Software asset packaging and consumption

• US 9,329,841 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chancey, Raphael P., He, Lei, Kahan, Eduardo T., Li, Dong Bing, Tian, Chen, Weng, Chang He, Zhao, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYIM, SAMUEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/827,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20100333083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A reusable asset packaging and consumption method and system that support consumption activities and variability point instances associated with asset types or artifact types. Generic consumption activities and variability point types for different asset types or artifact types and developed and stored in a repository. When an asset packager packages an asset, a needed activity is selected from the activities associated with the type of the asset. The activity, a variability point instance bound with the activity, and the context constraints, together with the artifacts is packaged into the asset package, where the asset package is then stored in a repository. During consumption, the asset consumer obtains the asset package, verifies the context, and executes the activity packaged in the asset, while specifying variability point values for the bound variability instance.

Claims

1. A computer system, including a non-transitory storage device and an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, for packaging an asset, comprising:

an obtaining module for obtaining, from an asset repository, using an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix, and a description, wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from the asset repository, artifacts of the asset to be packaged into an asset package, and activities associated with an asset type of the asset or an artifact type of the artifacts, and wherein the activities comprise execution code for executing asset consumption operations and related attribute definitions to be packaged into the asset package;

a packaging engine in response to (i) selecting an activity from the activities associated with the asset type or the artifact type using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation and (ii) specifying at least one variable point value for a variable point instance bound to a selected activity and associated with the asset type or the artifact type, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset, and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description for packaging the selected activity and the artifacts into the asset package;

wherein the packaging engine generates and stores in the non-transitory storage device the asset package, and wherein the asset package further comprises (i) meta information on the artifacts and the selected activity, including information on consumption operations and attributes and associations of the artifacts, activities, and variability point instances and (ii) an association between the asset type or the artifact type and the selected activity; and

wherein the obtaining module and the packaging engine are components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, and wherein the activities in the asset package perform different operations in response to different values provided for parameters of a respective activity by a user or different consumption contexts, to increase a scope of reusability of the asset.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further packages, into the asset package, the particular variability point instance bound with the selected activity and associated with the asset type or the artifact type, and wherein the variability point instance comprises an identifier code, when executed by the computer system, for identifying variability point values in an associated artifact of the artifacts and is created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined; and

wherein the packaging engine further generates and stores, in the asset package during the packaging, process meta information on the variability point instance and a respective binding with the selected activity, and wherein the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2 further includes enhancements comprising;

a modified association between an Artifact class and an Activity class to form an association between the ArtifactType class and the Activity class;

an association between the ArtifactType class and the VariabilityPointType class;

an addition of an ActivityParameter class describing parameters of a respective activity and including attributes of a name, a description, a defaultValue, and an indication of whether a parameter is required;

an addition of an ActivityContext class to describe a context of the respective activity and including attributes of an ID, a description, a product, a version, and a richTextdescription; and

an addition of a relation between the Activity class and the ActivityContext class, using a ContextExpression class, including an operator attribute, as an enumerator class LogicOperator, having fixed instances including operators;

AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further executes, for an artifact associated with the selected activity, an identifier code comprised in the particular variability point instance bound with the selected activity to generate at least one variability point value in the artifact, and packages the at least one variability point value into the asset package, and wherein the identifier code comprised in the variability point instance is used to identify variability point values in the associated artifact and is created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined; and

wherein, the packaging engine further generates and stores, in the asset package during a packaging process, meta information on the variability point instance and a respective binding with the selected activity.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the packaging engine further generates and stores, in the asset package during a packaging process, meta information on a context for executing the selected activity.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a creation module for creating the activity and the specific variability point type for the asset type or the artifact type, for setting the parameters of the activity and for setting the variability point binding rule of the activity, which binds the particular variability point instance to the activity, and corresponds to a particular point in an execution process of the execution code of the activity, wherein a value can be provided by a variability point value of the particular variability point instance;

a configuration module for configuring a context for executing the activity created, and associations between the activity created and the specific variability point type, and the asset type or artifact type; and

a storing module for storing in an activity library the activity created, the specific variability point type, and meta information describing the activity created, the context, and the associations between the activity created and the specific variability point type, and the asset type or artifact type.

19. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein a given activity of the activities is associated with a plurality of the asset type or a plurality of the artifact type.

20. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the asset package defines consumption steps of the asset, including a dependency and execution order between the plurality of the activities packaged into the asset package.

21. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the obtaining module further obtains from the activity library a configuration file reflecting associations between the asset type or the artifact type and the activity and the specific variability point type.

6. A computer system including a storage memory device and an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, for consuming an asset, comprising:

an obtaining module for obtaining an asset package and meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package uses an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix, and a description, and wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from an asset repository, and wherein the asset package contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact of the artifacts, the meta information of the asset package includes meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package and an association between an associated artifact and the activity, and wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact and related attribute definitions packaged into the asset package; and

a consumption engine for automatically executing the activity in the asset package on the associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading from the storage memory device and interpreting the meta information;

wherein a plurality of the activities associated with an asset type of the asset or an artifact type of the artifacts are packaged into the asset package using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation, and wherein the asset package defines consumption steps of the asset, including a dependency and execution order between the plurality of the activities packaged into the asset package, wherein;

the asset package further comprises a variability point instance bound with the activity in the plurality of the activities of the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description, and wherein the variability point instance comprises an identifier code, when executed by the computer system, for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact and is created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined;

the meta information of the asset package further includes meta information on the variability point instance and a respective binding with the activity, including information on consumption operations and attributes and associations of the artifacts, activities, and variability point instances; and

the consumption engine further obtains the variability point values in the associated artifact, through executing the identifier code of the variability point instance bound on the associated artifact, during executing the activity in the asset package, and provides a selected variability point value to the activity to customize the activity, wherein the activity of the asset package performs different operations in response to different values provided for parameters of the activity by a user or different consumption contexts, thus increasing a scope of reusability of the asset, and wherein the obtaining module and the consumption engine are components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2.

8. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein the meta information of the asset package further includes meta information on a context for executing the activity in the asset package, and the system further comprises:

a context obtaining module for obtaining a current context of the asset consumption;

a context determination module for determining whether the current context matches with the context of the activity in the asset package;

wherein the consumption engine further executes the activity in response to the determination being positive; and

wherein the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2 further includes enhancements comprising;

an addition of an ActivityParameter class describing parameters of an activity and including attributes of a name, a description, a defaultValue, and an indication of whether a parameter is required;

an addition of an ActivityContext class to describe a context of the activity and including attributes of an ID, a description, a product, a version, and a richTextdescription; and

an addition of a relation between the Activity class and the ActivityContext class, using a ContextExpression class, including an operator attribute, as an enumerator class LogicOperator, having fixed instances including operators;

AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis.

7. A computer system including a storage memory device and an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, for consuming an asset, comprising:

an obtaining module for obtaining an asset package and meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package uses an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix and a description, and wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from an asset repository, and contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact of the artifacts, the meta information of the asset package includes meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package and an association between an associated artifact and the activity, and wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact and related attribute definitions packaged into the asset package; and

a consumption engine for automatically executing the activity in the asset package on the associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading from the storage memory device and interpreting the meta information;

wherein a plurality of the activities associated with an asset type of the asset or an artifact type of the artifacts are packaged into the asset package using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation, and wherein the asset package defines consumption steps of the asset, including a dependency and execution order between the plurality of the activities packaged into the asset package, wherein;

the asset package further comprises variability point values of a variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with the associated artifact, created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset, and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description, and wherein the variability point values are located by applying on the associated artifact an identifier code of the variability point instance for identifying the variability point values in the associated artifact;

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the variability point instance and respective binding with the activity, including information on consumption operations and attributes and associations of the artifacts, activities, and variability point instances; and

the consumption engine further provides a variability point value selected from the variability point values to the activity in the asset package to customize the activity during executing the activity, wherein the activity of the asset package performs different operations in response to different values provided for parameters of the activity by a user or different consumption contexts, thus increasing a scope of reusability of the asset, and wherein the obtaining module and the consumption engine are components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2.

9. A computer implemented method for packaging an asset in an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, comprising:

obtaining artifacts, from an asset repository using an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix and a description, wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from the asset repository, of an asset to be packaged into an asset package, and activities associated with an asset type of the asset or an artifact type of the artifacts, wherein the activities comprise execution code for executing asset consumption operations and related attribute definitions to be packaged into the asset package; and

in response to (i) selecting an activity from the activities associated with the asset type or the artifact type using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation and (ii) specifying at least one variable point value for a variable point instance bound to a selected activity and associated with the asset type or the artifact type, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset, and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description packaging the selected activity and the artifacts into the asset package;

wherein during a packaging process, meta information on the artifacts and the selected activity, including information on consumption operations and attributes and associations of the artifacts, activities, and variability point instances and an association between the asset type or the artifact type and the selected activity, are generated and stored in the asset package; and

wherein the obtaining and the packaging operations performed by components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2 increase a scope of reusability of the asset.

10. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising:

packaging into the asset package the particular variability point instance bound with the selected activity and associated with the asset type or the artifact type, wherein the variability point instance comprises an identifier code, when executed by a computer, identify variability point values in an associated artifact of the artifacts and is created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined, and wherein meta information on the variability point instance, and a respective binding with the selected activity, are generated and stored in the asset package.

11. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising:

executing, for an artifact associated with the selected activity, an identifier code of the particular variability point instance associated with the asset type or the artifact type and bound with the selected activity to locate at least one variability point value in the associated artifact, and packaging the at least one variability point value into the asset package, wherein the identifier code of the particular variability point instance is usable for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact and created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined; and

wherein the meta information for the particular variability point instance, and a respective binding with the selected activity, are generated and stored in the asset package.

12. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the meta information for parameters of the selected activity is generated and stored in the asset package.

13. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the meta information for a context for executing the selected activity is generated and stored in the asset package, and wherein the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2 further includes enhancements comprising:

an addition of an ActivityParameter class describing parameters of an activity and including attributes of a name, a description, a defaultValue, and an indication of whether a parameter is required;

an addition of an ActivityContext class to describe a context of the activity and including attributes of an ID, a description, a product, a version, and a richTextdescription, wherein the activities in the asset package perform different operations according to different values provided for the parameters of a respective activity by a user or different consumption contexts; and

an addition of a relation between the Activity class and the ActivityContext class, using a ContextExpression class, including an operator attribute, as an enumerator class LogicOperator, having fixed instances including operators;

AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis.

14. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, further comprise:

creating the activity and the specific variability point type for the asset type or the artifact type;

configuring a context for executing the activity created;

configuring associations between the activity created and the specific variability point type, and the asset type or the artifact type; and

storing in an activity library the activity created, the specific variability point type, and the meta information associated with the activity created, the context, and the associations between the activity created and the specific variability point type, and the asset type or the artifact type.

15. A computer implemented method for consuming an asset in an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, comprising:

obtaining an asset package and meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package uses an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix, and a description, and wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from an asset repository, and contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact of the artifacts, the meta information of the asset package includes meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package and an association between an associated artifact and the activity, and wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact and related attribute definitions packaged into the asset package; and

responsive to obtaining the asset package, automatically executing the activity in the asset package on the associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading and interpreting the meta information;

wherein a plurality of the activities associated with an asset type of the asset or the artifact type of the artifacts are packaged into the asset package using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation, and wherein the asset package defines consumption steps of the asset, including a dependency and execution order between the plurality of the activities packaged into the asset package, wherein;

the asset package further comprises a variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with an artifact, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description, and wherein the variability point instance contains an identifier code, when executed, for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined;

the meta information of the asset package further includes meta information on the variability point instance and a respective binding with the activity, including information on consumption operations and attributes and associations of the artifacts, activities, and variability point instances; and

the method further comprising;

obtaining the variability point values in the associated artifact through executing the identifier code of the variability point instance bound on the associated artifact during executing the activity in the asset package, and providing a selected variability point value to the activity to customize the activity wherein the activity of the asset package performs a different operation in response to different values provided for parameters of the activity by a user or different consumption contexts, thus increasing a scope of reusability of the asset, and wherein the obtaining and the executing operations are performed by components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2.

17. The computer implemented method according to claim 15, wherein:

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the parameters of the activity in the asset package; and

the method further comprising;

receiving values specified for the parameters of the activity in the asset package and passing the values to execution code of the activity during executing the activity to customize the activity, wherein the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2 further includes enhancements comprising;

an addition of an ActivityParameter class describing parameters of an activity and including attributes of a name, a description, a defaultValue, and an indication of whether a parameter is required;

an addition of an ActivityContext class to describe a context of the activity and including attributes of an ID, a description, a product, a version, and a richTextdescription; and

an addition of a relation between the Activity class and the ActivityContext class, using a ContextExpression class, including an operator attribute, as an enumerator class LogicOperator, having fixed instances including operators;

AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis.

18. The computer implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the context for executing the activity in the asset package, and the method further comprising:

obtaining a current context of the asset consumption;

determining whether the current context matches with the context of the activity in the asset package; and

in response to the determination being positive, executing the activity.

16. A computer implemented method for consuming an asset in an enhanced implementation of a Reusable Asset Specification 2.2, comprising:

obtaining an asset package and meta information of the asset package, wherein the asset package uses an ArtifactType class of the enhanced implementation including attributes of name, suffix, and a description, and wherein the suffix is used for identifying an artifact type of the artifacts coming from an asset repository, and contains artifacts and an activity associated with an artifact of the artifacts, the meta information of the asset package includes meta information on the artifacts and the activity in the asset package and an association between an associated artifact and the activity, and wherein the activity comprises execution code for executing asset consumption operations on the associated artifact and related attribute definitions packaged into the asset package;

responsive to obtaining the asset package, automatically executing the activity in the asset package on an associated artifact in the asset package to consume the asset through reading and interpreting the meta information;

wherein a plurality of the activities associated with an asset type of the asset or the artifact type of the artifacts are packaged into the asset package using an association between the ArtifactType class and an Activity class of the enhanced implementation, and wherein the asset package defines consumption steps of the asset, including a dependency and execution order between the plurality of the activities packaged into the asset package, wherein;

the asset package further comprises variability point values of a variability point instance bound with the activity in the asset package and associated with the associated artifact, wherein a VariabilityPointType class of the enhanced implementation describes a type of variability point instance, including attributes of an ID, a name, an identifier, a description, and a richTextdescription, and wherein the identifier is a name of an identifier class of a respective variability point type, for finding all values of a particular variability point instance belonging to a specific variability point type from an associated artifact or associated asset, and wherein a binding between the Activity class and the VariabilityPointType class, uses a VariabilityPointBindingRule class, of the enhanced implementation including attributes of a ruleName, a variabilityPointTypeID, and a description, and wherein the variability point values are generated by applying on the associated artifact an identifier code of the variability point instance for identifying variability point values in the associated artifact created when a variability point binding rule of the associated artifact is defined;

the meta information of the asset package further includes the meta information on the variability point instance and a respective binding with the activity; and

the method further comprising;

providing a variability point value selected from variability point values to the activity in the asset package to customize the activity during executing the activity, wherein the activity of the asset package performs a different operation in response to different values provided for parameters of the activity by a user or different consumption contexts, thus increasing a scope of reusability of the asset, and wherein the obtaining and the executing operations are performed by components of the enhanced implementation of the Reusable Asset Specification 2.2.