Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20060143614?ie=ISO-8859-1&dq=6480844
Timestamp: 2014-03-17 06:22:07
Document Index: 443849269

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 302', 'arts 303', 'art 302', 'art 303', 'art 303', 'art 302', 'art 303', 'art 303', 'art 303', 'art 303', 'art 302', 'art 302', 'art 302', 'arts 303', 'art 303', 'art 303', 'art 303']

Patent US20060143614 - Method for effecting a software service in a system of a software system ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe 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...http://www.google.com/patents/US20060143614?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20060143614 - Method for effecting a software service in a system of a software system landscape and computer systemAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20060143614 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 11/262,326Publication dateJun 29, 2006Filing dateOct 27, 2005Priority dateOct 27, 2004Also published asDE602004006630D1, DE602004006630T2, EP1653347A1, EP1653347B1, US7926056Publication number11262326, 262326, US 2006/0143614 A1, US 2006/143614 A1, US 20060143614 A1, US 20060143614A1, US 2006143614 A1, US 2006143614A1, US-A1-20060143614, US-A1-2006143614, US2006/0143614A1, US2006/143614A1, US20060143614 A1, US20060143614A1, US2006143614 A1, US2006143614A1InventorsKarlheinz Lier, Volker Schulz, Wolfram NoggeOriginal AssigneeKarlheinz Lier, Volker Schulz, Wolfram NoggeExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (6), Classifications (4), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod for effecting a software service in a system of a software system landscape and computer systemUS 20060143614 A1Abstract 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. Images(6) Claims(16)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Each system 301 has associated therewith a system role which defines the respective system'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. According to an example embodiment of the invention, system role types are provided. System role types may comprise the following: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7721257Oct 27, 2005May 18, 2010Sap AgMethod for effecting software maintenance in a software system landscape and computer systemUS7725891Oct 27, 2005May 25, 2010Sap AgMethod for effecting changes in a software system landscape and computer systemUS7853651Oct 27, 2005Dec 14, 2010Sap AgMethod for tracking transport requests and computer system with trackable transport requestsUS7877730 *Oct 27, 2005Jan 25, 2011Sap AgMethod for effecting a preliminary software service in a productive system of a software system landscape and computer systemUS20120167013 *Dec 28, 2010Jun 28, 2012Sap AgSystem overview diagram generatorUS20130132940 *Nov 17, 2011May 23, 2013Andreas MeierAdaptation of data flow of one or multiple systems within a system landscape* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification718/100International ClassificationG06F9/46Cooperative ClassificationG06F8/71European ClassificationG06F8/71Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionFeb 28, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: SAP AG, GERMANYFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LIER, KARLHEINZ;SCHULZ, VOLKER;NOGGE, WOLFRAM;REEL/FRAME:017298/0092;SIGNING DATES FROM 20051216 TO 20051220Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LIER, KARLHEINZ;SCHULZ, VOLKER;NOGGE, WOLFRAM;SIGNING DATES FROM 20051216 TO 20051220;REEL/FRAME:017298/0092RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google