Automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application

• US 9,557,969 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Abhijit, Karnik, Neeran, Ghaisas, Abhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Viva
• Application Number:
  US14/568,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20150169298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

The embodiments provide a data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly. The data processing apparatus includes a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, where the request specifies at least one feature, and a model database configured to store model data. The model data includes a plurality of classes and class properties. The data processing apparatus further includes a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints. Each micro-blueprint corresponds to a functional component of a stack element or service tier, and the functional component is annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes and at least one required capability and available capability. The micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate at least one application blueprint based on the model data and the plurality of micro-blueprints according to the request.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly, the data processing apparatus including:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to implement;

a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, the request specifying at least one feature;

a model database configured to store model data, the model data including a plurality of classes arranged in a hierarchy with relational information specifying relationship links among the plurality of classes;

a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints, each micro-blueprint corresponding to a functional component, and respectively including service stack elements of at least one member of a web tier, an application tier, and a database tier, each micro-blueprint being annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes,

the micro-blueprint assembler configured to generate at least one application blueprint for the application by assembling micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database,

wherein, when generating the at least one application blueprint, the micro-blueprint assembler is configured to;

apply the at least one feature to the classes of the model data of the model database to obtain a class that is relevant to the at least one feature of the request, and

query the micro-blueprint database to obtain at least one micro-blueprint having the obtained class and at least one micro-blueprint linked to the obtained class by the relational information.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request also specifies at least one constraint and environment.

3. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature is at least one non-functional feature, the at least one non-functional feature specifying a security feature or a scalability feature.

4. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of classes of the model data are annotated with class properties, and the plurality of micro-blueprints are annotated with the class properties.

5. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of classes include represent components of the application, the components including an operating system, database server, application server, execution environment, and deployment artifacts, the plurality of classes being annotated with abstracted domain knowledge information for the components.

6. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate the at least one application blueprint by obtaining a subset of the plurality of micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database for each of the web tier, the application tier, and the database tier.

7. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro-blueprint assembler includes:

an application blueprint assembler configured to obtain micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database corresponding to each of the web tier, the application tier, and the database tier; and

a functional component blueprint assembler configured to obtain micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database corresponding to the service stack elements for each of the web tier, the application tier, and the database tier.

8. The data processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application blueprint assembler is configured to obtain the micro-blueprints by obtaining micro-blueprints based on a matching of the required and available capabilities of the micro-blueprints.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro-blueprint assembler is configured to obtain the at least one micro-blueprint linked to the obtained class using the relational information of the model data as a guide for determining which micro-blueprint is linked to the obtained class.

10. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro-blueprint assembler is configured to obtain the micro-blueprints using an artificial intelligence (AI) search algorithm.

11. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate multiple complete blueprints for the application including a first complete blueprint and a second complete blueprint, the micro-blueprint assembler being configured to provide the first and second complete blueprint according to a level of suitability that achieves the at least one feature of the request.

12. A method for automated blueprint assembly, the method being performed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, the request specifying at least one feature;

accessing a model database storing model data, the model data including a plurality of classes arranged in a hierarchy with relational information specifying relationship links among the plurality of classes;

accessing a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints, each micro-blueprint corresponding to a functional component, and respectively including service stack elements of at least one member of a web tier, an application tier, and a database tier, each micro-blueprint being annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes; and

generating at least one application blueprint for the application by assembling micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database, including;

applying the at least one feature to the classes of the model data of the model database to obtain a class that is relevant to the at least one feature of the request,

querying the micro-blueprint database to obtain at least one micro-blueprint having the obtained class and at least one micro-blueprint linked to the obtained class by the relational information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of micro-blueprints are re-usable micro-blueprints such that the plurality of micro-blueprints are available for assembling a secondary application.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of classes represent different levels of stack elements and the relational information define relations between the plurality of classes.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of classes include core abstract classes of the application including an application, deployment, application server, platform runtime, operating system and database server, and each of the core abstract classes have sub-classes corresponding to at least some of the micro-blueprints stored in the micro-blueprint database.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the at least one application blueprint includes:

assembling first micro-blueprints for the web tier;

assembling second micro-blueprints for the application tier; and

assembling third micro-blueprints for database tier, wherein the at least one application blueprint includes the first, second, and third micro-blueprints.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the at least one application blueprint includes:

assembling the micro-blueprints using the model data as a guide to determine which micro-blueprint is linked to the obtained class.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to:

receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, the request specifying at least one feature;

access a model database storing model data, the model data including a plurality of classes arranged in a hierarchy with relational information specifying relationship links among the plurality of classes;

access a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints, each micro-blueprint corresponding to a functional component, and respectively including service stack elements of at least one member of a web tier, an application tier, and a database tier, each micro-blueprint being annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes; and

generate at least one application blueprint for the application by assembling micro-blueprints from the micro-blueprint database, including;

apply the at least one feature to the classes of the model data of the model database to obtain a class that is relevant to the at least one feature of the request,

query the micro-blueprint database to obtain at least one micro-blueprint having the obtained class and at least one micro-blueprint linked to the obtained class by the relational information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of micro-blueprints are re-usable micro-blueprints such that the plurality of micro-blueprints are available for assembling a secondary application.