Methods and systems for generating metadata describing dependencies for composable elements

• US 9,269,060 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU N
• Application Number:
  US12/948,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for generating metadata describing dependencies for composable elements. The method includes maintaining a database of composable elements. Each composable element may have associated metadata to describe dependencies for the composable elements. The method may further include receiving a request to compose two or more of the composable elements into a new element. The method may then compare the dependencies of the two or more composable elements in order to determine dependencies common to the two or more composable elements and unique to the two or more composable elements. Further, the method may determine a level of restriction for each of the common dependencies and generate metadata for the new element to include each of the unique dependencies and each of the common dependencies, wherein the common dependencies are set to the highest level of restriction.

Claims

1. A method of generating, maintaining, combining, and storing metadata which describe dependencies for composable elements, the method comprising:

maintaining a database describing information about a plurality of composable elements, wherein each of the plurality of composable elements has associated metadata to describe dependencies for each of the plurality of composable elements, wherein the metadata describes both tangible dependencies known to a developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element and intangible dependencies that are unknown to the developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element, and wherein each of the composable elements include one or more of;

a combination, a reprogramming, or a repurposing of software components and/or services;

receiving a request to compose, modify, update, re-program, or re-purpose two or more of the plurality of composable elements into a new element;

determining common dependencies among the two or more composable elements;

determining redundant dependencies among the two or more composable elements;

combining the dependencies to include each of any redundant dependencies from the combined components as well as any dependencies unique to each of the combined components or services, and any dependency that is common to more than one, then the more restrictive component dependency is utilized within the new element, wherein each dependency includes an associated level of dependency value and the higher the level of dependency value the more restrictive the dependency, and wherein the determination of the utilization of the common dependency is determined based on each of the levels of dependency of the common dependencies;

determining new dependencies needed for the new element based on the combined dependencies, the new dependencies comprising at least one intangible dependency; and

generating metadata for the new element to include each of the common dependencies and each of the new dependencies.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing dependencies of the two or more of the plurality of composable elements in order to determine dependencies common to the two or more of the plurality of composable elements and to determine dependencies unique to the two or more of the plurality of composable elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the new element is functional, wherein the new element is functional if the dependencies of the new element are able to be satisfied; and

in response to the new element being functional, storing the new element in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the intangible dependencies comprise a hardware requirement and one or more of the following:

an operating system requirement, a bandwidth requirement, or a network type requirement, and wherein the hardware requirement includes one or more of the following;

a video camera, a network card, a DVD drive, or video projector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing of the dependencies comprises accessing an Operations Support System/Business Support System (OSS/BSS) system to look up the dependencies.

6. The method of claim 5, based on the metadata for the new element, determining, at the OSS/BSS, whether the dependencies of the new element are satisfied, wherein, in response to the dependencies of the new element being unsatisfied, generating a response to the request indicating that the new element is unable to be generated, and wherein the response includes a list of the dependencies which are unsatisfied and suggestions for steps to take in order to remedy the problem with the dependencies.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a list of the plurality of composable elements to select from for generating the new element; and

displaying the metadata associated with the plurality of composable elements.

8. A system for generating, maintaining, combining, and storing metadata which describe dependencies for composable elements, the system comprising:

a memory device; and

a computer processor in communication with the memory device, wherein the memory device has sets of instructions stored therein which, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to;

store at a database a plurality of composable elements, wherein each of the plurality of composable elements has associated metadata to describe dependencies for each of the plurality of composable elements, wherein the metadata describes both tangible dependencies known to a developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element and intangible dependencies that are unknown to the developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element, and wherein the composable elements includes one or more of;

a combination, a reprogramming, or a repurposing of software components and/or services; and

receive at an Operations Support System/Business Support System (OSS/BSS) coupled with the database a request to compose two or more of the plurality of composable elements into a new element, compare dependencies of the two or more of the plurality of composable elements in order to determine dependencies common to the two or more of the plurality of composable elements and unique to the two or more of the plurality of composable elements, determine redundant dependencies among the two or more composable elements, combine the dependencies to include each of any redundant dependencies from the combined components as well as any dependencies unique to each of the combined components or services, and any dependency that is common to more than one, then the more restrictive component dependency is utilized within the new element, determining new dependencies needed for the new element based on the combined dependencies, the new dependencies comprising at least one intangible dependency, and generate metadata for the new element to include each of the unique dependencies and each of the common dependencies, wherein each dependency includes an associated level of dependency value and the higher the level of dependency value the more restrictive the dependency, and wherein the determination of the utilization of the common dependency is determined based on each of the levels of dependency of the common dependencies.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a Supply Chain Execution (SCE) configured to manage the dependencies when the new element is created by composing the plurality of composable elements.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the database is further configured to store the new element and the metadata for the new element.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of composable elements comprise both hardware and software elements.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the new element is composed of a combination of at least one hardware element and at least one software element.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the OSS/BSS makes changes to the new elements in wither hardware or software.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for generating, maintaining, combining, and storing metadata which describe dependencies for composable elements which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:

maintain a database describing information about a plurality of composable elements, wherein each of the plurality of composable elements has associated metadata to describe dependencies for each of the plurality of composable elements, wherein the metadata describes both tangible dependencies known to a developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element and intangible dependencies that are unknown to the developer of the composable element at compile time of that composable element, and wherein the composable elements include one or more of;

a combination, a reprogramming, or a repurposing of software components and/or services;

receive a request to compose, modify, update, reprogram, or repurpose two or more of the plurality of composable elements into a new element;

determine common dependencies among the two or more composable elements;

determine redundant dependencies among the two or more composable elements;

combine the dependencies to include each of any redundant dependencies from the combined components as well as any dependencies unique to each of the combined components or services, and any dependency that is common to more than one, then the more restrictive component dependency is utilized within the new element, wherein each dependency includes an associated level of dependency value and the higher the level of dependency value the more restrictive the dependency, and wherein the determination of the utilization of the common dependency is determined based on each of the levels of dependency of the common dependencies;

determine new dependencies needed for the new element based on the combined dependencies, the new dependencies comprising at least one intangible dependency; and

generate metadata for the new element to include each of the common dependencies and each of the new dependencies.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions which, when further executed by the machine, cause the machine to present a list of the plurality of composable elements to select from for generating the new element.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions which, when further executed by the machine, cause the machine to display the metadata associated with the plurality of composable elements.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the modification, updating, reprogramming, or re-purposing of two or more of the plurality of composable elements into the new element further comprises utilizing relational algebra.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions which, when further executed by the machine, cause the machine to update the metadata for the new element based on the relational algebra used to compose the new element or create a new element.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the metadata is associated with the new element and a description of the new element is updated based on the metadata, and when the new element is relocated, the associated metadata is relocated with the new element, and the new element is stored in a registry and the metadata is also stored in the registry along with the new element, the metadata is attached to the new element as part of a service interface, and the metadata is stored in a repository separate from the new element and is separately linked to the new element.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions which, when further executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

determine if the new element composition will function properly; and

based on the determination that the new element composition will function improperly, suggest one or more additional elements within the plurality of composable elements to further compose with the new element, wherein the determination of whether the new element composition will function properly is made by accessing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document which is configured to enforce a composition policy.