contains all vertices for a single one of the service groupings; and

,

invalidating the single one of the service groupings if not all of the vertices contained in a single path are connected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises validating each of the service groupings containing only a single vertex in a corresponding graph.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

computing an intersection between each path and a service grouping;

determining whether or not each intersection includes multiple vertices; and

,

invalidating the service grouping when any intersection includes multiple vertices that are not connected.

5. A service oriented architecture (SOA) oriented application validation data processing system comprising:

a computer system comprising at least one computer with memory and at least one processor;

a model transformation module executing in the memory of the computer system and configured during execution to transform a business process model for an SOA oriented application into a directed and connected graph;

a service group transformation module configured to further transform a plurality of service groupings for the business process model into corresponding directed and connected, acyclic graphs;

a path discovery module configured to compute all paths from root node to leaf node in the graph for the business process model; and

,

model validation logic also executing in the computer system and comprising program code enabled to invalidate the business process model in response to either identifying a loop or cycle in the graph for the business process model, or identifying a shared vertex amongst the graphs for the service groupings.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the program code is further enabled to determine that an individual one of the paths contains all vertices for a single one of the service groupings and to invalidate the single one of the service groupings if not all of the vertices contained in a single path are connected.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the program code is further enabled to validate each of the service groupings containing only a single vertex in a corresponding graph.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the program code is further enabled to computer an intersection between each path and a service grouping, to determine whether or not each intersection includes multiple vertices, and to invalidate the service grouping when any intersection includes multiple vertices that are not connected.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium storing computer usable program code for validating a service oriented architecture (SOA) oriented application, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for transforming a business process model for an SOA oriented application into a directed and connected, acyclic graph;

computer usable program code for further transforming a plurality of service groupings for the business process model into corresponding directed and connected, acyclic graphs;

computer usable program code for computing all paths from root node to leaf node in the graph for the business process model; and

,

computer usable program code for invalidating the business process model in response to either identifying a loop or cycle in the graph for the business process model, or identifying a shared vertex amongst the graphs for the service groupings.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprises:

computer usable program code for determining that an individual one of the paths contains all vertices for a single one of the service groupings; and

,

computer usable program code for invalidating the single one of the service groupings if not all of the vertices contained in a single path are connected.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprises computer usable program code for validating each of the service groupings containing only a single vertex in a corresponding graph.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprises:

computer usable program code for computing an intersection between each path and a service grouping;

computer usable program code for determining whether or not each intersection includes multiple vertices; and

,

computer usable program code for invalidating the service grouping when any intersection includes multiple vertices that are not connected.