Software model normalization and mediation

• US 8,756,561 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Petersen, Peter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US11/618,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

An apparatus, network and methods for software model derivation and normalization are provided. In one embodiment a meta-model is derived from a plurality of software applications. The meta-model is independent of any particular software application. A number of software models are derived each compliant with the meta-model. A customer specific software application may then be derived from the models and an enterprise resource planning software application. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a general purpose computer comprising:

deriving a meta-model, the meta-model being independent of a particular software application, the derivation comprising identifying a subset of common structures and functions from a plurality of enterprise resource planning applications;

deriving a plurality of software models from a specific enterprise resource planning application by executing at least one query on a repository associated with the specific enterprise resource planning application, wherein each of the plurality of software models is compliant with the meta-model by sharing the subset of common structures and functions; and

deriving a customer specific software application from the specific enterprise resource planning application and the plurality of software models to enable interacting with the specific enterprise resource planning application using the plurality of software models.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deriving of a meta-model is accomplished using Universal Modeling Language or Eclipse Modeling Framework.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the repository is selected from a group consisting of a database, a spreadsheet, and a data store.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the customer specific software application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of enterprise resource planning applications comprises at least one module selected from a group consisting of:

a manufacturing module, a supply chain management module, a financial module, a projects module, a human resource module, a customer relationship management module, and a data warehouse module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of software models are derived using a common build context.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of software models is selected from a group consisting of:

a binding model, a Structured Query Language (SQL) model, an object model, and an application model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer specific software application is ported to a new enterprise resource planning application.

9. A computer software product comprising machine executable instructions stored in a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the machine executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a computer, perform:

deriving a meta-model, the meta-model being independent of a particular software application, the derivation comprising identifying a subset of common structures and functions from a plurality of enterprise resource planning applications;

deriving a plurality of software models from a specific enterprise resource planning application by executing at least one query on a repository associated with the specific enterprise resource planning application, wherein each of the plurality of software models is compliant with the meta-model by sharing the subset of common structures and functions; and

deriving a customer specific software application from the specific enterprise resource planning application and the plurality of software models to enable interacting with the specific enterprise resource planning application using the plurality of software models.

10. The computer software product of claim 9, wherein the meta-model is derived using Universal Modeling Language or Eclipse Modeling Framework.

11. The computer software product of claim 9, wherein the repository is selected from a group consisting of a database, a spreadsheet, and a data store.

12. The computer software product of claim 9, further comprising a user interface for the customer specific software application.

13. The computer software product of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of the enterprise resource planning applications comprises a module selected from a group consisting of:

a manufacturing module, a supply chain management module, a financial module, a projects module, a human resource module, a customer relationship management module, and a data warehouse module.

14. The software product of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of software models is derived using a common build context.

15. The software product of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of software models is selected from a group consisting of a binding model, a Structured Query Language (SQL) model, an object model and an application model.

16. The computer software product of claim 9, wherein the customer specific software application is ported to a new enterprise resource planning application.

17. A computing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage media, the storage media containing processor executable customer specific software application, wherein the processor executable customer specific software application is derived from a specific enterprise resource planning application and a plurality of software models to enable interacting with the specific enterprise resource planning application using the plurality of software models, the plurality of software models being derived from the specific enterprise resource planning application by executing at least one query on a repository associated with the specific enterprise resource planning application, each of the plurality of software models being compliant with a meta-model by sharing a subset of common structures and functions with the meta-model, the meta-model not being dependent on a software application, the meta-model being derived by identifying the subset of common structures and functions from a plurality of enterprise resource planning applications.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the meta-model is derived using Universal Modeling Language or Eclipse Modeling Framework.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of software models are derived using Universal Modeling Language or Eclipse Modeling Framework.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the repository is selected from a group consisting of a database, a spreadsheet, and a data store.

21. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor executable software is configured to provide a user interface for the customer specific software application.

22. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of enterprise resource planning applications comprises at least one module selected from a group consisting of:

a manufacturing module, a supply chain management module, a financial module, a projects module, a human resource module, a customer relationship management module, and a data warehouse module.

23. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of software models are derived using a common build context.

24. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of software models is selected from a group consisting of:

a binding model, a Structured Query Language (SQL) model, an object model, and an application model.

25. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer specific software application is ported to a new enterprise resource planning application.

27. The communication network of claim 25, wherein the meta-model and the plurality of software models are derived using Universal Modeling Language or Eclipse Modeling Framework.

28. The communication network of claim 25, wherein the depository resides on the server.

29. The communication network of claim 25, wherein the repository is a database, a spreadsheet or a data store.

26. A communication network comprising:

a server connected to a communication medium; and

a client device connected to the communication medium, the client device configured to execute a customer specific software application, the customer specific application derived from a specific enterprise resource planning application and a plurality of software models to enable interacting with the specific enterprise resource planning application using the plurality of software models, the plurality of software models being derived from the specific enterprise resource planning application by executing at least one query on a repository associated with the specific enterprise resource planning application, each of the plurality of software models being compliant with a meta-model by sharing a subset of common structures and functions, the meta-model independent of a particular software application, the meta-model being derived by identifying the subset of common structures and functions from a plurality of enterprise resource planning applications.

30. The communication network of claim 26, wherein the plurality of software models are derived from a common build context.

31. The communication network of claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of enterprise resource management applications comprises a module selected from a group consisting of:

a manufacturing module, a supply chain management module, a financial module, a projects module, a human resource module, a customer relationship management module, and a data warehouse module.

32. The communication network of claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of software models is selected from a group consisting of:

a binding model, a Structured Query Language (SQL) model, an object model, and an application model.

33. The communication network of claim 26, wherein the customer specific software application is ported to a new enterprise resource planning application.