Extending application lifecycle management to user-created application platform components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720333-B2
Application number	US-202117510368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Oct 25, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

The examples described herein extend application lifecycle management (ALM) processes (e.g., create, update, delete, retrieve, import, export, uninstall, publish) to user-created application platform components. First and second components are generated within an application platform. The first component is customized at least by indicating whether the first component is subject to localization, defining a layering of the first component, and indicating whether the first component is protected from downstream modification. The second component is customized in accordance with customizing the first component, and is further customized by defining a dependency of the second component on the first component. The components are deployed in a target environment with metadata representing the customizations and enabling the ALM processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for application lifecycle management, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a computer storage medium storing instructions that are operative upon execution by the processor to:
generate a first component within an application platform;
customize the first component, wherein first metadata for the customized first component comprises:
an indication whether the first component is protected from downstream modification, and
an indication whether the first component is subject to localization;

generate a second component;
customize the second component in accordance with customizing the first component, wherein second metadata for the customized second component comprises:
a dependency of the second component on the first component;

deploy, in a target environment, the first component and the second component with the first metadata representing the customized first component and the second metadata representing the customized second component; and
at least one of:
prevent uninstalling of the first component when the second component remains installed and the dependency of the second component on the first component remains, or
permit uninstalling of the first component when the second component is uninstalled or the dependency of the second component on the first component does not remain.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the first component and generating the second component comprises generating both the first component and the second component without writing code.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further operative to:
create extensibility points for application lifecycle management operations, the application lifecycle management operations comprising create, update, delete, retrieve, import, export, uninstall, and publish.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further operative to:
receive a selection of whether the first component is exportable; and
receive a selection of whether the second component is exportable.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dependency of the second component on the first component is defined by a user interface selection.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further operative to:
export the first component;
import the first component; and
upgrade the first component.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further operative to at least one of: mark the first component for soft deletion or mark the second component for soft deletion.

8. A method of application lifecycle management, the method comprising:
generating a first component within an application platform;
customizing the first component, wherein first metadata for the customized first component comprises:
an indication whether the first component is protected from downstream modification, and
an indication whether the first component is subject to localization;

generating a second component;
customizing the second component in accordance with customizing the first component, wherein second metadata for the customized second component comprises:
a dependency of the second component on the first component;

deploying, in a target environment, the first component and the second component with the first metadata representing the customized first component and the second metadata representing the customized second component; and
at least one of:
preventing uninstalling of the first component when the second component remains installed and the dependency of the second component on the first component remains, or
permitting uninstalling of the first component when the second component is uninstalled or the dependency of the second component on the first component does not remain.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
exporting the first component;
importing the first component; and
upgrading the first component.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the first component and generating the second component comprises generating both the first component and the second component without writing code.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
creating extensibility points for application lifecycle management operations, the application lifecycle management operations comprising create, update, delete, retrieve, import, export, uninstall, and publish.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
indicating whether the first component is exportable; and
indicating whether the second component is exportable.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dependency of the second component on the first component is defined by a user interface selection.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
marking the first component for soft deletion; or
marking the second component for soft deletion.

15. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, on execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
generating a first component within an application platform;
customizing the first component, wherein first metadata for the customized first component comprises:
an indication whether the first component is protected from downstream modification, and
an indication whether the first component is subject to localization;

generating a second component;
customizing the second component in accordance with customizing the first component, wherein second metadata for the customized second component comprises:
a dependency of the second component on the first component;

deploying, in a target environment, the first component and the second component with the first metadata representing the customized first component and the second metadata representing the customized second component; and
at least one of:
preventing uninstalling of the first component when the second component remains installed and the dependency of the second component on the first component remains, or
permitting uninstalling of the first component when the second component is uninstalled or the dependency of the second component on the first component does not remain.

16. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
exporting the first component;
importing the first component; and
upgrading the first component.

17. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein generating the first component and generating the second component comprises generating both the first component and the second component without writing code.

18. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
creating extensibility points for application lifecycle management operations, the application lifecycle management operations comprising create, update, delete, retrieve, import, export, uninstall, and publish.

19. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
selecting whether the first component is exportable; and
selecting whether the second component is exportable.

20. The one or more computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the dependency of the second component on the first component is defined by a user interface selection.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Costa Jr Marcio
• Oberstein Emma Chantal
• Singh Vinay
• Mcarthur Shannon Ronald

Classifications

• G06F8/433 Primary

  Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis · CPC title

• G06F8/447

  Target code generation · CPC title

• G06F8/457

  Communication (intertask communication G06F9/54) · CPC title

• G06F8/70 Primary

  Software maintenance or management · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title