Exception handling framework

• US 7,860,768 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Herter, Klaus, Staeck, Jens, Sievers-Tostes, Henrique, Siefke, Wolfram
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basit; Abdul
• Application Number:
  US11/287,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and techniques for implementing an exception handling framework are described. An exception register is configured to store multiple error messages and rules comprising instructions for responding to the error messages. An exception handler in communication with first and second process components is configured to: detect an error message generated by at least one of the first and second process components; determine that the error message is stored in the exception register; and respond according to a rule corresponding to the error message. The rule uses information pertaining to a business scenario being implemented in conjunction with the first and second process components, and the business scenario is at least partially unavailable to at least one of the first and second process components.

Claims

1. A system to implement an exception handling framework, the system comprising:

an exception register configured to store multiple error messages and rules comprising instructions for responding to the error messages; and

an exception handler, at a business process layer, in communication with first and second process components, the business process layer including a collection of different rules governing interaction between business processes performed by the first and second process components in context of a business scenario, wherein the exception handler is configured to;

detect an error message generated by at least one of the first and second process components;

determine that the error message is stored in the exception register; and

respond according to a rule corresponding to the error message, wherein the rule uses information pertaining to the business scenario being implemented in conjunction with the first and second process components, the business scenario being at least partially unavailable to at least one of the first and second process components.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pattern recognition engine configured to:

identify, over a predetermined time period, occurrences of error messages fitting a pattern, wherein the error messages are generated by the first and second process components;

present a report showing the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern; and

determine a rule for responding to future occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the report comprises information describing at least one of:

a component that generated one of the error messages within the pattern, a reaction to the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern, and preconditions leading to the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises instructions that cause the exception handler to:

determine a severity of an error indicated by the error message in context to the business scenario.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises instructions that cause the exception handler to:

determine that an error is less severe than indicated by the error message;

suppress the error message; and

allow a process that was running during the occurrence of the error message to continue running.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises instructions that cause the exception handler to:

suppress one or more error messages within a pattern detected by the exception handler.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second process components belong to a service-oriented architecture.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the exception handler, and the first and second process components are distributed across different system components.

9. A computer-implemented method for implementing an exception handling framework, the method comprising:

storing, in an exception register, multiple error messages and rules comprising instructions for responding to the error messages, the exception register being stored in a memory device;

detecting, at a business process layer, an error message generated by at least one of first and second process components, the business process layer including a collection of different rules governing interaction between business processes performed by the first and second process components in context of a business scenario;

determining that the error message is stored in the exception register; and

responding according to a rule corresponding to the error message, wherein the rule uses information pertaining to the business scenario being implemented in conjunction with the first and second process components, the business scenario being at least partially unavailable to at least one of the first and second process components.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying, over a predetermined time period, occurrences of error messages fitting a pattern, wherein the error messages are generated by the first and second process components;

presenting a report showing the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern; and

determining a rule for responding to future occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein presenting a report further comprises displaying information describing at least one of:

a component that generated one of the error messages within the pattern, a reaction to the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern, and preconditions leading to the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein responding according to a rule comprises determine a severity of an error indicated by the error message in context to the business scenario.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein responding according to a rule comprises:

determining that an error is less severe than indicated by the error message;

suppressing the error message; and

allowing a process that was running during the occurrence of the error message to continue running.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein responding according to a rule comprises suppressing one or more error messages within a detected pattern.

15. A computer program product for implementing an exception handling framework, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

store, in an exception register, multiple error messages and rules comprising instructions for responding to the error messages;

detect, at a business process layer, an error message generated by at least one of first and second process components, the business process layer including a collection of different rules governing interaction between business processes performed by the first and second process components in context of a business scenario;

determine that the error message is stored in the exception register; and

respond according to a rule corresponding to the error message, wherein the rule uses information pertaining to the business scenario being implemented in conjunction with the first and second process components, the business scenario being at least partially unavailable to at least one of the first and second process components.

16. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to:

identify, over a predetermined time period, occurrences of error messages fitting ill a pattern, wherein the error messages are generated by the first and second process components;

present a report showing the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern; and

determine a rule for responding to future occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern.

17. The product of claim 16, further comprising instructions to display information describing at least one of:

a component that generated one of the error messages within the pattern, a reaction to the occurrences of the error messages fitting the pattern, and preconditions leading to the occurrences of error messages fitting the pattern.

18. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to determine a severity of an error indicated by the error message in context to the business scenario.

19. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to:

determine that an error is less severe than indicated by the error message;

suppress the error message; and

allow a process that was running during the occurrence of the error message to continue running.

20. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to suppress one or more error messages within a pattern detected by the exception handler.