Rule merging in system for monitoring adherence by developers to a software code development process

• US 8,621,417 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Kaulgud, Vikrant Shyamkant, Sharma, Vibhu Saujanya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, KHANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/159,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/77 Software metrics

Abstract

In a rule-based system for monitoring process adherence, first and second processing patterns are received and merged to provide a merged processing pattern. Each processing pattern, which may be expressed in a state graph representation, embodies at least a portion of a desired software code development process. Optionally, the merged processing pattern may be presented to a subject-matter expert to obtain feedback thereon. The merged processing pattern may then be converted into an executable process verification rule for use in monitoring process adherence. In an embodiment, development process event data is compared to the executable process verification rules. Violations of the rules result in the generation of failure indications that may be stored and subsequently reported as needed. In this manner, efficiency of automated process adherence monitoring systems may be improved when determining the level of compliance by developers with one or more software code development processes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first process pattern descriptive of a first portion of a software code development process,

the first process pattern including a first plurality of states;

receiving, by the processing device, a second process pattern descriptive of another portion of the software code development process,

the second process pattern including a second plurality of states;

determining, by the processing device, a first number of the first plurality of states that match a corresponding number of the second plurality of states;

determining, by the processing device, a second number of the first plurality of states that do not match any of the second plurality of states;

determining, by the processing device, a third number of the second plurality of states that do not match any of the first plurality of states;

merging, by the processing device, the first process pattern and the second process pattern to provide a merged processing pattern, the merging including;

merging the first number of the first plurality of states that match the corresponding number of the second plurality of states to created a merged plurality of states, and

adding, to the merged plurality of states, one or more states that correspond to the second number of the first plurality of states and one or more states that correspond to the third number of the second plurality of states;

converting, by the processing device, the merged processing pattern into a verification rule; and

using, by the processing device, the verification rule to process event information associated with a system.

2. The method of claim 1, where, when merging the first process pattern and the second process pattern, the method further comprises:

converting the first process pattern into a first graph;

converting the second process pattern into a second graph;

determining one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph;

generating a merged graph based on the one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph; and

converting the merged graph into the merged processing pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, where, when receiving the first process pattern, the method further comprises:

receiving the first process pattern via at least one of a graphical user interface or a textual user interface, and

where, when receiving the second process pattern, the method further comprises;

receiving the second process pattern via at least one of the graphical user interface or the textual user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting development process event information;

comparing the development process event information with the verification rule; and

generating a failure indication when at least one condition of the verification rule is not satisfied by the development process event information.

5. The method of claim 4, where, when collecting the development process event information, the method further comprises:

collecting development process event data from at least one development tool; and

filtering the development process event data according to filtering rules to provide the development process event information.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the failure indication;

generating a report based on the stored failure indication; and

providing the report.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting first development process event information;

determining that the first development process event information satisfies the verification rule;

collecting, based on determining that the first development process event information satisfies the verification rule, second development process event information;

comparing the second development process event information with the verification rule; and

generating a failure indication when at least one condition of the verification rule is not satisfied by the second development process event information.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive a first process pattern descriptive of a first portion of a software code development process,

the first process pattern including a first plurality of states;

receive a second process pattern descriptive of another portion of the software code development process,

the second process pattern including a second plurality of states;

determine a first number of the first plurality of states that match a corresponding number of the second plurality of states;

determine a second number of the first plurality of states that do not match any of the second plurality of states;

determine a third number of the second plurality of states that do not match any of the first plurality of states;

merge the first process pattern and the second process pattern to provide a merged processing pattern, the processor, when merging the first process pattern and the second process pattern, being to;

merge the first number of the first plurality of states that match the corresponding number of the second plurality of states to created a merged plurality of states, and

add, to the merged plurality of states, one or more states that correspond to the second number of the first plurality of states and one or more states that correspond to the third number of the second plurality of states;

convert the merged processing pattern into a verification rule; and

use the verification rule to process event information associated with a system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, where the processor, when merging the first process pattern and the second process pattern, is further to:

convert the first process pattern into a first graph;

convert the second process pattern into a second graph;

determine one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph;

generate a merged graph based on the one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph; and

convert the merged graph into the merged processing pattern.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, where the processor, when receiving the first process pattern, is further to:

receive the first process pattern via at least one of a graphical user interface or a textual user interface, and

the processor, when receiving the second process pattern, is further to;

receive the second process pattern via at least one of the graphical user interface or the textual user interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, where the processor is further to:

collect development process event information;

compare the development process event information with the verification rule; and

generate a failure indication when at least one condition of the verification rule is not satisfied by the development process event information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, where the processor, when collecting the development process event information, is further to:

collect development process event data from at least one development tool; and

filter the development process event data according to filtering rules to provide the development process event information.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

store the failure indication;

generate a report based on the stored failure indication; and

provide the report.

20. The apparatus of claim 7, where the processor is further to:

collect first development process event information;

determine that the first development process event information satisfies the verification rule;

collect, based on determining that the first development process event information satisfies the verification rule, second development process event information;

compare the second development process event information with the verification rule; and

generate a failure indication when at least one condition of the verification rule is not Satisfied by the second development process event information.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive a first process pattern descriptive of a first portion of a software code development process,

the first process pattern including a first plurality of states;

receive a second process pattern descriptive of another portion of the software code development process,

the second process pattern including a second plurality of states;

determine a first number of the first plurality of states that match a corresponding number of the second plurality of states;

determine a second number of the first plurality of states that do not match any of the second plurality of states;

determine a third number of the second plurality of states that do not match any of the first plurality of states;

merge the first process pattern and the second process pattern to provide a merged process pattern, the one or more instructions to merge the first process pattern and the second process pattern including;

one or more instructions to merge the first number of the first plurality of states that match the corresponding number of the second plurality of states to created a merged plurality of states, and

one or more instructions to add, to the merged plurality of states, one or more states that correspond to the second number of the first plurality of states and one or more states that correspond to the third number of the second plurality of states;

convert the merged process pattern into a verification rule; and

use the verification rule to process event information associated with a system.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, where the one or more instructions to receive the first process pattern include:

one or more instructions to receive the first process pattern using at least one of a graphical user interface or a textual user interface, and

the one or more instructions to receive the second process pattern include;

one or more instructions to receive the second process pattern via at least one of the graphical user interface or the textual user interface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, where the one or more instructions to merge the first process pattern and the second process pattern include:

one or more instructions to convert the first process pattern into a first graph;

one or more instructions to convert the second process pattern into a second graph;

one or more instructions to determine one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph;

one or more instructions to generate a merged graph based on the one or more points of intersection between the first graph and the second graph; and

one or more instructions to convert the merged graph into the merged process pattern.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to collect development process event information;

one or more instructions to compare the development process event information with the verification rule; and

one or more instructions to generate a failure indication when at least one condition of the verification rule is not satisfied by the development process event information.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions to collect the development process event information include:

one or more instructions to collect development process event data; and

one or more instructions to filter the development process event data according to filtering rules to provide the development process event information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to store the failure indication;

one or more instructions to generate a report based on the stored failure indication; and

one or more instructions to provide the report.