Vertical process merging by reconstruction of equivalent models and hierarchical process merging

• US 8,676,627 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gerth, Christian, Gschwind, Thomas, Kuester, Jochen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pats, Justin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rotaru, Octavian
• Application Number:
  US12/328,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.27, 705/7.26
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for improvement of vertical process merging by reconstruction of equivalent models and hierarchical process merging. Embodiments of the invention include a method for identifying and resolving differences between business process models, the method including receiving a first business process model project, identifying a second business process model project, performing changes to the second business process model project, merging the first and second business process model projects, creating a delta model configured to analyze the differences between the business process model projects, wherein an analysis of the differences between the first and second business process model projects are in the form of low-level changes and auto-applying the low-level changes of the first business process model project to generate a new business process model project.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and resolving differences between business process models, the method comprising:

receiving, in a processor, a first business process model project;

identifying, in the processor, a second business process model project;

performing, in the processor, changes to the second business process model project;

creating, in the processor, a first delta model configured to

analyze, in the processor, differences between the first and second business process model projects, wherein an analysis of the differences between the first and second business process model projects are in the form of low-level changes;

calculating, in the processor, dependencies of the low-level changes and a conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project and the second business process model project, wherein the conflict-free application sequence of change operations includes independent changes defined by one of parallel independent changes and sequentially dependent changes;

auto-applying, in the processor, the low-level changes and the conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project to generate a new business process model project, wherein the low level changes are auto-applied by inserting single-entry-single-exit fragments into the first and second business model projects, wherein the auto-applying of the low level changes of the first business process model project identifies conflicts between the first and second business process model projects prior to merging the first and second business process model projects;

applying, in the processor, hierarchical process merging to inspect and create a consolidated business modeler language model of the first and second business process model projects;

creating, in the processor, a clone of the consolidated business modeler language model, wherein the new business process model project is the consolidated business modeler language model equivalent of an integration developer model;

computing, in the processor, the auto-applied low-level changes to create a second delta model configured based on the first delta model;

applying, in the processor, the second delta model to the integration developer model to generate an updated integration developer model, wherein a high-level model is changed when the low level changes are applied;

responsive to changes in the business modeler language model occurring at same time as changes to the updated integration developer model;

applying changes to the consolidated business modeler language model to obtain a first business modeler language,

generating a second business modeler language from the updated integration developer model,

consolidating the first and second business modeler languages, and

merging, in the processor, the first and second business process model projects based on the consolidated first and second business modeler languages.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising computing, in the processor, dependencies of the low-level changes to the first business process model project.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first business process model project is a business modeler project, the second business process model project is an integration developer project and the new business process model project is a new business modeler project.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the business modeler project includes the first business modeler language.

5. A computer program product for identifying and resolving differences between business process models, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first business process model project;

identifying a second business process model project;

performing changes to the second business process model project;

creating a first delta model configured to

analyze, differences between the first and second business process model projects, wherein an analysis of the differences between the first and second business process model projects are in the form of low-level changes;

calculating dependencies of the low-level changes and a conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project and the second business process model project, wherein the conflict-free application sequence of change operations includes independent changes defined by one of parallel independent changes and sequentially dependent changes;

auto-applying the low-level changes and the conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project to generate a new business process model project, wherein the low level changes are auto-applied by inserting single-entry-single-exit fragments into the first and second business model projects, wherein the auto-applying of the low level changes of the first business process model project identifies conflicts between the first and second business process model projects prior to merging the first and second business process model projects;

applying, in the processor, hierarchical process merging to inspect and create a consolidated business modeler language model of the first and second business process model projects;

creating, in the processor, a clone of the consolidated business modeler language model, wherein the new business process model project is the consolidated business modeler language model equivalent of an integration developer model;

computing, in the processor, the auto-applied low-level changes to create a second delta model configured based on the first delta model;

applying, in the processor, the second delta model to the integration developer model to generate an updated integration developer model, wherein a high-level model is changed when the low level changes are applied;

responsive to changes in the business modeler language model occurring at same time as changes to the updated integration developer model;

applying changes to the consolidated business modeler language model to obtain a first business modeler language,

generating a second business modeler language from the updated integration developer model,

consolidating the first and second business modeler languages, and

merging the first and second business process model projects based on the consolidated first and second business modeler languages.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5 wherein the method further comprises computing dependencies of the low-level changes to the first business process model project.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first business process model project is a business modeler project, the second business process model project is an integration developer project and the new business process model project is a new business modeler project.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the business modeler project includes the first business modeler language.

9. A system for identifying and resolving differences between business process models, the system comprising:

a first delta model configured to

analyze, in a processor, differences between a first business process model project and a second business process model project in form of low-level changes and

calculate, in the processor, dependencies of the low-level changes and a conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project and the second business process model project, wherein the conflict-free application sequence of change operations includes independent changes defined by one of parallel independent changes and sequentially dependent changes;

a business modeler module configured to

generate, in the processor, the first business process model project and pass the first business process model project to an integration modeler module configured to perform, in the processor, changes to the second business process model project;

auto-apply, in the processor, the low-level changes and the conflict-free application sequence of change operations of the first business process model project to generate a new business process model project, wherein the low level changes are auto-applied by inserting single-entry-single-exit fragments into the first business model project and second business model project, wherein the auto-applied low level changes of the first business process model project identifies conflicts between the first and second business process model projects prior to merging the first business process model project and the second business process model project;

apply, in the processor, hierarchical process merging to inspect and create a consolidated business modeler language model of the first business process model project and the second business process model project;

create, in the processor, a clone of the consolidated business modeler language model, wherein the new business process model project is the consolidated business modeler language model equivalent of an integration developer model;

compute, in the processor, the applied low-level changes to create a second delta model configured based on the first delta model;

apply, in the processor, the second delta model to the integration developer model to generate an updated integration developer model, wherein a high-level model is changed when the low level changes are applied; and

responsive to changes in the business modeler language model occurring at same time as changes to the updated integration developer model;

apply changes to the consolidated business modeler language model to obtain a first business modeler language,

generate a second business modeler language from the updated integration developer model,

consolidate the first and second business modeler languages, and

merge, in the processor, the first business process model project and the second business process model project based on the consolidated first and second business modeler languages.