Abstract:
A harvesting method and system is provided. The method includes extracting from a plurality of documents, content. The content is published in external glossaries. The content is arranged in a business content hierarchy and the business content hierarchy is published in a specified format. The business content hierarchy is enabled with respect to a plurality of projects. The content and business content hierarchy are updated and the updated content is arranged in the updated business content hierarchy.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation application claiming priority to Ser. No. 13/248,200 filed Sep. 29, 2011. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and associated system for creating a business content hierarchy. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Managing data typically comprises an inaccurate process with little flexibility. Data management within a system typically includes a complicated process that may be time consuming and require a large amount of resources. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome at least some of the deficiencies and limitations described herein above. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a method comprising: extracting, by a computer processor of a computing system from a plurality of documents, content; publishing, by the computer processor, the content in external glossaries; arranging, by the computer processor, the content in a business content hierarchy; publishing, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a specified format; enabling, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a plurality of projects; updating, by the computer processor, the content and the business content hierarchy; and arranging, by the computer processor, the updated content in the updated business content hierarchy. 
         [0005]    The present invention provides a computing system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, the memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a method comprising: extracting, by the computer processor from a plurality of documents, content; publishing, by the computer processor, the content in external glossaries; arranging, by the computer processor, the content in a business content hierarchy; publishing, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a specified format; enabling, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a plurality of projects; updating, by the computer processor, the content and the business content hierarchy; and arranging, by the computer processor, the updated content in the updated business content hierarchy. 
         [0006]    The present invention provides a computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a computing system implements a method, the method comprising: extracting, by the computer processor from a plurality of documents, content; publishing, by the computer processor, the content in external glossaries; arranging, by the computer processor, the content in a business content hierarchy; publishing, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a specified format; enabling, by the computer processor, the business content hierarchy in a plurality of projects; updating, by the computer processor, the content and the business content hierarchy; and arranging, by the computer processor, the updated content in the updated business content hierarchy. 
         [0007]    The present invention advantageously provides a simple method and associated system capable of managing data. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates an algorithm detailing a process flow enabled by the extract module of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3A-3F  describe an implementation example for creating a business content hierarchy enabled by the system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart describing an algorithm used by the system of  FIG. 1  for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates an implementation example of a BCH represented in XML, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates a computer apparatus used for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system  2  for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. A business content hierarchy (BCH) is defined herein as a knowledge/data structure for organizing information in an intuitive structure (e.g., a hierarchical tree). System  2  comprises a software application/tool  100  for providing domain-specific content (comprising concepts, business rules, metrics, and business processes for IT professionals (e.g., software architects and developers)). Software application/tool  100  structures content based on a BCH. Software application/tool  100  allows a user to browse relevant and authoritative content and additionally view its evolution over different projects. A user may: select a specific subset (of content) that may be used in a project, enhance and export the subset, and re-import additional content to reconcile with master content.  1 . Software application/tool  100  allows a user to formalize domain-specific content. In order to formalize content of a domain, concepts (in glossaries) are identified. For example, business processes, metrics, and business rules may comprise key content types that require sharing among peers. Software application/tool  100  enables an automated method in which public documents (such as, inter alia, RFPs, tenders, papers, etc) are collected and content is extracted from the public documents. Software application/tool  100  enables a process for managing domain information. For example, in a case associated with traffic data, concepts, processes, metrics, and business rules are identified. Concepts comprise key entities in a domain. Processes comprise activities performed by the concepts. Metrics comprise a measurement of the activities. Rules comprise behavioral guidelines used to manage the activities. Software application/tool  100  manages this information so that concepts, processes, metrics, and rules are arranged in a hierarchical manner such that each element may be explored individually. 
         [0015]    Software application/tool  100  comprises an extract module  105 , an arrange module  110 , a publish module  115 , a use module  125 , and an update content module  120 . Extract module  105  extracts content from documents  108  (e.g., PDF documents, word processing documents, spreadsheet documents, etc). Arrange module  110  arranges the content (and updated content) in a business content hierarchy structure and optionally: publishes the content in external glossaries, generates semantic models, and/or consumes the content in business process management (BPM) tools. Publish module  115  publishes the business content hierarchy in a specified format by any of the following methods: 
         [0016]    1. Translating an XML version of the business content hierarchy into a DHTML format using an XSL process and displaying the content as a tree structure or an alphabetical structure. 
         [0017]    2. Translating an XML version of the business content hierarchy into a DHTML format using an XSL process and generating a document comprising the content presented as a tree structure or an alphabetical structure. 
         [0018]    3. Performing a read only operation (e.g., searching, zooming, highlighting, etc) associated with an XML version of the business content hierarchy and retrieving details associated with the content. 
         [0019]    Use module  125  enables the business content hierarchy for use in a plurality of projects. Update content module  120  updates the content and the business content hierarchy using any of the following methods: 
         [0020]    Method 1 
         [0021]    1. Loading a selected file associated with the content. 
         [0022]    2. Translating an XML version of the selected file into a DHTML format using an XSL process; 
         [0023]    3. Importing additional content associated with the selected file. 
         [0024]    Method 2 
         [0025]    1. Loading selected node content associated with the content. 
         [0026]    2. Applying pagination to the selected node content. 
         [0027]    3. Presenting (via an explorer export window) business content of the selected node content. 
         [0028]    4. Receiving (from a user) a selection for specific content of the business content. 
         [0029]    5. Exporting (to an external location) the specific content. 
         [0030]    Method 3 
         [0031]    1. Loading a selected file associated with the content. 
         [0032]    2. Translating an XML version of the selected file into a DHTML format using an XSL process; 
         [0033]    3. Adding additional content associated with the selected file. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates an algorithm detailing a process flow enabled by extract module  105  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In step  205 , text analytics are used to identify extraction patterns to obtain concepts from documents  108 . In step  208 , metrics and business rules are extracted in accordance with the identified extraction patterns. In step  212 , the extracted concepts are compared to known concepts (retrieved in step  214 ) to identify new concepts. In step  215 , the new concepts are arranged in the BCH. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 3A-3F  describe an implementation example for creating a business content hierarchy enabled by system  2  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In the implementation example described by  FIGS. 3A-3E , a user A enables a software application/tool (e.g., software application/tool  100 ) to locate specified content associated with financial aspects for traffic projects and how a traffic system may fund the traffic projects from parking revenues. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a screen shot  304  used for searching for a finance concept. Screen shot  304  illustrates a large number of concepts and business processes and a small number of metrics and business rules. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a screen shot  308  used for browsing a fare collection process. 
         [0038]    Screen shot illustrates a fourth level process under finance, fare, and fare processing. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3C  illustrates a screen shot  308  used for determining details associated with a license plate number recognition business rule. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3D  illustrates a screen shot  314  used for determining metrics related to finance and parking (e.g., a parking index). Once user A has identified a content of interest, the content of interest may be may be selected and exported for project usage. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 3E and 3F  illustrate a screen shot  320  used for exporting, importing, and merging metrics (e.g., seven metrics illustrated in  FIG. 3E ). The metrics are then imported into the context of any identified content. The software application/tool allows for importing and merging of content. Additionally, software application/tool may be enabled to merge content exported from a completed project back with content of a reference software application/tool. The software application/tool enables a starting point for content exploration in a traffic domain (immediately). A content source and content details are identified. 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart describing an algorithm used by system  2  of  FIG. 1  for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In step  402 , a computer processor of a computing apparatus extracts (from a document(s)) content. In step  404 , the computer processor publishes the content in external glossaries. In step  408 , the computer processor arranges the content in a business content hierarchy. In step  412 , the computer processor publishes the business content hierarchy in a specified format. In step  418 , the computer processor enables the business content hierarchy for use in a plurality of projects. In step  422 , the computer processor updates the content and the business content hierarchy. In step  428 , the computer processor arranges the updated content in the updated business content hierarchy. 
         [0043]      FIG. 5  illustrates an implementation example of a BCH  500  represented in XML, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. BCH  500  represents each type of content in a separate category. For example, a category type “&lt;contentCategory&gt;” comprises Metrics content. Members of a category are represented in “&lt;categoryMembers&gt;”. Each metric (i.e., a content item) is associated with a “&lt;contentItem&gt;”. Additionally, a source for the content (i.e., where the content was obtained or extracted from) “&lt;annotation&gt;” comprises a place-holder for providing extended information about the content. BCH  500  may be used to specify relationships among content items. For example: 
         [0044]    1. Business processes: process ID based relationships (APQC ID) 
         [0045]    2. Concepts: parent IDs, dependent IDs
       BCH  500  may be used to select content based on an annotation flag. For example:       
 
         [0047]    1. inScope: true/ false (default: true)
       BCH  500  may be used for annotation by marking reused or not. For example:       
 
         [0049]    1. isReused: true/ false (default: false)
       BCH  500  may be used for annotaton by marking standard or newly created in a project.       
 
         [0051]    For example: 
         [0052]    1. isNew: tru/false (default: false) 
         [0053]      FIG. 6  illustrates a computer apparatus  90  used by system  2  of  FIG. 1  for creating a business content hierarchy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The computer system  90  comprises a processor  91 , an input device  92  coupled to the processor  91 , an output device  93  coupled to the processor  91 , and memory devices  94  and  95  each coupled to the processor  91 . The input device  92  may be, inter alia, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The output device  93  may be, inter alia, a printer, a plotter, a computer screen, a magnetic tape, a removable hard disk, a floppy disk, etc. The memory devices  94  and  95  may be, inter alia, a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical storage such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory device  95  includes a computer code  97 . The computer code  97  includes algorithms (e.g., the algorithm of  FIG. 4 ) for creating a business content hierarchy. The processor  91  executes the computer code  97 . The memory device  94  includes input data  96 . The input data  96  includes input required by the computer code  97 . The output device  93  displays output from the computer code  97 . Either or both memory devices  94  and  95  (or one or more additional memory devices not shown in  FIG. 6 ) may comprise the algorithm of  FIG. 4  and may be used as a computer usable medium (or a computer readable medium or a program storage device) having a computer readable program code embodied therein and/or having other data stored therein, wherein the computer readable program code comprises the computer code  97 . Generally, a computer program product (or, alternatively, an article of manufacture) of the computer system  90  may comprise the computer usable medium (or said program storage device). 
         [0054]    Still yet, any of the components of the present invention could be created, integrated, hosted, maintained, deployed, managed, serviced, etc. by a service supplier who offers to create a business content hierarchy. Thus the present invention discloses a process for deploying, creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and/or integrating computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into the computer system  90 , wherein the code in combination with the computer system  90  is capable of performing a method for creating a business content hierarchy. In another embodiment, the invention provides a business method that performs the process steps of the invention on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis. That is, a service supplier, such as a Solution Integrator, could offer to create a business content hierarchy. In this case, the service supplier can create, maintain, support, etc. a computer infrastructure that performs the process steps of the invention for one or more customers. In return, the service supplier can receive payment from the customer(s) under a subscription and/or fee agreement and/or the service supplier can receive payment from the sale of advertising content to one or more third parties. 
         [0055]    While  FIG. 6  shows the computer system  90  as a particular configuration of hardware and software, any configuration of hardware and software, as would be known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, may be utilized for the purposes stated supra in conjunction with the particular computer system  90  of  FIG. 6 . For example, the memory devices  94  and  95  may be portions of a single memory device rather than separate memory devices. 
         [0056]    While embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, many modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.