Method and system for generating and displaying an interactive dynamic view of bi-directional impact analysis results for multiply connected objects

• US 8,665,274 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Breeds, Robert J., Taunton, Philip R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US12/243,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method and system for generating a graph view on a user interface in a computing environment, is provided. One implementation involves, at a server, generating graph coordinate data for a dependency graph view of bi-directional impact analysis results for multiply connected objects in a data source; transmitting the graph coordinate data to a client as lightweight object data; and at the client, based on the lightweight object data rendering an interactive dynamic dependency graph view on a user interface.

Claims

1. A method for generating a graph view of multiply connected objects in a computing environment, comprising:

a server employing a first hardware processor for generating graph data for a dependency graph view of bi-directional impact analysis results for multiply connected objects in a data source, wherein generating graph data further includes;

generating graph data for an upstream graph representing multiply connected objects that depend on the selected object; and

generating graph data for a downstream graph representing multiply connected objects that the selected object depends on; and

the server employing the first hardware processor for transforming graph data objects into lightweight objects, and for transmitting the lightweight objects to a client; and

the client employing a second hardware processor for rendering an interactive dynamic dependency graph view on a user interface based on the lightweight objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating graph data further includes:

merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root, to transmit to the client for rendering.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the impact analysis results include a first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships, and a second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships;

generating hierarchical graph data for an upstream graph includes generating graph data for the upstream graph from the first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships; and

generating hierarchical graph data for a downstream graph includes generating graph data for the downstream graph from the second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the graph data for each graph includes identification of graph objects and object dependency information; and

generating graph data for a dependency graph view further includes processing one of the downstream or upstream graph data such that the dependency relationships in the second set are reversed in direction into hierarchical graph data, and

then merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root, to transmit to the client.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the dependency graph view includes visual elements connected by edges, such that the visual elements represent the objects and the edges represent dependency relationships between the objects.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing environment comprises service registry computing environment.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the client comprises a web browser on a thin client computing module, the server comprises a server application on a server computing module, wherein the thin client computing module and the server computing module may be connected via a communication link.

8. A computer program product for generating a graph view of multiply connected objects in a computing environment, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program including program instructions, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

at a server, employing a first hardware processor for generating graph data for a dependency graph view of bi-directional impact analysis results for multiply connected objects in a data source, transforming graph data objects into lightweight object, and transmitting the lightweight objects to a client, wherein generating graph coordinate data further includes;

generating graph data for an upstream graph representing multiply connected objects that depend on the selected object; and

generating graph data for a downstream graph representing multiply connected objects that the selected object depends on; and

at the client, employing a second hardware processor for rendering an interactive dynamic graph view on a user interface based on the lightweight objects.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further including program instructions for generating graph data by:

merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root, to transmit to the client for rendering.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein:

the impact analysis results include a first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships, and a second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships;

the computer program product further includes instructions for generating graph data for the upstream graph from the first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships; and

the computer program product further includes instructions for generating graph data for the downstream graph from the second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein:

the graph data for each graph includes identification of graph objects and object dependency information; and

the computer program product further includes instructions for processing one of the downstream or upstream graph data such that the dependency relationships in the second set are reversed in direction into hierarchical graph data, and then merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root, to transmit to the client.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the dependency graph view includes visual elements connected by edges, such that the visual elements represent the objects and the edges represent dependency relationships between the objects.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computing environment comprises a service registry computing environment.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the client comprises a web browser on a thin client computing module, the server comprises a server application on a server computing module, wherein the client module and the server module may be connected via a communication link.

15. A system for generating a graph view on a user interface in a computing environment, comprising:

employing a first hardware processor with a server for generating graph data for a dependency graph view of bi-directional impact analysis results for multiply connected objects in a data source, transforming graph data objects into lightweight objects, and transmitting lightweight objects to a client, wherein generating graph data further includes;

generating graph data for an upstream graph representing multiply connected objects that depend on the selected object; and

generating graph data for a downstream graph representing multiply connected objects that the selected object depends on; and

a rendering function employing a second hardware processor at the client for rendering an interactive dynamic graph view of the multiply connected objects on a user interface, based on the lightweight objects.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the server is further configured for generating graph data by:

merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root, to transmit to the client for rendering.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein:

the impact analysis results include a first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships, and a second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships;

the server is further configured for generating graph data by;

generating graph data for the upstream graph from the first set of results representing upstream object dependency relationships; and

generating graph data for the downstream graph from the second set of results representing downstream object dependency relationships.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the graph data for each graph includes identification of graph objects and object dependency information; and

the server is further configured for processing one of the downstream or upstream graph data such that the dependency relationships in the second set are reversed in direction into hierarchical graph data, and then merging the upstream and the downstream graph data at the selected object to generate dependency graph data with the selected object as a shared root.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the dependency graph view includes visual elements connected by edges, such that the visual elements represent the objects and the edges represent dependency relationships between the objects.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the computing environment comprises service registry computing environment,

wherein the client comprises a web browser on a thin client computing module, the server comprises a server application on a server computing module, wherein the thin client computing module and the server computing module may be connected via a communication link.