Software model deployment units

• US 20070156430A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Moosmann, Gerd, Kaetker, Stefan, Freund, Jens, Latocha, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for forming deployment units. Groups of process components, each group characterizing software that is independently operable, are identified. Thereafter, a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit associated with at least one identified group of process components are formed. Each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit. In addition, each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct business process, and each of the process components defines at least one respective service interface for interacting with other process components, wherein all communication and interaction between process components takes place through the respective interfaces of the process components.

Claims

1. A method of grouping process components, the method comprising:

identifying groups of process components, each group characterizing software that is independently operable; and

defining a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit associated with at least one identified group of process components, wherein each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit;

wherein each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct business process, and each of the process components defines at least one respective service interface for interacting with other process components, wherein all communication and interaction between process components takes place through the respective interfaces of the process components;

wherein all communications between deployments units are message based.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

defining, for each process component, at least one associated business object.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the deployment units comprises at least one business object that is not associated with a process component.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein none of the business objects of any one of the process components interacts directly with any of the business objects associated with any of the other process components.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the process components characterize inbound operations to handle incoming messages associated with a modification of reading of data encapsulated in a business object associated with the process component.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the process components characterize outbound operations to handle outgoing messages associated with a modification or reading of data encapsulated in at least one business object associated with another process component.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the defining a plurality of process components comprises:

generating, for each process component, at least one process agent, each process agent enabling communications between a business object associated with the process component and a business object associated with any other process component.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least one of the process agents is an inbound process agent characterizing an inbound operation to handle incoming messages.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least one of the inbound process agents is operable to receive a message of a first type and convert it into a message of a second type.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein at least one of the process agents is an outbound process agent characterizing an outbound operation to transmit outgoing messages to an external process component.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least two of the process agents within a single deployment unit communicate without a service operation.

12. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

logically associating a plurality of process components to realize a business scenario.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of integration scenarios, each integration scenario comprising a plurality of logically associated process components to realize a business scenario; and

populating a catalog with the generated integration scenarios.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

polling a data repository to obtain stored data characterizing the plurality of deployment units.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of communications between process components within a deployment unit is not message based.

16. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least two of the deployment units are deployed on separate hardware platforms.

17. A method of grouping process components, the method comprising:

defining respective and distinct series of processes;

assembling process components to characterize software effecting each of the series of processes; and

defining a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit associated with at least one of the series of the processes, wherein each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit;

wherein each of the process components defines at least one respective service interface for interacting with other process components, wherein all communication and interaction between process components takes place through the respective interfaces of the process components.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein at least two of the deployment units are deployed on separate hardware platforms.

19. A method of grouping process components, the method comprising:

identifying groups of process components, each group characterizing software deployable on separate physical computer hardware platforms; and

defining a plurality of deployment units, each deployment unit associated with at least one identified group of process components, wherein each process component is entirely included in exactly one deployment unit;

wherein each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct process, and each of the process components defines a respective at least one service interface for communicating and interacting with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components takes place through the respective interfaces of the process components;

wherein all communications between process components associated with different deployment units are message based.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein at least two of the deployment units are deployed on separate hardware platforms.