Unwired enterprise platform

• US 20090037430A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lee, Andrew, Ho, Michael M., Nigam, Samir, Seitz, Rudi, Coschi, Geno, Ireland, Evan, Clegg, David, Mukkamala, Himagiri, Chowdhuri, Sudipto Rai, Leckie, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for inherently integrating mobility with an enterprise are described herein. Enterprise data is accessed from one or more data sources data sources, wherein such data sources may comprise structured and unstructured data sources. The data is transferred from the enterprise to a plurality of mobile devices over a plurality of diverse networks. In an embodiment, such transfer takes into consideration characteristics of the diverse networks. The enterprise receives data generated by mobile devices while performing enterprise-related operations at the wireless edge. The enterprise responds to environmental changes using the received data.

Claims

1. A method of inherently integrating mobility with an enterprise, comprising:

accessing enterprise data from at least one of data sources, enterprise applications and business processes;

transferring said data to a plurality of mobile devices over a plurality of diverse networks, wherein said transferring step takes into consideration characteristics of said diverse networks;

receiving from said mobile devices data generated by said mobile devices while performing enterprise-related operations at a wireless edge; and

responding to environmental changes using said received data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data sources comprise structured and unstructured data sources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring and receiving steps comprise:

synchronizing said enterprise and said mobile devices according to a background policy-based data synchronization process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said background policy-based data synchronization process comprises a plurality of policies that define how background synchronization takes place, wherein said policies comprise at least one of a scheduled policy, an automatic policy, an on-demand policy, and a custom policy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring and receiving steps comprise synchronizing a local database with an consolidated database, said synchronization step comprising the following steps which are performed by a mobile device:

defining a service operation, wherein the, service operation comprises a transaction;

processing the transaction on the local database;

capturing operation calls performed by the transaction; and

capturing change sets of the transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a data subscription to a consolidated database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said data subscription creating step comprises the following steps which are performed by a mobile device:

creating a meta-data definition of a table, the table located within the remote database;

marking a query to be performed on the table, within the definition, as persistent; and

generating a persistent query entity based on the definition, wherein the persistent query entity is mapped to a persistent query table in a local database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a persistent query, wherein a table in a consolidated database is represented by a meta-data definition, said persistent query creating step comprising the following steps which are performed by a mobile device:

identifying, in the definition, a query to be performed on the table, wherein the query has been marked as a subscribed query;

defining a persistent query entity for the subscribed query;

mapping the persistent query entity to a persistent query table; and

generating query code, the query code operable to perform the query on a local database.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

context-based data pre-fetching and notification for mobile applications.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said context-based data pre-fetching and notification step comprises:

creating a context model;

updating context variables within the context model that can be used by a mobile application;

determining a set of data for the mobile application that will leverage context variables from the context model;

maintaining inference engines used by data selection functions to arrive at a likely set of data needed by the mobile application;

maintaining the context model;

subscribing to changes in context variables for mobile user/device combinations; and

executing data selection functions to calculate a data set for the mobile application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

provisioning applications to mobile devices wherein said provisioning integrates application, device and enterprise security.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling integration of meta-data between development and deployment layers for platform requirements.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to inherently integrate mobility with an enterprise, the computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling a processor to access enterprise data from at least one of data sources, enterprise applications and business processes;

means for enabling a processor to transfer said data to a plurality of mobile devices over a plurality of diverse networks while taking into consideration characteristics of said diverse networks;

means for enabling a processor to receive from said mobile devices data generated by said mobile devices while performing enterprise-related operations at a wireless edge; and

means for enabling a processor to respond to environmental changes using said received data.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said data sources comprise structured and unstructured data sources.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said transfer and receive means comprise:

means for enabling a processor to synchronize said enterprise and said mobile devices according to a background policy-based data synchronization process.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said background policy-based data synchronization process comprises a plurality of policies that define how background synchronization takes place, wherein said policies comprise at least one of a scheduled policy, an automatic policy, an on-demand policy, and a custom policy.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said transfer and receive means comprise:

means for enabling a processor to synchronize a local database with an consolidated database, comprising;

means for enabling a processor to define a service operation, wherein the service operation comprises a transaction;

means for enabling a processor to process the transaction on the local database;

means for enabling a processor to capture operation calls performed by the transaction; and

means for enabling a processor to capture change sets of the transaction.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to create a data subscription to a consolidated database.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said data subscription creating means comprises:

means for enabling a processor to create a meta-data definition of a table, the table located within the remote database;

means for enabling a processor to mark a query to be performed on the table, within the definition, as persistent; and

means for enabling a processor to generate a persistent query entity based on the definition, wherein the persistent query entity is mapped to a persistent query table in a local database.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to create a persistent query, wherein a table in a consolidated database is represented by a meta-data definition, comprising;

means for enabling a processor to identify, in the definition, a query to be performed on the table, wherein the query has;

been marked as a subscribed query;

means for enabling a processor to define a persistent query entity for the subscribed query;

means for enabling a processor to map the persistent query entity to a persistent query table; and

means for enabling a processor to generate query code, the query code operable to perform the query on a local database.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to perform context-based data pre-fetching and notification for mobile applications.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said context-based data pre-fetching and notification means comprises:

means for enabling a processor to create a context model;

means for enabling a processor to update context variables within the context model that can be used by a mobile application;

means for enabling a processor to determine a set of data for the mobile application that will leverage context variables from the context model;

means for enabling a processor to maintain inference engines used by data selection functions to arrive at a likely set of data needed by the mobile application;

means for enabling a processor to maintain the context model;

means for enabling a processor to subscribe to changes in context variables for mobile user/device combinations; and

means for enabling a processor to execute data selection functions to calculate a data set for the mobile application.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to provision applications to mobile devices wherein said provisioning integrates application, device and enterprise security.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to integrate meta-data between development and deployment layers for platform requirements.

25. A system of inherently integrating mobility with an enterprise, comprising:

means for accessing enterprise data from at least one of data sources, enterprise applications and business processes;

means for transferring said data to a plurality of mobile devices over a plurality of diverse networks, wherein said transferring step takes into consideration characteristics of said diverse networks;

means for receiving from said mobile devices data generated by said mobile devices while performing enterprise-related operations at a wireless edge; and

means for responding to environmental changes using said received data.

26. An unwired enterprise platform (UEP), comprising:

a plurality of data sources;

a mobile services layer;

a data services layer coupling said data sources to said mobile services layer; and

a device services layer at least partially resident in mobile devices and coupling said mobile devices to said mobile services layer.