Task management for changes to shared artifacts

• US 9,104,996 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Komar, Paul, Mehra, Maneesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US14/037,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 717101-103, 717120-123, 705 713- 726, 718100-108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method of task management for shared artifacts can include detecting a change tag associated with a software artifact and determining, via a processor, each software artifact that is dependent upon the software artifact. A task associated with each dependent software artifact can be generated. Each task can specify a need for a modification to the associated software artifact. A responsible party for each dependent software artifact can be determined. Each task can be automatically assigned to the responsible party for the software artifact associated with the task.

Claims

1. A method for task management of shared artifacts, comprising:

detecting a change tag associated with a software artifact;

identifying, via a processor, a plurality of dependent software artifacts that depend upon the software artifact;

generating, for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task specifying a future modification to the respective dependent software artifact;

determining, via the processor, a responsible party for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts; and

automatically assigning, for all of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task associated with a particular dependent software artifact to the responsible party associated with the particular dependent software artifact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the generating includes determining a sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts is based upon a number of change tags associated with each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

a plurality of dependent software artifacts associated with a greater number of change tags are scheduled earlier in the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts than a plurality of dependent software artifacts associated with a lesser number of change tags.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein

the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts is overridden responsive to a user input requesting a different prioritization.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the change tag as a change tag of a first type or a change tag of a second type.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein

priority rules are applied based upon at least one of the change tags being a breaking type change tag.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least two tasks associated with a same software artifact; and

merging the at least two tasks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the at least two tasks are merged based upon a determination that the at least two tasks are a same type of task.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein

tasks generated from maintenance type change tags are prioritized higher in the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts than tasks generated from breaking type change tags.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first plurality of tasks;

distinguishing between breaking type change tags and maintenance type change tags; and

identifying a second plurality of tasks associated with a same software artifact, wherein the second plurality of tasks is a subset of the first plurality of tasks.

12. A computer hardware system for task management of shared artifacts, comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to initiate and/or perform;

detecting a change tag associated with a software artifact;

identifying a plurality of dependent software artifacts that depend upon the software artifact;

generating, for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task specifying a future modification to the respective dependent software artifact;

determining a responsible party for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts; and

automatically assigning, for all of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task associated with a particular dependent software artifact to the responsible party associated with the particular dependent software artifact.

13. The computer hardware system of claim 12, wherein

the generating includes determining a sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

14. The computer hardware system of claim 13, wherein

the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts is based upon a number of change tags associated with each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

15. The computer hardware system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to initiate and/or perform:

identifying the change tag as a change tag of a first type or a change tag of a second type.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for task management of shared artifacts, the computer usable program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform;

detecting a change tag associated with a software artifact;

identifying a plurality of dependent software artifacts that depend upon the software artifact;

generating, for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task specifying a future modification to the respective dependent software artifact;

determining a responsible party for each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts; and

automatically assigning, for all of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts, a task associated with a particular dependent software artifact to the responsible party associated with the particular dependent software artifact, wherein the computer usable storage medium does not consist of transitory, propagating signals.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein

the generating includes determining a sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein

the sequence of the generated tasks for the plurality of dependent software artifacts is based upon a number of change tags associated with each of the plurality of dependent software artifacts.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer usable program code, which when executed by the computer hardware system, further causes the computer hardware system to perform:

identifying the change tag as a change tag of a first type or a change tag of a second type.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein

priority rules are applied based upon at least one of the change tags being a breaking type change tag.