Role-based modernization of legacy applications

• US 9,483,252 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADVANCED BusinessLink Corporation
• Original Assignee: ADVANCED BusinessLink Corporation
• Inventors: Lategan, Christopher F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Wissam
• Application Number:
  US14/697,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/52 Binary to binary
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/66 of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/72 Code refactoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/74 Reverse engineering; Extracting design information from source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/76 Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/448 Execution paradigms, e.g. implementations of programming paradigms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 : Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 : Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and techniques for role-based modernization of legacy applications are provided. Example embodiments provide a Role-Based Modernization System (“RBMS”), which enables the reorganization of (menu-based) legacy applications by role as a method of modernization and enables user access to such modernized applications through roles. In addition the RBMS supports the ability to enhance such legacy applications by blending them with non-legacy tasks and functions in a user-transparent fashion. In one embodiment, the RBMS comprises a client-side javascript display and control module and a java applet host interface and a server-side emulation control services module. These components cooperate to uniformly present legacy and non-legacy tasks that have been reorganized according to role modernization techniques.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method for modernizing a single legacy application that is menu-driven and having a plurality of tasks that are configured to be separately executed on a host computing system, comprising:

determining from the plurality of tasks of the menu-driven, single legacy application a plurality of executable legacy tasks that are configured to be separately executed on the host computing system;

reorganizing the determined plurality of executable legacy tasks by role by assigning one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks to each of a plurality of roles, each role comprising a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access the legacy application tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable tasks assigned to the role;

storing the roles in a configuration data repository, such that when the configuration data repository is downloaded to a client computing system, the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to a role are made accessible to a user authorized to access the host computing system by that role; and

causing the configuration data repository and a role-based interface to be downloaded to the client computing system, wherein at least one of the roles in the downloaded configuration data repository is used to directly access one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the at least one of the roles, without invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein at least one of the roles in the downloaded configuration data repository is used to directly access one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks by directly invoking the one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks without a user invoking menus of the legacy application.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing the one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks to execute in a terminal emulation session on the host computing system without a user opening the terminal emulation session.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the at least one of the roles is caused to be presented on a display of the client computing system using a role desktop metaphor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from a user authorized to access the at least one of the roles, an indication to execute one of the executable legacy tasks indicated by the displayed set of indicators;

causing a corresponding task of the menu-driven legacy application to be executed on the host computing system; and

causing an indicator of the corresponding task to be displayed on the client computing system, such that a user can directly switch between displaying output of the corresponding task and displaying a role desktop.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein at least one of the roles is used to cause several of the executable legacy tasks assigned to the at least one of the roles to be executed on the host computing system;

causing indicators to the output of the executing tasks to be presented on the client computing system; and

providing a mechanism for a user to switch between viewing each of the output of the executing tasks without opening or closing terminal emulator sessions on the client computing system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the causing the indicators to the output of the executing tasks to be presented on the client computing system is performed by causing user interface controls to be presented, wherein the user interface controls are configured to be invoked to shift a task workspace area between the output of the executing tasks.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the plurality of executable tasks from the plurality of tasks of the menu-driven legacy application is performed by a computer application that harvests task data automatically from information regarding the menu-driven legacy application.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the information is information regarding the menu items of the menu-driven legacy application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further modernizing at least one of the executable legacy tasks by enabling the client computing system to supplement the at least one of the executable legacy tasks with access to non-legacy functionality.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the non-legacy functionality is configured to appear as part of the at least one of the executable legacy tasks.

12. A method for modernizing a single legacy application that is menu-driven and having a plurality of tasks that are configured to be separately executed on a host computing system, comprising:

determining from the plurality of tasks of the menu-driven, single legacy application a plurality of executable legacy tasks that are configured to be separately executed on the host computing system;

reorganizing the determined plurality of executable legacy tasks by role by assigning one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks to each of a plurality of roles, each role comprising a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access the legacy application tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the role; and

storing representations of the roles as a configuration data repository in a memory device, such that, when the configuration data repository is downloaded to a client computing system, the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to a role are made directly accessible to a user authorized to access the host computing system by that role without a user invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to assist in modernizing a single legacy application that is menu-driven and having a plurality of tasks that are configured to be separately executed on a host computing system, using a method comprising:

determining from the plurality of tasks of the menu-driven, single legacy application a plurality of executable legacy tasks that are configured to be separately executed on the host computing system;

reorganizing the determined plurality of executable legacy tasks by role by assigning one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks to each of a plurality of roles, each role comprising a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access the legacy application tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the role; and

storing representations of the roles as a configuration data repository in a configuration data storage device, such that, when the configuration data repository is downloaded from the storage device to a client computing system, the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to a stored role are made accessible to one or more users authorized to access the legacy application on the host computing system using the stored role, without invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising content for enabling a computing system to facilitate modernizing a single legacy application that is menu-driven and having a plurality of tasks that are configured to be executed on a host computing system, by performing a method comprising:

determining from the plurality of tasks of the menu-driven, single legacy application a plurality of executable legacy tasks that are configured to be separately executed on the host computing system;

reorganizing the determined plurality of executable legacy tasks by role by assigning one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks to each of a plurality of roles, each role comprising a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access the legacy application tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable tasks assigned to the role;

storing the roles in a configuration data repository, such that when the configuration data repository is downloaded to the client computing system, the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to a role are made accessible to a user authorized to access the host computing system by that role; and

causing the configuration data repository and a role-based interface to be downloaded to the client computing system, wherein at least one of the roles stored in the downloaded configuration data repository is used to directly access one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the at least one of the roles, without invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the one or more of the determined executable legacy tasks are directly invoked without a user invoking menus of the legacy application.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the set of identifiers of the one or more determined executable legacy tasks assigned to the at least one of the roles is caused to be presented on a display of the client computing system using a role desktop metaphor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising further modernizing at least one of the executable legacy tasks by enabling the client computing system to supplement the at least one of the executable legacy tasks with access to non-legacy functionality.

18. A client computing system comprising:

a memory;

a computer processor;

a code module, stored in the memory and executed on the computer processor, configured to;

present a plurality of indicators to separately executable legacy tasks of an existing single legacy application that is menu-driven and executable on a host computing system, the separately executable legacy tasks having been reorganized by role and assigned to a data structure representing the roles, wherein each role comprises a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access one or more separately executable legacy tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more separately executable tasks assigned to the role;

download the data structure representing the roles from a configuration data repository, so that the executable legacy tasks assigned to a role are made accessible to a user authorized to access the host computing system by that role;

receive an indication of an executable legacy task assigned to one of the roles; and

cause the indicated task to be executed on the host computing system, without invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

19. The client computing system of claim 18 wherein the indicated task is executed in a session on the host computing system without opening a session on the client computing system.

20. The client computing system of claim 18 wherein the indicated task is executed in one of a plurality of pooled sessions on the host computing system.

21. The client computing system of claim 18 wherein the data structure representing the roles is downloaded upon a startup procedure of the client computing system triggered by navigation to a URL.

22. The client computing system of claim 18, further comprising:

supplementing at least one of the executable legacy tasks assigned to a role with access to non-legacy functionality.

23. The client computing system of claim 22, wherein the non-legacy functionality is configured to appear as part of the at least one of the executable legacy tasks assigned to the role.

24. A method in a client computing system for accessing separately executable tasks of a single legacy application that is menu-driven, comprising:

presenting a plurality of indicators to separately executable legacy tasks of an existing single legacy application that is menu-driven and executable on a host computing system, the separately executable legacy tasks having been reorganized by role and assigned to a data structure representing the roles, wherein each role comprises a definition of one or more users authorized to use the role to access one or more separately executable legacy tasks and a set of identifiers of the one or more separately executable tasks assigned to the role;

downloading the data structure representing the roles from a configuration data repository, so that the executable legacy tasks assigned to a role are made accessible to a user authorized to access the host computing system by that role;

receiving an indication of an executable legacy task assigned to one of the roles; and

causing the indicated task to be executed on the host computing system, without invoking menus of the menu-driven, single legacy application.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the causing the indicated task to be executed on the host computing system invokes the indicated task without a user invoking menus of the legacy application to access the task.