Managing consistent interfaces for supply network business objects across heterogeneous systems

• US 8,930,248 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Hubert, Matthias, Schweitzer, Michael, Huber-Buschbeck, Andreas, Hader, Sven, Werner, Christian, Heinemann, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US12/059,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a supply network plan, a supply network plan configuration and/or a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy business object.

Claims

1. A computer program product for providing a message-based interface for supply network planning-related requests, the supply network planning-related requests comprising requests associated with managing a long- or mid-term production or distribution plan, the computer program product comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible, non-transitory media and operable when executed to:

receive via a first message-based interface derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based interfaces and message packages, the first message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for requesting creation of a new supply network plan that includes a first message package derived from the common business object model and hierarchically organized in memory as;

a supply network plan create request message entity; and

a supply network plan package comprising a supply network plan entity, where the supply network plan entity includes a supply network plan configuration ID;

process the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, where processing the first message includes unpacking the first message package based on the common business object model; and

send a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message, where the second message includes a second message package derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with the first message package.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the second message includes a second message confirming the request to create the new supply network plan, the second message including a second message package hierarchically organized in memory as:

a supply network plan create confirmation message entity;

a supply network plan package and a log package, the supply network plan package comprising a supply network plan entity, the supply network plan entity including an ID, and the log package comprising a log entity.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the derived message-based interfaces further include a supply network plan configuration interface and a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy interface.

4. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for communicating information associated with managing a long- or mid-term production or distribution plan using a request;

a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message including a message package derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based service interfaces and message packages, the message package hierarchically organized as;

a supply network plan create request message entity; and

a supply network plan package comprising a supply network plan entity, where the supply network plan entity includes a supply network plan configuration ID; and

a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of message-based service interfaces derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with messages derived from the common business object model, where one of the message-based service interfaces processes the message according to the hierarchical organization of the message package, where processing the message includes unpacking the message package based on the common business object model.

5. The distributed system of claim 4, wherein the first memory is remote from the graphical user interface.

6. The distributed system of claim 4, wherein the first memory is remote from the second memory.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the second message includes a second message responsive to the query of the supply network plans by detail, the second message package including a second message hierarchically organized in memory as:

a supply network plan key figure value by elements response message entity; and

a supply network plan package and a log package, where the supply network plan package comprises a supply network plan entity and a key figure value package, where the supply network plan entity includes an ID, and where the key figure value package includes at least one key figure value entity, each key figure value entity including a supply network plan key figure ID, a time series period ID, a supply network planning aggregate hierarchy aggregate instance ID, and a float value, and where the log package comprises a log entity.

7. A computer program product for providing a message-based interface for supply network planning-related requests, the supply network planning-related requests comprising requests associated with managing a long- or mid-term production or distribution plan, the computer program product comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible, non-transitory media and operable when executed to:

receive via a message-based interface derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based interfaces and message packages, the first message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for querying supply network plans by details, the first message including a first message package derived from the common business object model and hierarchically organized in memory as;

a supply network plan key figure value by elements query message entity; and

a selection package comprising a supply network plan key figure value selection by elements entity, where the supply network plan key figure value selection by elements entity includes a selection by ID, a selection by supply network planning aggregate hierarchy ID, at least one selection by key figure ID, and at least one selection by time series period ID, where each selection by key figure ID includes an interval boundary type code;

process the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, where processing the first message includes unpacking the first message package based on the common business object model; and

send a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message, where the second message includes a second message package derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with the first message package.

10. The distributed system of claim 7, wherein the first memory is remote from the graphical user interface.

11. The distributed system of claim 7, wherein the first memory is remote from the second memory.

9. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for communicating information associated with querying a set of supply network plans associated with long- or mid-term production or distribution plans using a request;

a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message package derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based service interfaces and message packages, the message package hierarchically organized as;

a supply network plan key figure value by elements query message entity; and

a selection package comprising a supply network plan key figure value selection by elements entity, where the supply network plan key figure value selection by elements entity includes a selection by ID, a selection by supply network planning aggregate hierarchy ID, at least one selection by key figure ID, and at least one selection by time series period ID, where each selection by key figure ID includes an interval boundary type code; and

a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of message-based service interfaces derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with messages derived from the common business object model, where one of the message-based service interfaces processes the message according to the hierarchical organization of the message package, where processing the message includes unpacking the message package based on the common business object model.