Coupling of a business component model to an information technology model

• US 20060129419A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hampshire, Robert C., Rackham, Guy Jonathan James, Greenstein, Paul Gregory, Vergo, John George, Nigam, Anil, Flaxer, David Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 11,477,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method for managing a business. At least one relationship is determined between N business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_N) and respective N costs (C₁, C₂, . . . , C_N) and respective N values (V₁, V₂, . . . , V_N) pertaining to the N business components. The N business components are a subset of M business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_M) of a Component Based Model (CBM) of the M business components subject to M≧2 and N≦M. Determining the at least one relationship includes relating business components of the CBM with an Information Technology (IT) model of an IT system. The IT model includes abstract IT structures, virtual IT structures, real IT structures, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method for managing a business, said method comprising:

determining at least one relationship between N business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_N) and respective N costs (C₁, C₂, . . . , C_N) and respective N values (V₁, V₂, . . . , V_N) pertaining to the N business components;

said N business components being a subset of M business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_M) of a Component Based Model (CBM) of the M business components subject to M≧

2 and N≦

M;

said determining at least one relationship comprising relating business components of the CBM with an Information Technology (IT) model of an IT system, said IT model comprising IT structures selected from the group consisting of abstract IT structures, virtual IT structures, real IT structures, and combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at a specified time or at specified K sequentially ordered times (T₁, T₂, . . . , T_K) subject to K≧

2.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said relating comprises generating a list of IT structures supporting the N business components, generating a list of business components supported by IT structures in the list of IT structures, and determining the N values at the specified time or at the specified K sequentially ordered times including identifying the value of each business component of the N business components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining selected business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N), and further satisfying a condition at the specified time, wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of first condition, a second condition, and a third condition, wherein the first condition is C_i>

|R_MIN*V_i|, wherein the second condition is C_i<

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein the third condition is |R_MIN*V_i|<

C_i≦

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN<

R_MAX.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the condition consists of the first condition, and wherein R_MIN=1.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the condition consists of the second condition.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the condition consists of the third condition.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified K sequentially ordered times.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining those business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N) for which C_i/V_i increases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining those business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N) for which C_i/V_i decreases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining those business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N) for which C_i and V_i satisfy |R_MIN*V_i|≦

C_i≦

R_MAX*V_i| at each time of the K sequentially ordered times, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN≦

R_MAX.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein M<

N.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein M=N.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the determined at least one relationship in at least one defined IT structure of the IT system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying the determined at least one relationship.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of the M and another business component B and the method comprises deleting B from the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said deleting B from the CBM, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises generating a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

generating a list L₂ of business components supported by X;

deleting B from the list L₂, and

if L₂ is empty after deleting B from L₂ then sunsetting X else;

obtaining a list L₃ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution values of X required by B,

removing from the list L₃ any functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X which are unique to B relative to the business components in the list of business components, and

if any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X has changed as a result of said removing then transforming X, wherein said transforming X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting said changed any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said transforming X further comprises delivery binding X resulting in a real IT structure instance of X.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of M−

1 business components of the M business components and the method comprises adding a business component B to the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said adding B to the CBM, wherein said adding B to the CBM results in the CBM consisting of the M business components, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises;

obtaining IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

creating an abstract IT structure A having the IT functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

transforming A, wherein said transforming A comprises translating A into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

if no developmental effort is required to adequately support R then adding X to a list of IT structures supporting B and adding B to a list business components supported by X; and

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said transforming A further comprises delivery binding A resulting in a real IT structure instance of A.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to a change in IT functional or operational characteristics or resolution values required by a business component B of the M business components, the method further comprises changing the IT system, wherein said changing the IT system comprises performing the first generating means to generate a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

obtaining a list L₂ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution values of X required by B;

transforming X, wherein said transforming X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X;

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said transforming X further comprises delivery binding X resulting in a real IT structure instance of X.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm adapted to implement a method for managing a business, said method comprising:

determining at least one relationship between N business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_N) and respective N costs (C₁, C₂, . . . , C_N) and respective N values (V₁, V₂, . . . , V_N) pertaining to the N business components;

said N business components being a subset of M business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_M) of a Component Based Model (CBM) of the M business components subject to M≧

2 and N≦

M;

said determining at least one relationship comprising relating business components of the CBM with an Information Technology (IT) model of an IT system, said IT model comprising IT structures selected from the group consisting of abstract IT structures, virtual IT structures, real IT structures, and combinations thereof.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at a specified time or at specified K sequentially ordered times (T₁, T₂, . . . , T_K) subject to K≧

2.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said relating comprises generating a list of IT structures supporting the N business components, generating a list of business components supported by IT structures in the list of IT structures, and determining the N values at the specified time or at the specified K sequentially ordered times including identifying the value of each business component of the N business components.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises:

determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified time; and

determining selected business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N), and further satisfying a condition at the specified time, wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of first condition, a second condition, and a third condition, wherein the first condition is C_i>

|R_MIN*V_i|, wherein the second condition is C_i<

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein the third condition is |R_MIN*V_i|<

C_i≦

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN<

R_MAX.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, Wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified K sequentially ordered times and determining those business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N) for which:

C_i/V_i increases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1;

or

C_i/V_i decreases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1;

or

C_i and V_i satisfy |R_MIN*V_i|≦

C_i≦

|R_MAX*V_i| at each time of the K sequentially ordered times, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN≦

R_MAX.

28. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

storing the determined at least one relationship in at least one defined IT structure of the IT system; and

displaying the determined at least one relationship.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of the M and another business component B and the method comprises deleting B from the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said deleting B from the CBM, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises generating a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

generating a list L₂ of business components supported by X;

deleting B from the list L₂, and

if L₂ is empty after deleting B from L₂ then sunsetting X else;

obtaining a list L₃ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution A values of X required by B,

removing from the list L₃ any functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X which are unique to B relative to the business components in the list of business components, and

if any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X has changed as a result of said removing then translating X or both translating X and delivery binding X, wherein said translating X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting said changed any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X, and wherein said delivery binding X results in a real IT structure instance of X.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of M-1 business components of the M business components and the method comprises adding a business component B to the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said adding B to the CBM, wherein said adding B to the CBM results in the CBM consisting of the M business components, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises:

obtaining IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

creating an abstract IT structure A having the IT functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

transforming A, wherein said transforming A comprises translating A or both translating A and delivery binding A, wherein said translating A comprises translating A into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B, wherein said delivery binding A results in a real IT structure instance of A;

if no developmental effort is required to adequately support R then adding X to a list of IT structures supporting B and adding B to a list business components supported by X; and

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.

31. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein responsive to a change in IT functional or operational characteristics or resolution values required by a business component B of the M business components, the method further comprises changing the IT system, wherein said changing the IT system comprises performing the first generating means to generate a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

obtaining a list L₂ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution values of X required by B;

translating X or both translating X and delivery binding X, wherein said translating X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X, and wherein said delivery binding X results in a real IT structure instance of X;

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.

32. A process for deploying computing infrastructure, said process comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method for managing a business, said method comprising:

determining at least one relationship between N business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_N) and respective N costs (C₁, C₂, . . . , C_N) and respective N values (V₁, V₂, . . . , V_N) pertaining to the N business components;

said N business components being a subset of M business components (B₁, B₂, . . . , B_M) of a Component Based Model (CBM) of the M business components subject to M≧

2 and N≦

M;

said determining at least one relationship comprising relating business components of the CBM with an Information Technology (IT) model of an IT system, said IT model comprising IT structures selected from the group consisting of abstract IT structures, virtual IT structures, real IT structures, and combinations thereof.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at a specified time or at specified K sequentially ordered times (T₁, T₂, . . . , T_K) subject to K≧

2.

34. The process of claim 33, wherein said relating comprises generating a list of IT structures supporting the N business components, generating a list of business components supported by IT structures in the list of IT structures, and determining the N values at the specified time or at the specified K sequentially ordered times including identifying the value of each business component of the N business components.

35. The process of claim 34, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises:

determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified time; and

determining selected business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N), and further satisfying a condition at the specified time, wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of first condition, a second condition, and a third condition, wherein the first condition is C_i>

|R_MIN*V_i|, wherein the second condition is C_i<

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein the third condition is |R_MIN*V_i<

C_i≦

|R_MAX*V_i|, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN<

R_MAX.

36. The process of claim 34, wherein said determining at least one relationship comprises determining the N costs and the N values existing at the specified K sequentially ordered times and determining those business components B_i of the N business components (i being selected from 1, 2, . . . , N) for which:

C_i/V_i increases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1;

or

C_i/V_i decreases from T_k to T_k+1 for k=1, 2, . . . , K−

1;

or

C_i and V_i satisfy |R_MIN*V_i|≦

C_i≦

|R_MAX*V_i| at each time of the K sequentially ordered times, and wherein R_MIN and R_MAX are specified positive real numbers subject to R_MIN≦

R_MAX.

37. The process of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

storing the determined at least one relationship in at least one defined IT structure of the IT system; and

displaying the determined at least one relationship.

38. The process of claim 32, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of the M and another business component B and the method comprises deleting B from the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said deleting B from the CBM, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises generating a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

generating a list L₂ of business components supported by X;

deleting B from the list L₂, and

if L₂ is empty after deleting B from L₂ then sunsetting X else;

obtaining a list L₃ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution values of X required by B,

removing from the list L₃ any functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X which are unique to B relative to the business components in the list of business components, and

if any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X has changed as a result of said removing then translating X or both translating X and delivery binding X, wherein said translating X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting said changed any functional or operational characteristic or resolution value of X, and wherein said delivery binding X results in a real IT structure instance of X.

39. The process of claim 32, wherein prior to said determining the at least one relationship, the CBM consists of M−

1 business components of the M business components and the method comprises adding a business component B to the CBM and changing the IT system to reflect said adding B to the CBM, wherein said adding B to the CBM results in the CBM consisting of the M business components, and wherein said changing the IT system comprises;

obtaining IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

creating an abstract IT structure A having the IT functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B;

transforming A, wherein said transforming A comprises translating A or both translating A and delivery binding A, wherein said translating A comprises translating A into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the IT structure functional and operational characteristics and resolution values required by B, wherein said delivery binding A results in a real IT structure instance of A;

if no developmental effort is required to adequately support R then adding X to a list of IT structures supporting B and adding B to a list business components supported by X; and

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.

40. The process of claim 32, wherein responsive to a change in IT functional or operational characteristics or resolution values required by a business component B of the M business components, the method further comprises changing the IT system, wherein said changing the IT system comprises performing the first generating means to generate a list L₁ of IT structures supporting B and for each IT structure X in the list L₁:

obtaining a list L₂ of functional and operational characteristics and resolution values of X required by B;

translating X or both translating X and delivery binding X, wherein said translating X comprises translating X into an instance that embodies IT structures supporting the functional or operational characteristics or resolution values of X, and wherein said delivery binding X results in a real IT structure instance of X;

if developmental effort is required to support R then determining a cost and duration of the developmental effort.