Representing models in systems development lifecycle (SDLC) tools using a network of internet resources

• US 9,122,422 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnston, Simon K., Nally, Martin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Mariela
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davanlou, Soheila
• Application Number:
  US12/015,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,784 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.001, 707/600, 707/609, 707/687, 707/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

In the present solution, as set of SDLC resources can be established, where each is separately addressable through a unique URL and is able to be managed through a simple set of operations. For example, a set of RESTful operations (GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE) can be used for the operations. Database management technologies can be leveraged for storing and indexing resources, but the underlying database schema for the solution can operate on a resource level, which results in the resources being stored as-is. Thus, storage (even when database based) of resources for the solution can be considered an Internet server exposing a space of URL addressable objects. Because the solution leverages Internet technologies and standards, it is scalable, standards based, extensible, and traceable.

Claims

1. A method for specifying IT assets comprising:

storing and managing a set of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) artifacts as a network of individual resources stored on a resource level in an internet space, each individual resource having a unique and addressable Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with it, wherein each of the SDLC artifacts represents at least one of a physical and logical information technology asset, wherein each individual resource has at least one attribute other than the URI that specifies a value for the represented asset, wherein each of the individual resources utilizes a standardized markup language to specify asset details, wherein the individual resources are linked to one another using messages conforming to at least one standard network messaging protocol; and

managing the SDLC artifacts through a repository server, comprising hardware and software, wherein communications to and from the repository server occur through a Representational State Transfer (REST) based Application Program Interface (API), wherein at least a portion of the SDLC artifacts are stored in the internet space within non-transitory storage devices remotely located from the repository server, wherein each SDLC artifact is a URI addressable object, wherein the repository server uses the URIs to reference the individual resources across the internet space regardless of the actual storage location of the individual resources, wherein the repository server maintains a set of indexes for the individual resources within a database, wherein URIs of the individual resources are used as unique keys within the database allowing the repository server to uniquely identify the individual resources, wherein the indexes permits queries directed to the set of SDLC artifacts to be effectively executed by the repository server responsive to requests from the messages received via the REST based API.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing the set of SDLC artifacts using a set of stateless Representational State Transfer (REST) based commands.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a repository local to the repository server comprising a plurality of said individual resources, wherein within the repository each of the individual resources is stored in a data store at a granularity unit level of one of said individual resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications to and from the repository server occurring through the REST API include communications based upon an HTTP GET command, upon an HTTP POST command, upon an HTTP PUT command, and upon an HTTP DELETE command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the repository server provides version control functions including check-in and check-out functions for the SDL artifacts managed by the repository server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said repository server comprises:

an audit component configured to provide traceability capabilities for the of the SDLC artifacts managed by the repository server;

a report component configured to execute a set of SQL based reports of the SDLC artifacts managed by the repository server; and

a search component configured to permit cross-repository text searches for the of the SDLC artifacts managed by the repository server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the standardized markup language is an XML language, and wherein the standard network messaging protocol is a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of claim 1 is performed by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program stored in a computer readable media, said computer programming having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the at least one machine.

9. A software artifact representing an information technology asset from which models are able to be built comprising:

a plurality of software artifacts stored on a resource level in an internet space, wherein said software artifacts together form a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLM) model, each of the plurality of software artifacts representing at least one of a physical and logical information technology asset, wherein each individual resource has at least one attribute other than the URI that specifies a value for the represented asset;

an addressable uniform resource identifier (URI) that is uniquely associated with said asset; and

at least one attribute used to specify a value for said represented asset, wherein said software artifact is able to be linked to other software artifacts having unique URI addresses using HTTP based links, wherein said software artifact is digitally encoded and stored in a non-transitory machine readable medium, wherein a repository server, comprising hardware and software, permits communications to and from the repository server occur through a Representational State Transfer (REST) based Application Program Interface (API), wherein at least a portion of the software artifacts are stored in the internet space within non-transitory storage devices remotely located from the repository server, wherein the repository server uses the URIs for the assets to reference the individual software artifacts across the internet space regardless of the actual storage location of the individual resources, wherein the repository server maintains a set of indexes for the individual resources within a database, wherein URIs of the individual resources are used as unique keys within the database allowing the repository server to uniquely identify the individual resources, wherein the indexes permits queries directed to the set of SDLC artifacts to be effectively executed by the repository server responsive to requests from the messages received via the REST based API.

10. The software artifact of claim 9, wherein said SDLM model, which is able to be built from the software artifacts is a Unified Modeling Language (UML) model.

11. The software artifact of claim 9, wherein the software artifact is written in XML.

12. The software artifact of claim 9, wherein a set of Representational State Transfer (REST) based commands exist for utilizing and modifying said software artifact.

13. The software object of claim 9, wherein said software artifact is able to be retrieved, viewed, edited, deleted, and added to a software model constructed from a set of said software artifacts via a Representational State Transfer (REST) based interface using a set of REST based commands.

14. The software artifact of claim 9, wherein the software artifact is part of a repository local to the repository server comprising a network of individual resources each of which is one of said software artifacts, wherein said repository is managed by the repository server, wherein each of the individual resources is stored in a data store at a granularity unit level of one of the individual resources.

15. A repository server for managing a network of individual resources, each of which is associated with an IT asset comprising:

a data store storing a plurality of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) artifacts as a network of individual resources stored on a resource level in an internet space, each SDLC artifact having a unique addressable Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with it, wherein each of the SDLC artifacts represents at least one of a physical and logical information technology asset, wherein each individual resource has at least one attribute other than the URI that specifies a value for the represented asset, wherein each of the SDLC artifacts is configured to utilize a standardized markup language to specify asset details, wherein said SDLC artifacts are linked to one another using messages conforming to at least one standard network messaging protocol;

a repository server, comprising hardware and software, that managing the SDLC artifacts, wherein communications to and from the repository server occur through a Representational State Transfer (REST) based Application Program Interface (API), wherein at least a portion of the SDLC artifacts are stored in the internet space within non-transitory storage devices remotely located from the repository server, wherein each SDLC artifact is a URI addressable object, wherein the repository server uses the URIs to reference the individual resources across the internet space regardless of the actual storage location of the individual resources, wherein the repository server maintains a set of indexes for the individual resources within a database, wherein URIs of the individual resources are used as unique keys within the database allowing the repository server to uniquely identify the individual resources, wherein the indexes permits queries directed to the set of SDLC artifacts to be effectively executed by the repository server responsive to requests from the messages received via the REST based API; and

the Representational State Transfer (REST API) for submitting SDLC artifact related requests to the data store, wherein said REST API is able to receive and respond to an HTTP GET command, an HTTP PUT command, an HTTP POST command, and an HTTP DELETE command.

16. The repository server of claim 15, further comprising:

an index data store comprising the set of indexes related to said SDLC artifacts, which permit database queries to be executed against the SDLC artifacts, wherein when the HTTP GET command is received a corresponding SQL SELECT query is executed against entries of the data store of SDLC artifacts, wherein when the HTTP POST command is received a corresponding SQL INSERT command is executed that results in a new artifact being added to the data store of the SDLC artifacts and that results in an update of the indexes of the index data store, wherein when the HTTP PUT command is received a corresponding SQL UPDATE command is executed against entries of the data store of the SDLC artifacts and that results in an update of the indexes of the index data store, wherein when the HTTP DELETE command is received a corresponding SQL DELETE query is executed against entries of the data store of the SDLC artifacts and that results in an set of indexes related to the deleted artifact being removed from the index data store.

17. The repository of claim 15, further comprising:

an audit component configured to provide traceability capabilities for the SDLC artifacts;

a report component configured to execute a set of SQL based reports involving the SDLC artifacts; and

a search component configured to permit cross-repository text searches for the SDLC artifacts.

18. The repository of claim 17, wherein the standardized markup language is an XML language, and wherein the standard network messaging protocol is a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

19. The repository of claim 16, wherein said SDLC artifacts are able to be linked together to form a plurality of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLM) models, where said SDLM models comprise at least one Unified Modeling Language (UML) model.