Methods, apparatus, systems and computer readable mediums for use in sharing information between entities

• US 8,918,447 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Frick, Oliver Stefan, Sudhalkar, Atul M., O'Carroll, Luan, Thierer, Jochen F., Garrish, Theodore John Jr., Mulchandani, Priti
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US12/965,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2474 Sequence data queries, e.g. querying versioned data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In one aspect, a method comprises: receiving, by a first processing system, information indicating that a second processing system has content that is to be provided to the first processing system; receiving, by the first processing system, content and at least one identifier from the second processing system; determining, by the first processing system and based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content is another version of content previously received by the first processing system; receiving, by the first processing system, information indicating that a third processing system is to receive content from the first processing system; and transmitting, by the first processing system, the content, at least one identifier and version information to the third processing system, wherein the version information indicates whether the transmitted content is another version of content that has been previously transmitted by the first processing system to the third processing system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first processing system, information indicating that a second processing system has content that is to be provided to the first processing system;

receiving, by the first processing system, content and at least one identifier from the second processing system;

determining, by the first processing system and based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

receiving, by the first processing system, information indicating that a third processing system is to receive content from the first processing system; and

transmitting, by the first processing system, the content to be received from the first processing system, at least one identifier and version information to the third processing system, wherein the version information indicates whether the transmitted content is another version of content that has been previously transmitted by the first processing system to the third processing system;

wherein the determining, by the first processing system and based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system comprises;

determining that the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

wherein the content received from the second processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records; and

wherein the content previously received by the first processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records;

the method further comprising;

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system;

providing, by a processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system;

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is a same version as one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received or a different version from the one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received; and

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is not another version of any of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one identifier received from the second processing system comprises a plurality of identifiers, each one of the plurality of identifiers being associated with and identifying a respective one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining at least one global identifier based at least in part on the at least one identifier from the second processing system and a one-to-one mapping from the at least one identifier from the second processing system to the at least one global identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system based at least in part on the at least one global identifier and a one-to-one mapping between the at least one global identifier and the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving content and at least one identifier from the second processing system comprises:

extracting, from the second processing system, the content and the at least one identifier to be provided to the first processing system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting content to the third processing system comprises:

deploying, to the third processing system, the content to be received from the first processing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicating that a second processing system is to provide content to the first processing system is supplied by a graphical user interface in response to input from a user;

and

wherein the information indicating that the third processing system is to receive content from the first processing system is supplied by a graphical user interface in response to input from a user.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one global identifier comprises a global identifier, and wherein the determining whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system comprises:

determining, based at least in part on the global identifier that a version of the content received from the second processing system has been previously received by the first processing system; and

determining, based at least in part on the content received from the second processing system, that the content received from the second processing system is a same version or a different version of content previously received by the first processing system.

9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

identifying, by the first processing system, one or more of the follow changes to the content received from the second processing system compared to the content previously received by the first processing system;

one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system is a same version as one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system;

one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system is a different version from one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system;

or

one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system is not another version of any of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing a user interface to allow a user to reject one or more of the identified changes.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting content from the first processing system to the third processing system based at least in part on the users choices.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the at least one identifier received from the second processing system includes a global identifier having an originating vendor identifier, an authoring source identifier and an application namespace field.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one global identifier includes an identifier having an originating vendor identifier, an authoring source identifier and an application namespace field.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, by the first processing system, the transmitted content to a fourth processing system.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the version information is:

(i) separate from the content to be received from the first processing system and (ii) indicates whether the transmitted content is another version of content that has been previously transmitted by the first processing system to the third processing system.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether a global identifier has already been generated for the local identifier comprises:

determining whether the local identifier is included in a table that represents a mapping between local identifiers and global identifiers.

29. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a cryptographic hash for the content record;

determining a cryptographic hash for content previously received; and

comparing the cryptographic hash for the content record to the cryptographic hash for content previously received.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system comprises:

determining, by the first processing system, that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system;

wherein the providing, by a processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system comprises;

providing, by a processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates that the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system; and

wherein the graphical user interface gives a user an option to reject the deletion.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing, by a processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system comprises:

providing, by the first processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a machine to result in a method comprising:

receiving, by a first processing system, information indicating that a second processing system has content that is to be provided to the first processing system;

receiving, by the first processing system, content and at least one identifier from the second processing system;

determining, by the first processing system and based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

receiving, by the first processing system, information indicating that a third processing system is to receive content from the first processing system; and

transmitting, by the first processing system, the content to be received from the first processing system, at least one identifier and version information to the third processing system, wherein the version information indicates whether the transmitted content is another version of content that has been previously transmitted by the first processing system to the third processing system;

wherein the determining, by the first processing system and based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system comprises;

determining that the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

wherein the content received from the second processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records; and

wherein the content previously received by the first processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records;

the method further comprising;

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system;

providing, by a processing system, a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system;

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is a same version as one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received or a different version from the one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received; and

comparing, by the first processing system, the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is not another version of any of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received.

15. The medium of claim 14 wherein the at least one identifier received from the second processing system comprises a plurality of identifiers, each one of the plurality of identifiers being associated with and identifying a respective one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system.

16. The medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

determining at least one global identifier based at least in part on the at least one identifier from the second processing system and a one-to-one mapping from the at least one identifier from the second processing system to the at least one global identifier.

17. The medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

determining the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system based at least in part on the at least one global identifier and a one-to-one mapping between the at least one global identifier and the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving content and at least one identifier from the second processing system comprises:

extracting, from the second processing system, the content and the at least one identifier to be provided to the first processing system.

19. The medium of claim 14 wherein the transmitting content to the third processing system comprises:

deploying, to the third processing system, the content to be received from the first processing system.

20. Apparatus comprising:

a first processing system comprising a processor, the processing system to (i) receive information indicating that a second processing system has content that is to be provided to the first processing system;

receive content and at least one identifier from the second processing system;

determine, based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

receive information indicating that a third processing system is to receive content from the first processing system; and

transmit the content to be received from the first processing system, at least one identifier and version information to the third processing system, wherein the version information indicates whether the transmitted content is another version of content that has been previously transmitted by the first processing system to the third processing system;

wherein the determine, based at least in part on the at least one identifier, whether the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system comprises;

determine that the content received from the second processing system is another version of content previously received by the first processing system;

wherein the content received from the second processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records; and

wherein the content previously received by the first processing system comprises a content group having a plurality of content records;

the first processing system further to;

compare the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system, compare the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is a same version as one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received or a different version from the one of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received, and compare the content received from the second processing system to the content previously received by the first processing system to determine whether one of the plurality of content records in the first content group of the content received from the second processing system is not another version of any of the plurality of content records in the second content group of the content previously received;

the apparatus further comprising;

a processing system to provide a graphical user interface that indicates whether the first processing system determined that one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content previously received by the first processing system is deleted from the plurality of records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one identifier received from the second processing system comprises a plurality of identifiers, each one of the plurality of identifiers being associated with and identifying a respective one of the plurality of content records in the content group of the content received from the second processing system.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, the first processing system further to determine at least one global identifier based at least in part on the at least one identifier from the second processing system and a one-to-one mapping from the at least one identifier from the second processing system to the at least one global identifier.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the first processing system further to determine the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system based at least in part on the at least one global identifier and a one-to-one mapping between the at least one global identifier and the at least one identifier transmitted to the third processing system.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the receive content from the second processing system comprises:

extract, from the second processing system, the content and the at least one identifier to be provided to the first processing system.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the transmit content to the third processing system comprises:

deploy, to the third processing system, the content to be received from the first processing system.