System and method for dynamically modifying synchronized business information server interfaces

• US 8,526,316 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Vishnia-Shabtai, Nimrod, Sagi, Sachar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US12/761,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 370/350, 370/503, 709/220, 709/221, 709/22, 709/223, 709/246, 715/255, 715/735
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the invention enable a computer-implemented method for global data synchronization and a computer system for communicating with a global data synchronization network. A server interface configuration file is used which describes a server interface configuration comprises declarative definitions of data attributes, format information, and a data pool.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for global data synchronization comprising:

obtaining an initial server interface configuration file describing an initial server interface configuration, said initial server interface configuration comprising declarative definitions of initial data attributes, initial format information, and an initial data pool;

caching said declarative definitions of said data attributes and said message formats;

initiating a server interface configured to communicate with said initial data pool by sending and receiving messages conforming to said initial format, wherein said messages comprise said initial data attributes;

communicating with said initial data pool by sending and receiving messages comprising said data attributes and conforming to said message formats by accessing said cached declarative definitions;

accepting a modification of said server interface configuration file;

processing said modification to obtain declarative definitions of modified data attributes, modified format information, and a modified data pool;

configuring said server interface to communicate with said modified data pool by sending and receiving messages conforming to said modified format, wherein said messages comprise said modified data attributes;

obtaining at least one additional server interface configuration file describing at least one additional server interface configuration, wherein each of said at least one additional server interface configuration file comprises additional declarative definitions of additional data attributes and additional message formats corresponding to a given data pool;

caching said additional declarative definitions of said additional data attributes and said additional message formats;

communicating with at least one given data pool using at least one additional server interface configured to send and receive additional messages comprising said additional data attributes and conforming to said additional message formats specified in said at least one additional server interface configuration file;

accepting an additional modification of any of said at least one server interface configuration file; and

updating said cached additional declarative definitions based on said additional modification, wherein said additional messages sent and received by said at least one server interface conform to said additional modification after said update.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring step comprises replacing said initial format information with said modified format information, wherein said modification comprises a format change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring step comprises replacing said initial data attributes with said modified data attributes, wherein said modification comprises adding or removing at least one data attribute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring step comprises replacing said initial data pool with said modified data pool, wherein said modification comprises switching data pools at run-time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is implemented at run-time without recompiling and distributing an application comprising said server interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said server interface configuration file is an XML file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking said initial data pool at run-time to determine if said server interface configuration has changed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching at least one of said initial data attributes, said initial format information and said initial data pool for quick access at run-time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said configuring step further comprises replacing a cached version of at least one of said initial data attributes, said initial format information and said initial data pool with said modified data attributes, said modified format information, or said modified data pool.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising cleansing data in a database to conform with said initial server interface configuration by searching said database for said initial data attributes, revising said initial data attributes based on said initial server interface configuration, and augmenting said database with any attributes not in said database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising cleansing data to conform with said modification.

12. A computer system for communicating with a global data synchronization network comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium encoded with computer readable instructions configured to execute an application server configured to;

obtain a server interface configuration file describing a server interface configuration, wherein said server interface configuration file comprises declarative definitions of data attributes and message formats;

cache said declarative definitions of said data attributes and said message formats;

communicate with a data pool using a server interface configured to send and receive messages comprising said data attributes and conforming to said message formats by accessing said cached declarative definitions;

accept a modification of said server interface configuration file;

update said declarative definitions based on said modification, wherein said messages sent and received by said server interface conform to said modification after said update;

obtain at least one additional server interface configuration file describing at least one additional server interface configuration, wherein each of said at least one additional server interface configuration file comprises additional declarative definitions of additional data attributes and additional message formats corresponding to a given data pool;

cache said additional declarative definitions of said additional data attributes and said additional message formats;

communicate with at least one given data pool using at least one additional server interface configured to send and receive additional messages comprising said additional data attributes and conforming to said additional message formats specified in said at least one additional server interface configuration file;

accept an additional modification of any of said at least one server interface configuration file; and

update said cached additional declarative definitions based on said additional modification, wherein said additional messages sent and received by said at least one server interface conform to said additional modification after said update.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said update comprises replacing said cached message formats with modified message formats.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said update comprises replacing said cached data attributes with modified data attributes.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said method is implemented at run-time without recompiling and redistributing said application server.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said server interface configuration file is an XML file.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said application server is further configured to check if said server interface configuration has changed at run-time at a predetermined interval.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said application server is further configured to cleanse data in a database to conform with said server interface configuration by searching said database for said data attributes, revising said data attributes based on said server interface configuration, and augmenting said database with any attributes not in said database.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein said application server is further configured to cleanse data in said database to conform with said modification.