Non-intrusive, semantics-driven impact analysis for business applications

• US 9,922,136 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhattacharyya, Anamitra, Dantam, Krishnamohan, Sriramadhesikan, Sampathkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Grace
• Application Number:
  US14/219,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities

Abstract

Impact analysis for business applications can include receiving an event for a business application system, wherein the event specifies a change to an artifact of the business application system, and determining a node of a directed graph to which the event applies as a source node. The directed graph represents the business application system. The directed graph is formed by a plurality of nodes joined by links, wherein each node represents an artifact of the business application system and each link specifies semantic data indicating a dependency between the nodes joined by the link. Impact analysis further includes determining, using a processor, artifact assessment data for a first node connected to the source node through a first link, wherein the artifact assessment data includes a type of an effect of the event upon the first node and a context for the effect.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving an event for a business application system, wherein the event specifies a patch, upgrade or change to metadata of an artifact of the business application system;

determining a node of a directed graph to which the event applies as a source node;

wherein the directed graph represents the business application system, the directed graph is formed by a plurality of nodes joined by links, each node represents an artifact of the business application system, and each link specifies semantic data indicating a dependency between the nodes joined by the link;

traversing the directed graph by following a first link from the source node to a first node connected to the source node through the first link and, from the semantic data specified by the first link, identifying at least one data item obtained by the first node from the source node;

identifying the artifact represented by the source node that has changed in consequence of the event; and

determining artifact assessment data for the first node connected to the source node through the first link, determining the artifact assessment data comprising determining whether the at least one data item obtained by the first node from the source node is affected by a change to the first artifact resulting from the event, wherein the artifact assessment data indicates a type of an effect of the event upon the first node and indicates a context for the effect.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

first generating the directed graph.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:

selecting a second node connected to the first node through a second link; and

assigning the context of the first node to the second node through inheritance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining artifact assessment data for the first node comprises:

selecting the context from a plurality of predetermined contexts comprising deployment, runtime, and customization.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the event further specifies a change to metadata of a business application that is metadata driven and part of the business application system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the artifact assessment data for the first node is performed prior to the patch, upgrade or change being applied to the metadata of the artifact.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the type of effect of the event upon the first node indicated by the artifact assessment data is a respective artifact represented by the first node is broken or requires regression testing as an effect of the event upon the respective artifact represented by the first node.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, using the processor, an event for a business application system, wherein the event specifies a patch, upgrade or change to metadata of an artifact of the business application system;

determining, using the processor, a node of a directed graph to which the event applies as a source node;

wherein the directed graph represents the business application system, the directed graph is formed by a plurality of nodes joined by links, each node represents an artifact of the business application system, and each link specifies semantic data indicating a dependency between the nodes joined by the link;

traversing, using the processor, the directed graph by following a first link from the source node to a first node connected to the source node through the first link and, from the semantic data specified by the first link, identifying at least one data item obtained by the first node from the source node;

identifying, using the processor, the artifact represented by the source node that has changed in consequence of the event; and

determining, using the processor, artifact assessment data for the first node connected to the source node through the first link, determining the artifact assessment data comprising determining whether the at least one data item obtained by the first node from the source node is affected by a change to the first artifact resulting from the event, wherein the artifact assessment data indicates a type of an effect of the event upon the first node and indicates a context for the effect.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

first generating the directed graph.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a second node connected to the first node through a second link; and

assigning the context of the first node to the second node through inheritance.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein determining artifact assessment data for the first node comprises:

selecting the context from a plurality of predetermined contexts comprising deployment, runtime, and customization.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the event further specifies a change to metadata of a business application that is metadata driven and part of the business application system.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein determining the artifact assessment data for the first node is performed prior to the patch, upgrade or change being applied to the metadata of the artifact.