Machine change history tracking process for ERP applications

• US 8,903,765 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cordell, Ed, Honeck, Mark W., Lohmiller, Joachim, Merkle, Sue, Nielsen, Jan, Noga, Paul Jr., Reilly, William, Roberts, John J., Sanders, Siegfried F., Schaeffner, Thomas, Waite, Debra J., Wessel, Deirdre A., Wingard, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, MONICA M
• Application Number:
  US13/569,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 709/221, 709/226, 713/100, 718/104
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for recording, managing and tracking changes to objects in a computer system. A master record is created for the computer system; and, a transactional record is created for an object in the computer system. The master record includes the current status of the object and the current status for all objects associated to the object. The transactional record is updated in the electronic database; and, the master record is updated when the transactional record is updated. The master record is linked to all of the transactional records of the objects associated to the object with the processor. The master record is updated with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is updated or added.

Claims

1. A method for recording, managing and tracking life cycle changes to objects in a computer system, the objects comprising hardware components of the computer system, said method comprising:

creating a master record for a computer system;

creating a transactional record for the master record, the transactional record being created for an object in the computer system, the master record including a current status of the object and a current status for all objects associated to the object, said creating of the transactional record including setting a status of the object to one of;

ordered,

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

storing the master record and the transactional record in an electronic database;

updating the transactional record in the electronic database, said updating of the transactional record including changing the status of the object to one of;

ordered,

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

updating the master record when the transactional record is updated, the master record being updated in the electronic database with a processor, wherein said updating of the master record comprises;

deactivating the transactional record when an upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a second transactional record for the object, the second transactional record indicating the installation of the upgrade;

linking the master record to all transactional records of objects associated to the object with the processor; and

updating the master record with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is one of updated and added.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said updating of the master record comprises:

deactivating the second transactional record of the object when a new upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a third transactional record for the object, the third transactional record indicating the installation of the new upgrade.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the objects associated to the object comprise at least one of all objects that are connected to the object and all objects that are affected by a change to the object.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

linking the master record to all master records of the objects associated to the object; and

updating the master record when a master record of the objects associated to the object is changed or added.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each transactional record in the master record represents a single upgrade to an object in the computer system, and wherein the transactional record includes a status of the upgrade.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising linking object records to the master record, the object records including at least one of service contracts, capacity usage, technical documents, photographs, and warranty information.

7. A method for recording, managing and tracking life cycle changes to objects in a computer system, the objects comprising hardware components of the computer system, said method comprising:

creating a master record for the computer system;

creating a transactional record in the master record, the transactional record being created for an object in the computer system, the master record including a current status of the object and a current status for all objects associated to the object, the objects associated to the object comprising at least one of all objects that are connected to the object and all objects that are affected by a change to the object, said creating of the transactional record including setting a status of the object to one of;

ordered,

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

storing the master record and the transactional record in an electronic database;

updating the transactional record in the electronic database, said updating of the transactional record including changing the status of the object to one of;

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

updating the master record when the transactional record is updated, the master record being updated in the electronic database with a processor, wherein said updating of the master record comprises;

deactivating the transactional record when an upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a second transactional record for the object, the second transactional record indicating the installation of the upgrade;

linking the master record to all transactional records of the objects associated to the object with the processor; and

updating the master record with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is one of updated and added.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said updating of the master record comprises:

deactivating the second transactional record of the object when a new upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a third transactional record for the object, the third transactional record indicating the installation of the new upgrade.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

linking the master record to all master records of the objects associated to the object; and

updating the master record when a master record of the objects associated to the object is changed or added.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein each transactional record in the master record represents a single upgrade to an object in the computer system, and wherein the transactional record includes a status of the upgrade.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising linking object records to the master record, the object records including at least one of service contracts, capacity usage, technical documents, photographs, and warranty information.

12. A method for recording, managing and tracking life cycle changes to objects in a computer system, the objects comprising hardware components of the computer system, said method comprising:

creating a master record for the computer system;

creating a transactional record for an object in the computer system, the master record including a current status of the object and a current status for all objects associated to the object, the objects associated to the object comprising at least one of all objects that are connected to the object and all objects that are affected by a change to the object, said creating of the transactional record including setting a status of the object to one of;

ordered,

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

storing the master record and the transactional record in an electronic database linking the transactional record to the master record in the electronic database;

updating the transactional record in the electronic database, said updating of the transactional record including changing the status of the object to one of;

shipped to the recipient,

received by the recipient,

installed on the computer system,

removed from the computer system,

deactivated, and

lost on the computer system;

updating the master record when the transactional record is updated, the master record being updated in the electronic database with a processor, wherein said updating of the master record comprises;

deactivating the transactional record when an upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a second transactional record for the object, the second transactional record indicating the installation of the upgrade;

linking the master record to all transactional records of the objects associated to the object with the processor; and

updating the master record with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is one of updated and added.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said updating of the master record comprises:

deactivating the second transactional record of the object when a new upgrade is installed on the object; and

activating a third transactional record for the object, the third transactional record indicating the installation of the new upgrade.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

linking the master record to all master records of the objects associated to the object; and

updating the master record when a master record of the objects associated to the object is changed or added.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein each transactional record linked to the master record represents a single upgrade to an object in the computer system, and wherein the transactional record includes a status of the upgrade.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising linking object records to the master record, the object records including at least one of service contracts, capacity usage, technical documents, photographs, and warranty information.