System for modifying software using reusable software components

• US 7,631,299 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Kannenberg, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): TECKLU, ISAAC TUKU
• Application Number:
  US10/337,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system, method for modifying insurance transaction processing software are provided. A library of code packets may be stored in a database. One or more code packets may implement at least one business requirement of an insurance organization. If the organization changes one of the business requirements or develops a new business requirement, a user may modify an insurance transaction processing program to reflect the change via a rules engine. The rules engine may be operable to generate program code assembly instructions based on user input. The assembly instructions may be used by a code assembler to form program code for an insurance transaction processing program software module. The insurance transaction processing program may be changed by adding a formed software module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one computer system;

at least one memory coupled to at least one computer system;

a plurality of code packets in at least one memory;

at least one rules engine in at least one memory, wherein at least one rules engine is executable to generate assembly instructions for at least one software module; and

at least one code assembler, wherein at least one code assembler is configured to assemble two or more code packets according to assembly instructions to form at least one software module, wherein the at least one software module and one or more other software modules form an insurance transaction processing program that implements one or more business rules, wherein the assembly instructions comprise references to placements with the at least one software module for two or more code packets and wherein assembling two or more code packets according to the assembly instructions comprises sorting portions of two or more packets into a desired placement order;

wherein the plurality of code packets comprises two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets, wherein each of at least two of the product-specific navigation program control code packets corresponds to and identifies a particular insurance product,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to;

access at least one product code or product program id associated with an insurance product;

determine, using at least one product code or product program id, at least one product-specific navigation program control code packet to call from among the two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets; and

generate, using the at least one determined product-specific navigation program control code packet, a navigation software module configured to link at least one unchanged portion of the insurance transaction processing program to the at least one software module, and wherein the navigation software module directs other software modules to the formed at least one software module,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to segment the insurance transaction processing program into a static portion and a plurality of dynamic code packets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one code packet comprises at least one business rule specification.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one code packet comprises a code template.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one code packet comprises at least one technical specification.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one test application, wherein at least one test application is operable generate assembly instructions for at least one software module based on test assembly instructions used to assemble one or more test software modules.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product-specific navigation program control code packet further identifies a product line and a coverage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to arrange at least two control packets into a hierarchy, wherein the at least one program control packet comprises instructions to copy code packets from the hierarchy.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to:

provide one or more assembly variables in the insurance transaction processing program, wherein the one or more assembly variables provide locations to plug dynamic code packets generated by a rules engine into the static portion,

wherein the static portion comprises traditional business logic, wherein the dynamic code packets implement one or more business rules.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of dynamic code packets varies from region-to-region or varies from product line-to-product line.

10. A system comprising:

at least one computer system;

at least one memory coupled to at least one computer system;

a plurality of code packets, wherein at least one code packets is configured to implement at least one business requirement of an insurance organization;

a rules engine in at least one memory, wherein the rules engine comprises program instructions which are executable to implement a method comprising;

configuring at least one code packet; and

forming software module assembly instructions for a software module for an insurance transaction processing program that includes functionality of at least one configured code packet, wherein the software module and one or more other software modules form an insurance transaction processing program that implements one or more business rules, wherein the assembly instructions comprise references to placements with the software module for two or more code packets and wherein assembling two or more code packets according to the assembly instructions comprises sorting portions of two or more packets into a desired placement order;

wherein the plurality of code packets comprises two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets, wherein each of at least two of the product-specific navigation program control code packets corresponds to and identifies a particular insurance product,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to;

access at least one product code or product program id associated with an insurance product;

determine, using at least one product code or product program id, at least one product-specific navigation program control code packet to call from among the two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets; and

generate, using the at least one determined product-specific navigation program control code packet, a navigation software module configured to link at least one unchanged portion of the insurance transaction processing program to the software module, and wherein the navigation software module directs other software modules to the formed software module,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to segment the insurance transaction processing program into a static portion and a plurality of dynamic code packets.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one data table, wherein the rules engine is configured access to information in at least one data table to form the software module assembly instructions.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the rules engine is further executable to receive input from and to configure at least one code packet based on the received input.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one code packet comprises a business rule specification.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one code packet comprises a code template.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one code packet comprises a technical specification.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the rules engine is further executable to provide a graphical interface, wherein the graphical interface is configured to display at least a portion of at least one business rule, wherein at least one business rule corresponds to at least one code packet.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the rules engine is further executable to validate the configuration of a code packet.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the rules engine is further executable select one or more code packet for inclusion in a software module from the plurality of code packets.

19. A computer readable physical storage medium comprising

program instructions for at least one rules engine, wherein at least one rules engine is computer-executable to generate assembly instructions for at least one software module;

program instructions for at least one code assembler, wherein at least code assembler is computer executable to assemble two or more code packets according to assembly instructions to form at least one software module, wherein the at least one software module and one or more other software modules form an insurance transaction processing program that implements one or more business rules, wherein the assembly instructions comprise references to placements with the at least one software module for two or more code packets and wherein assembling two

or more code packets according to the assembly instructions comprises sorting portions of two or more packets into a desired placement order;

program instructions computer-executable to;

access two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets, wherein each of at least two of the product-specific navigation program control code packets corresponds to and identifies a particular insurance product;

access at least one product code or product program id associated with an insurance product;

determine, using at least one product code or product program id, at least one product-specific navigation program control code packet to call from among the two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets; and

generate, using the at least one determined product-specific navigation program control code packet, a navigation software module configured to link at least one unchanged portion of the insurance transaction processing program to the at least one software module, and wherein the navigation software module directs other software modules to the formed at least one software module, and

program instructions executable to segment the insurance transaction processing program into a static portion and a plurality of dynamic code packets.

20. A system comprising:

at least one computer system;

at least one memory coupled to at least one computer system;

a plurality of code packets in at least one memory;

at least one rules engine in at least one memory, wherein at least one rules engine is executable to generate assembly instructions for at least one software module; and

at least one code assembler, wherein at least one code assembler is configured to assemble two or more code packets according to assembly instructions to form at least one software module, wherein the at least one software module and one or more other software modules form an insurance transaction processing program that implements one or more business rules, wherein the assembly instructions comprise references to placements with the at least one software module for two or more code packets and wherein assembling two or more code packets according to the assembly instructions comprises sorting portions of two or more packets into a desired placement order;

wherein the plurality of code packets comprises two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets, wherein each of at least two of the product-specific navigation program control code packets corresponds to and identifies a particular insurance product,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to;

access at least one product code or product program id associated with an insurance product;

determine, using at least one product code or product program id, at least one product-specific navigation program control code packet to call from among the two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets; and

generate, using the at least one determined product-specific navigation program control code packet, a navigation software module configured to link at least one unchanged portion of the insurance transaction processing program to the at least one software module, and wherein the navigation software module directs other software modules to the formed at least one software module,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to segment the insurance transaction processing program into a static portion and a plurality of dynamic code packets,

wherein the at least one memory further comprises program instructions configured to access a generation level of a model used by an insurance product, wherein the contents of at least one of the product-specific navigation program control code packets depends on the generation level of the model for the insurance product associated with the product-specific navigation program control code packet.

21. A system comprising:

at least one computer system;

at least one memory coupled to at least one computer system;

a plurality of code packets in at least one memory;

at least one rules engine in at least one memory, wherein at least one rules engine is executable to generate assembly instructions for at least one software module; and

at least one code assembler, wherein at least one code assembler is configured to assemble two or more code packets according to assembly instructions to form at least one software module, wherein the at least one software module and one or more other software modules form an insurance transaction processing program that implements one or more business rules, wherein the assembly instructions comprise references to placements with the at least one software module for two or more code packets and wherein assembling two or more code packets according to the assembly instructions comprises sorting portions of two or more packets into a desired placement order;

wherein the plurality of code packets comprises two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets, wherein each of at least two of the product-specific navigation program control code packets corresponds to and identifies a particular insurance product,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to;

access at least one product code or product program id associated with an insurance product;

determine, using at least one product code or product program id, at least one product-specific navigation program control code packet to call from among the two or more product-specific navigation program control code packets; and

generate, using the at least one determined product-specific navigation program control code packet, a navigation software module configured to link at least one unchanged portion of the insurance transaction processing program to the at least one software module, and wherein the navigation software module directs other software modules to the formed at least one software module,

wherein the at least one memory further comprises program instructions executable to;

generate one or more specifications code packets, wherein at least one of the specifications code packet comprises software module assembly instructions and references to two or more code packets, wherein at least one of the one or more specifications code packets comprises at least one environment/configuration code packet and at least one program control code packet,

wherein the at least one memory comprises program instructions executable to segment the insurance transaction processing program into a static portion and a plurality of dynamic code packets.