Object-oriented system and method using shadowing object for approval control

• US 20040002881A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hu, Xiao Wei, Zhu, Qing Jiu
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The present invention describes a technique for using shadowing object for approval control in an object-oriented software environment. The technique calls a business operation and determines whether the business operation needs to be approved. If the business operation needs to be approved, a shadowing business object and a shadowing connector corresponding to the original business object and the connector are created, and the business operation is performed on the shadowing business object and connector, and all results are stored in the shadowing business object, and all messages to be sent are buffered in the connector. If the business operation is approved, the original business object is replaced by the shadowing business object. The technique is flexible, efficient, easy to be modified and supplemented.

Claims

1. A method for using a shadowing object for approval control, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) calling a business operation;

(b) determining whether the business operation needs to be approved;

(c) if the business operation needs to be approved, creating a shadowing business object and a shadowing connector corresponding to an original business object and an original connector, performing the business operation on said shadowing business object and said shadowing connector, storing all results in said shadowing business object, and buffering all messages to be sent in said shadowing connector; and

(d) replacing said original business object by said shadowing business object if said business operation is approved.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step (d) further comprises sending the messages buffered in said shadowing connector.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

(e) if said called business operation includes creation of a new business object, creating a corresponding business object and a corresponding connector, and marking them as shadowing object and connector, the corresponding original business object and connector being null;

(f) if said business operation is a modification, said shadowing business object contains all data contained in said original business object before said business operation is performed; and

(g) if said business operation is a deletion, establish a null object of said original business object in said step (c) as the shadowing business object, said null shadowing business object contains none of the data contained in the original business object.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step (c) further comprises establishing a session object having approval settings so that said shadowing business object, connector and an approval management means communicate each other through said session object.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising, before said step (d), the step of:

(h) reviewing pending sessions, said shadowing business object and original business object, and messages stored in the shadowing connector, to determine either approval or rejection of said business operation.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(i) if said business operation is rejected, archiving all interim data and messages and clearing all marks on the marked business object.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(j) if it is determined in said step (b) that the business operation does not need to be approved, performing the business operation on the original business object and connector.

8. A system which uses a shadowing object for approval control, said system comprising:

business operation means for performing a business operation;

execution management means for managing operation of said business operation means;

a determination unit connected to said execution management means, for determining whether the business operation needs to be approved; and

approval management means for performing approval management, for generating a shadowing business object and a shadowing connector for the business operation corresponding to an original business object and an original connector for storing the results of the business operation if the business operation needs to be approved, and for replacing the original business object by the shadowing business object after approval, to generate approved results.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said business operation means is connected to a plurality of code snippets for performing various business operations.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said code snippets are converted from the business operation by the execution management means;

said execution management means also generates instances of the code snippets, sets up an execution context for the code snippets, calls appropriate functions of the code snippets and manages all of the code snippets; and

in case approval is needed, a session object having approval settings is generated in said approval management means, and said shadowing business object, said shadowing connector and said approval management means communicate with each other through said session object.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein all results of said business operation are stored in said shadowing business object, and all messages to be sent to other systems are stored in said shadowing connector.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

if said business operation involves creation of a new business object, a corresponding business object and connector are created and marked as shadowing object and connector, the original business object and connector being null;

if said business operation is modification, said approval management means creates said shadowing business object for the original business object, the shadowing business object containing all data of said original business object and the modification is performed on said shadowing business object; and

if said business operation involves deletion, said approval management means creates a null object for said original business object as a shadowing business not containing data of the original business object.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said execution management means is connected to approval means for reviewing data contained in said session, the shadowing business object, the corresponding original business object and connector to approve or reject the business operation;

and if the business operation is approved, said approval management means replaces the original business object by the modified shadowing business object, and sends the results to other systems via the connector;

otherwise, said approval management means archives all interim data and messages, and clears all marks on the marked business object.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said approval management means is connected to a conflict detecting unit for detecting simultaneous multiple accesses to the same business object by a plurality of sessions, and performing conflict management with a lock mechanism.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said approval management means is connected to said execution management means through an API interface to create, call, modify, and delete said business object and connector.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said execution management means is connected to said business operation means through an API interface to call code snippets to perform corresponding business operations.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising base classes for said code snippets.

18. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the approval of said approval means is one of manual approval and approval by application program.