Software modeling

• US 8,522,194 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kaetker, Stefan, Freund, Jens, Latocha, Peter, Moosmann, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Nahar, Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US11/323,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/105, 717/106, 717/107, 709/203, 707/791, 707/796
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, to realize a software model are described. A plurality of process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct business process is defined, and each of the process components defining a respective service interface for interacting with other process components. The plurality of process components is divided into multiple deployment units, wherein each deployment unit characterizes independently operable software, and each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit. Context independent interactions are defined among the plurality of process components.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining a plurality of process components, each of the process components characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct business process, and each of the process components comprising at least one semantically related business object, and each of the process components defining a respective service interface for interacting with other process components;

dividing the plurality of process components into multiple deployment units, wherein each deployment unit characterizes independently operable software, and each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit; and

defining context independent interactions among the plurality of process components, such that all communication and interaction between a particular process component in one deployment unit and any process component in any other deployment unit takes place through the respective service interfaces of the process components.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the service interfaces of the process components define a pair-wise interaction between pairs of process components.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

defining the business object, the business object being associated with a single process component or directly with a single deployment unit.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the business object associated with one of the plurality of process components does not interact directly with any of the business objects associated with any of the other process components.

5. A method as in claim 3, wherein the process components characterize inbound operations to handle incoming messages associated with a modification of reading of data encapsulated in a business object associated with the process component.

6. A method as in claim 3, wherein the process components characterize outbound operations to handle outgoing messages associated with a modification or reading of data encapsulated in at least one business object associated with another process component.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein defining the plurality of process components comprises:

generating, for each process component, at least one process agent, each process agent enabling communications between a business object associated with the process component and a business object associated with any other process component.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least one of the process agents is an inbound process agent characterizing an inbound operation to handle incoming messages.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least one of the process agents is an outbound process agent characterizing an outbound operation to transmit outgoing messages to an external process component.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least two of the process agents within a single deployment unit communicate without a service operation.

11. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

logically associating the plurality of process components to realize a business scenario.

12. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of integration scenarios, each integration scenario comprising a plurality of logically associated process components to effect a business scenario; and

populating a catalog with the generated integration scenarios.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

polling a data repository to obtain stored data characterizing the plurality of process components.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining at least two process components, each process component characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct business process and defining a respective service interface for interacting with the other process component, each process component comprising at least one semantically related business object, each process component associated with software defining;

an inbound operation to modify or read data encapsulated in a business object solely associated with the process component, and

an outbound operation to modify or read data encapsulated in a business object solely associated with an external process component; and

defining interactions among the at least two process components to be handled by the inbound operations and the outbound operations, the interactions comprising context independent interactions among the at least two process components, such that communication and the interactions between the at least two process components take place through the respective service interfaces of the at least two process components.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, in a first view, a process interaction map illustrating interactions among a plurality of process components, each of the process components comprising at least one semantically related business object and characterizing software implementing a respective and distinct business process, and each of the process components defining a respective service interface for interacting with other process components;

displaying, in a second view, a process component architectural design illustrating an inbound part, a business object part, and an outbound part for a selected process component, the inbound part identifying all external process components that use at least one inbound operation of the selected process component, the business object part identifying all of the semantically related business objects associated with the selected process component, the outbound part identifying all external process components utilized by at least one outbound operation of the selected component; and

displaying, in a third view, a process component interaction architectural design illustrating message transfer between exactly two process components to modify or read business objects associated with each process component, each process component illustrating a plurality of process agents, each process agent being either an inbound process agent or an outbound process agent, the inbound process agent being operable to receive a message from the inbound operation, the outbound process agent being operable to cause the outbound operation to send a message.

16. A method as in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a user-initiated selection of a first graphical user interface element associated with a single process component in the first view, and wherein the second view is displayed in response to the selection of the first graphical user interface element.

17. A method as in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a user-initiated selection of a second graphical user interface element associated with two process components in the first view, and wherein the third view is displayed in response to the selection of the second graphical user interface element.

18. A method as in claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, in a fourth view, an integration scenario architectural design illustrating a logically related group of process components to effect a business scenario.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising:

displaying, in a fifth view, a catalog illustrating a plurality of available integration scenarios.

20. A method as in claim 15, wherein the first view illustrates a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit encapsulating at least one process component and characterizing independently operable software.