Cascading definition and support of EDI rules
First Claim
1. A system for determining EDI rules to enforce, comprising:
- a computer system having a processor, a memory, a storage device, a network interface, and a bus for exchanging information therebetween, the memory storing computer usable program code executed by the processor to;
determine entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides for each of a plurality of entities;
express each entity-specific rule in a neutral and machine readable format;
classify each of the entity-specific rules by determining for each entity-specific rule;
whether the entity-specific rule is common with at least one other entity-specific rule, orwhether the entity-specific rule is similar to at least one other entity-specific rule, orwhether the entity-specific rule is unique;
convey results of classifying the entity-specific rules by;
creating an inventory of rules, the inventory including a common set of rules for the plurality of entities;
dynamically adjusting said inventory of the rules based upon the entity-specific rules where the entity specific rules are derived from a plurality of companion guides, each companion guide associated with one of the plurality of entities;
storing the inventory of rules in a storage according to the classification of each rule as common, similar, or unique;
creating a respective, corresponding pointer to the entity-specific rules in the inventory of rules associated with at least one of the plurality of entities; and
storing the corresponding pointer in a storage for use in retrieving an appropriate current rule set when validating an EDI document for the at least one of the plurality of entities.
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Abstract
Electronic data interchange (EDI) documents are validated by creating an inventory of all rules, dynamically adjusting the inventory based upon entity specific rules derived from a plurality of companion guides, determining a profile containing pointers to select rules in the inventory for each companion guide and storing the profile for each companion guide in a storage. A runtime checker can then be used to check a received EDI document with a corresponding rule set, forward the EDI document if the EDI document matches its current rule set and return the EDI document if the EDI document does not match its current rule set. EDI rules may be enforced, for example, by determining entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides, by expressing each rule in a neutral and machine readable format, by classifying the rules and/or by creating an inventory of rules and pointers to entity-specific rules.
36 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for determining EDI rules to enforce, comprising:
a computer system having a processor, a memory, a storage device, a network interface, and a bus for exchanging information therebetween, the memory storing computer usable program code executed by the processor to; determine entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides for each of a plurality of entities; express each entity-specific rule in a neutral and machine readable format; classify each of the entity-specific rules by determining for each entity-specific rule; whether the entity-specific rule is common with at least one other entity-specific rule, or whether the entity-specific rule is similar to at least one other entity-specific rule, or whether the entity-specific rule is unique; convey results of classifying the entity-specific rules by; creating an inventory of rules, the inventory including a common set of rules for the plurality of entities; dynamically adjusting said inventory of the rules based upon the entity-specific rules where the entity specific rules are derived from a plurality of companion guides, each companion guide associated with one of the plurality of entities; storing the inventory of rules in a storage according to the classification of each rule as common, similar, or unique; creating a respective, corresponding pointer to the entity-specific rules in the inventory of rules associated with at least one of the plurality of entities; and storing the corresponding pointer in a storage for use in retrieving an appropriate current rule set when validating an EDI document for the at least one of the plurality of entities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A computer program product for determining EDI rules to enforce, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising; computer usable program code configured to determine entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides for each of a plurality of entities; computer usable program code configured to express each entity-specific rule in a neutral and machine readable format; computer usable program code configured to classify each of the entity-specific rules by determining for each entity-specific rule; whether the entity-specific rule is common with at least one other entity-specific rule, or whether the entity-specific rule is similar to at least one other entity-specific rule, Or whether the entity-specific rule is unique; computer usable program code configured to convey results of classifying the entity-specific rules by; creating an inventory of rules, the inventory including a common set of rules for the plurality of entities; dynamically adjusting said inventory of the rules based upon the entity-specific rules where the entity specific rules are derived from a plurality of companion guides, each companion guide associated with one of the plurality of entities; storing the inventory of rules in a storage according to the classification of each rule as common, similar, or unique; creating a respective, corresponding pointer to the entity-specific rules in the inventory of rules associated with at least one of the plurality of entities; and storing the corresponding pointer in a storage for use in retrieving an appropriate current rule set when validating an EDI document for the at least one of the plurality of entities. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A system for validating EDI documents comprising:
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a computer system having a processor, a memory, a storage device, a network interface, and a bus for exchanging information therebetween, the memory storing computer usable program code executed by the processor to; provide an inventory of all rules, the inventory including a common set of rules for a plurality of entities; dynamically adjust the inventory of all rules based upon entity specific rules where the entity specific rules are derived from a plurality of companion guides, each companion guide associated with one of the plurality of entities; create a rules analyzer to analyze content of the plurality of companion guides and to build an organizer of companion guide rules; employ the organizer of companion guide rules to add companion guide rules to the inventory of all rules; create a profiles engine to create a respective, current rule set for each of said plurality of entities; create a companion guide profile for each of the plurality of entities where each companion guide profile indicates that entity'"'"'s companion guide rules and provides pointers to the rules in the inventory of all rules that are associated with the respective, current rule set of that entity, and create a runtime checker engine to validate an EDI document by comparing the EDI document to the respective, current rule set associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of entities, by forwarding the EDI document to the corresponding one of the plurality of entities if the EDI document matches its current rule set, wherein the EDI document is validated and by returning the EDI document to a sender if the EDI document does not match the respective, current rule set, wherein the EDI document is invalidated. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer program product for validating EDI documents comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising; computer usable program code configured to provide an inventory of all rules, the inventory including a common set of rules for a plurality of entities; computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust the inventory of all rules based upon entity specific rules where the entity specific rules are derived from a plurality of companion guides, each companion guide associated with one of the plurality of entities; computer usable program code configured to create a rules analyzer to analyze content of the plurality of companion guides and to build an organizer of companion guide rules; computer usable program code configured to employ the organizer of companion guide rules to add companion guide rules to the inventory of all rules; computer usable program code configured to create a profiles engine to create a respective, current rule set for each of said plurality of entities; computer usable program code configured to create a companion guide profile for each of the plurality of entities where each companion guide profile indicates that entity'"'"'s companion guide rules and provides pointers to the rules in the inventory of all rules that are associated with the respective, current rule set of that entity, and computer usable program code configured to create a runtime checker engine to validate an EDI document by comparing the EDI document to the respective, current rule set associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of entities, by forwarding the EDI document to the corresponding one of the plurality of entities if the EDI document matches its current rule set, wherein the EDI document is validated and by returning the EDI document to a sender if the EDI document does not match the respective, current rule set, wherein the EDI document is invalidated. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification