Abstract:
The invention concerns a method for effecting a software service in at least one of a plurality of logical systems of a software system landscape, wherein the logical systems are interconnected by logical transport paths, each logical system has associated therewith one of a plurality of system roles and the software service relates to at least one of the code and the data of the at least one system, is described. The method includes providing a transport track that defines a route for software services through logical systems in a particular order and specifies one source system, adjacent interconnected systems, and at least one target system; generating a task list in a central task system from the transport track and the system roles, the task list defining tasks for routing a software service from a starting system to the at least one system and for implementing the preliminary software service in the at least one system; and scheduling in a central control system the execution of the tasks stored in the central task system and monitoring task statuses from the central control system.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     The present patent application claims the priority benefit of the filing date of European Application (EPO) No. 04 025 502.8 filed Oct. 27, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This application relates generally to servicing of a software system landscape, and more particularly to a method for effecting a software service in a system of a software system landscape and to a computer system.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Complex software like applicant&#39;s SAP R/3 Release 4.5 (SAP) requires customization, e.g. selection of predefined functionality, and adaptation, e.g. addition of or amendment to functionality, as well as other servicing like program and data updates, cf. “SAP System Landscape Optimization” by A. Schneider-Neureither (Ed.), SAP Press, 2004, ISBN 1-59229-026-4, and “SAP R/3 Änderungs-und Transportmanagement” by Metzger and Röhrs, Galileo Press GmbH, Bonn, Germany, 4 th  reprint 2004, ISBN 3-934358-42-X.  
         [0004]     Before such servicing may be performed, however, it has to be assured that the customizations, adaptations, program and data updates etc. are free of errors and integrate flawlessly into the software and data environment. In a factory for instance servicing errors are bound to result in costly workflow disruptions due to software malfunction or data corruption. Apart from the servicing side, other use of the software like training of new or inexperienced users may also result in a disruption of the productive system.  
         [0005]     Such complex software may therefore be implemented in form of separate logical systems that together form a system landscape. A typical implementation of the aforementioned SAP software for instance may, cf.  FIG. 1 , comprise a development system  101  for customizing and development work, a quality assurance system  102  for testing functionality using representative test data, a training system  103  for training new users, and several productive systems  104 , e.g. each for a different factory, for actual productive use. Other or additional users and systems may be defined according to the particular requirements.  
         [0006]     The logical systems are identical in large parts, function autonomously and may be run on a single computer. The quality assurance system  102  for example resembles the productive system  104  in that it provides all the functionality, its present data and additionally special test data. New customization settings or adaptations may thus be thoroughly tested in the quality assurance system  102  without jeopardizing the productive system  104 . Likewise, the training system  103  resembles the productive system  104  in that it provides some of the functionality and special test data. A new user using the training system  103  may thus become accustomed to the functionality and observe the effect of his actions, albeit without disturbing the productive system  104 .  
         [0007]     A transport management system connects the logical systems and serves to forward software services between systems of the system landscape via logical transport paths  105 . A service may for example be approved in the development system  101  for export. It will then be forwarded to an input buffer of the quality assurance system  102 . Import into the quality assurance system  102  is approved or denied manually by an operator. Thereafter, the software service is forwarded to the quality assurance system  102 , and then to the training system  103  and the productive systems  104  where it will be imported following manual approval by an operator.  
         [0008]     The operator is in charge of manually effecting the servicing. This requires an analysis of the system landscape layout, of the route that each service takes through the system landscape, project status switches in each system that define the respective system&#39;s changeability options, attributes in each service that define properties of the service etc. Import of services and other tasks are performed based on this analysis.  
         [0009]     This process is time consuming and bears the risk of errors, in particular in cases that are not part of the routine servicing. In case of a malfunction of a productive system for instance a hot fix or program patch, here referred to as preliminary software service, needs to be implemented quickly. In such a case, only rudimentary testing of the preliminary software service in the development system may be regarded sufficient, so that the preliminary software service need not be imported into all systems but may be routed from the development system straight to the malfunctioning productive system. The operator then needs to analyze the system landscape, decide which systems to log into, which settings of which systems to change, etc.  
         [0010]     In addition to the manual consideration of the type of software service and the system landscape layout and configuration, the operator also needs to take care to import services in the correct order, cf.  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b.  An original version  201  of the software and data is first modified by a first software service  202 , resulting in modified version  203 , and subsequently by a second software service  204 , resulting in modified version  205 , cf.  FIG. 2   a.  However, if the second software service  204  is imported before the first software service  202 , the original version  201  is changed into modified version  206  by the second software service  204  and subsequently into modified version  207  by the first software service  202 , cf.  FIG. 2   b.  The modified versions  205  and  207  differ and the version  207  will not perform as intended.  
         [0011]     In view of the fact that an SAP R/3 implementation may comprise dozens of systems and require thousands of services per month during phases of change, the operator time required becomes considerable as does the risk for errors to occur.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0012]     In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for effecting a software service in at least one of a plurality of logical systems of a software system landscape, wherein the logical systems are interconnected by logical transport paths, each logical system has associated therewith one of a plurality of system roles and the software service relates to at least one of the code and the data of the at least one system, the method including providing a transport track that defines a route for software services through logical systems in a particular order and specifies one source system, adjacent interconnected systems, and at least one target system; generating a task list in a central task system from the transport track and the system roles, the task list defining tasks for routing a software service from a starting system to the at least one system and for implementing the preliminary software service in the at least one system; and scheduling in a central control system the execution of the tasks stored in the central task system and monitoring task statuses from the central control system.  
         [0013]     In a further aspect of the invention, a computer system is provided comprising: a software system landscape comprising a plurality of logical systems that are interconnected by logical transport paths and each have associated therewith one of a plurality of system roles; a transport track that defines a route for software services through logical systems in a particular order and specifies one source system, adjacent interconnected systems, and at least one target system, a software service relating to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system; a central task system; means for generating a task list in the central task system from the transport track and the system roles, the task list defining tasks for routing a software service from a starting system to the at least one system and for implementing the preliminary software service in the at least one system; a central control system; and means for scheduling in the central control system the execution of the tasks stored in the central task system and for monitoring task statuses from the central control system.  
         [0014]     In a still further aspect of the invention, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising on a storage medium a computer code that upon execution on a computer system performs the method according to the invention.  
         [0015]     Example embodiments of the invention thus provides an automated generation of a task list with all tasks that are required for effecting a software service and a control system for automated scheduling of the tasks and for monitoring their statuses. This effectively provides an automated management of tasks for effecting a software service, be it a regular or a preliminary software service, which considerably reduces the complexity of the process. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     Further embodiments of the invention are inferable from the following description and the claims.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a system landscape of the prior art.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate software services performed in different orders according to the prior art.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates a system landscape according to an example embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows an example embodiment of the hardware of a computer system according to the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates tasks associated to system role types.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  illustrates task list. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  illustrates an SAP R/3 Release 4.5 system landscape  300  with separate logical systems  301  that are here divided into a global part  302 , e.g. at a main development and production facility, and local parts  303   a,    303   b,    303   c,  e.g. at other production facilities.  
         [0024]     The global part  302  comprises at least a development system  301   a  for customizing and development work, a quality assurance system  301   b  for testing functionality using representative test data, and a productive system  301   c  for actual productive use.  
         [0025]     The local part  303   a  comprises a development system  301   d  for customizing and development work of local adaptations to SAP, e.g. to meet different legal requirements if part  303   a  is located in a different country than the global part  302 . The local part  303   a  further comprises a quality assurance system  301   e  for testing functionality using representative test data, a training system  301   f  for training new users, and a productive system  301   g  for actual productive use.  
         [0026]     The local part  303   b  comprises a development system  301   h,  a quality assurance system  301   j  and a productive system  301   k,  but no training system. The local part  303   c  is a two system landscape comprising a development system  301   l  and a productive system  301   m  only.  
         [0027]     The system landscape may be different according to the actual requirements. Fewer or more, different or differently connected or grouped systems  301  may be defined as needed.  
         [0028]     The logical systems  301  are identical in large parts and function autonomously. The quality assurance system  301   j  for example resembles the productive system  301   k  in that it provides all the functionality, its present data and additionally special test data. New customization settings or adaptations may thus be thoroughly tested in the quality assurance system  301   j  without jeopardizing the productive system  301   k.    
         [0029]     Each system  301  comprises an import buffer  304  for buffering incoming software services and means  305  for communication with a central task system  307  that is connected to a central control system  308 . A transport management system connects the logical systems  301  and serves to route software services across the system landscape via logical directional transport paths  306 . A service may for example relate to customization of a system  301 , e.g. a selection of predefined functionality in the system  301 , or an adaptation of a system  301 , e.g. an addition of or amendment to functionality, or to program and data updates or hot fixes or patches the like. Transport tracks are provided that each define one or more particular routes for software services along the transport paths through the system landscape. A transport track may for example define the route from system  301   a  through systems  301   b,    301   h,    301   j  to system  301   k.  Another transport track may define the route from system  301   d  through systems  301   e,    301   f  to system  301   g.  Transport tracks with branches may also be provided, e.g. from system  301   a  to system  301   b  and then in a first branch to system  301   c  and in a second branch to systems  301   l,    301   m.  There may be more than one transport track per system landscape, each transport track being assigned to a project context like a development project for the local part  303   a  only or a documentation project for the global part  302  only etc.  
         [0030]     The systems  301  of each part  302 ,  303   a,    303   b,    303   c  and the central task system  307  may be located and simultaneously executed in a single computer, or may be distributed across separate hardware. The global part  302  and the local parts  303   a,    303   b,    303   c  may each run on physically separate computer systems, which themselves may comprise different computers.  
         [0031]     An example implementation of the local part  303   a  may comprise, cf.  FIG. 4 , a data base layer  401  for storing and retrieving business data like a factory inventory, employee data, sales figures etc. The data base layer  401  comprises one or more data base servers  402  and four data bases  403 , one for each of the systems  301   d,    301   e,    301   f  and  301   g.    
         [0032]     Connected to the data base layer  401  by a suitable network  404 , e.g. a LAN, is an application layer  405  for execution of the software of the systems  301   d,    301   e,    301   f  and  301   g.  The application layer  405  comprises one or more application servers  406 .  
         [0033]     Finally, connected to the application layer  405  by a suitable network  407 , e.g. a LAN, is a presentation layer  408  for the graphical user interface (GUI). The presentation layer  408  may comprise dumb terminals  409 , Personal Computers  410  and/or wireless access devices  411  like PDAs.  
         [0034]     Each system  301  has associated therewith a system role which defines the respective system&#39;s function within the landscape. The system  301   a,    301   b  and  301   c  for example, have the roles “development system in the global part”, “quality assurance system in the global part” and “productive system in the global part”, respectively. The systems  301   l  and  301   m  have the roles “development system in the local part  303   c ” and “productive system in the local part  303   c ”, respectively. The other systems  301  have corresponding roles. In SAP, the system roles are typically defined in the Solution Manager for Implementation.  
         [0035]     According to an example embodiment of the invention, system role types are provided. System role types may comprise the following:  
         [0036]     D Source systems: A transport request comprising a software service is generated and sometimes tested in a system of this type, usually a development system.  
         [0037]     O Follow-on system: A transport request comprising a regular software service imported into a system of this type and then forwarded to at least one next system of the transport track. A transport request comprising a preliminary software service is not imported into a system of this type but instead forwarded.  
         [0038]     P Target system: A transport request comprising a software service is imported into a system of this type but not forwarded. Target systems are typically productive systems.  
         [0039]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3  the development systems  301   a,    301   h,    301   d  and  301   l  are of system role type D, the productive systems  301   c ,  301   k,    301   g  and  301   m  are of system role type P and the systems  301   b,    301   j,    301   e  and  301   f  between the development systems and the productive systems are of the system role type O. Other and/or additional system types may be provided.  
         [0040]     Furthermore, at least two software service types are provided. The first type is a regular software service that is generally effected at predefined intervals. Transport requests comprising a software service of this type are collected in the import buffers and imported, tested, forwarded etc. at the time when the regular software service is effected. The second type is a preliminary software service, also called hot fix or patch. This software service needs to be processed immediately in a particular system, generally a malfunctioning productive system, and not necessarily in all systems.  
         [0041]     Tasks are assigned to system role types and software service types. The tasks may be marked as compulsory and may comprise the following exemplary tasks: 
        for type D:—logon to remote system 
            generate transport request with software service     release transport request for forwarding to one or more systems    
            for type O:—logon to remote system 
            for regular software service only: import software service     forward transport request    
            for type P:—logon to remote system 
            import transport request, notify quality management and await release     for preliminary software service only: amend next regular maintenance service to include the imported preliminary software service    
               
 
         [0051]     In the example of  FIG. 5 a  list  500  contains for the system role type D and a preliminary software service a task  501  to logon to a remote system, a task  502  to create a transport request for a preliminary software service, and a task  503  to release the transport request to the system landscape for forwarding to at least one productive system. For the system role type O the list  500  comprises a task  504  to logon to a remote system and a task  505  to forward transport request without importing it. For the system role type P the list  500  comprises a task  506  to logon to a productive system, a task  507  to confirm that the particular productive system is the destination for the preliminary software service, a task  508  to effect the preliminary software service and a task  509  to amend a next regular maintenance service to include the imported preliminary software service. Other and/or additional tasks as well as attributes like “compulsory” may be provided. For example, a task to first import software services that are already queued in the import buffer but would only be imported during the next regular service, a task to check certain system properties, a task to check the interdependencies of software services in the buffer and to reorder them to avoid mutual overwriting, etc.  
         [0052]     Based on the type and the destination(s) of the software service, on the transport tracks, the system role types and the list  500  or a corresponding list for a regular software service, a task list is automatically generated in the central task system  307 . The task list contains all tasks that are required to effect the software service in the destination productive system(s).  
         [0053]     The task list has a hierarchical structure. The top level contains one entry per transport track. The next level contains one entry per system role type, even in case that no system of corresponding type is defined. The next level contains one entry per system role, only if this role is used by a system. The lowest level contains the tasks for each system.  
         [0054]     An exemplary task list  600  is illustrated in  FIG. 6  and has here a structure that is hierarchically grouped according to transport track  601 , system role types  602 , system roles  603 , systems  604  and finally tasks  605 . The tasks are associated to particular systems. The grouping allows to block and unblock groups of tasks.  
         [0055]     Execution of the tasks of a task list is scheduled by the central control system  308 . The central control system  308  contains for this purpose a schedule that is automatically generated according to the tasks of the task list. The generation of the schedule involves analyzing the type of each task and other system information and accordingly compiling predefined schedule elements to form the schedule. The predefined schedule elements comprise responsibilities, e.g. assign certain types of tasks for certain systems to particular persons or groups of persons.  
         [0056]     For example, the schedule may be assembled to comprise the following elements with responsibilities: create task list for regular software service—change manager; import into quality assurance system—operator; take over for testing and describe test results—tester; approve or reject—quality manager; if approved: import into productive system—operator; if not approved: notify developer—tester.  
         [0057]     The central control system  308  is thus suited to completely manage all service and preliminary service related processes from the reporting of a possible malfunction to the final implementation of the correction in the productive system.  
         [0058]     The central control system  308  allows a user to display, manage, analyze and document the tasks and any related activity and also to trigger execution of the tasks in the central task system  307 . For that purpose, the tasks may provide spool lists, statuses, application logs, job logs etc. to the central control system  308 .  
         [0059]     According to the method of an example embodiment of the invention, system roles and system role types are provided, the systems of the system landscape being associated to the system roles, and a list of tasks associated to system role types is provided. At least one transport track is provided that defines a route for transport requests through systems in a particular order and specifies one source system, adjacent interconnected systems, and at least one end or target system. A task list is generated from the software service type, the system role types, the list and the transport tracks, and defines tasks for effecting the software service. This involves analyzing the transport tracks to identify the systems that need to be passed, analyzing them to identify their system roles, analyzing the system roles to identify their type, and compiling tasks for the affected systems according to the list. A schedule is also compiled in the central control system according to the tasks in the task list. The central control system then triggers execution of the tasks by particular persons or a group of persons according to authorization levels, and monitors the status of the tasks. The complex process of manual analysis and action of the prior art is thus replaced by an automated centrally managed structured schedule.  
         [0060]     Although the foregoing has been a description of an example embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this disclosure that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the invention. For example, instead of using SAP R/3 Release 4.5, other SAP and non-SAP systems may benefit from the invention.