Pattern-based construction and extension of enterprise applications in a cloud computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535663-B2
Application number	US-201113236022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2011
Priority date	Sep 17, 2010
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Methods, software programs and systems for extending and modifying software functionality, and, more particularly, for using one or more patterns for an enterprise software object to express desired functionality and configuration, and to generate the enterprise software object using the patterns, in an enterprise environment are disclosed. A method according to certain of these embodiments includes selecting one or more patterns from a number of patterns, where the one or more patterns are for an enterprise software object. The enterprise software object can then be generated. The enterprise software object is generated using the one or more patterns. Each of the patterns is configured to describe a solution within a corresponding one of a number of problem domains.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying a problem domain of a plurality of problem domains, wherein
the problem domain represents a plurality of problems;

receiving a selection, wherein
the selection identifies a first pattern of a plurality of patterns,
each of the plurality of patterns is associated with the problem domain;

defining one or more rules;
determining whether the first pattern is compatible with a second pattern of the plurality of patterns, wherein
the first pattern and the second pattern are configured to
describe, at least in part, a general solution to a class of problems of a corresponding classes of problems of the plurality of problems, and
facilitate generation of at least a portion of an enterprise software object,

the determining is based, at least in part, on at least one of
the second pattern, or
the enterprise software object,

the determining comprises restricting the selection according to the one or more rules, wherein
the one or more rules are associated with the plurality of patterns, and
a rule of the one or more rules enforces compatibility between patterns of the plurality of patterns; and

in response to a determination that the first pattern is compatible with the second pattern,
generating a first configured pattern by configuring the first pattern, wherein
the first configured pattern describes, at least in part, a specific solution to a specific instance of a problem of the class of problems,
the generating the first configured pattern comprises
providing, at least in part, the specific solution by identifying one or more modifications to be made to the first pattern, and
generating domain code that represents the one or more modifications, wherein
 the domain code is associated with a desired platform of a plurality of platforms,

the domain code is configured to be used to generate executable code, and

generating the enterprise software object, wherein
the generating the enterprise software object is based, at least in part, on the first configured pattern, and
the enterprise software object is configured to provide, at least in part, the specific solution.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a second configured pattern by configuring the second pattern, wherein
the second configured pattern describes, at least in part, the specific solution to the specific instance of the problem of the class of problems,
the generating the enterprise software object is further based, at least in part, on the second configured pattern, and
the enterprise software object comprises one or more of
a record object,
a business logic object,
a business process object, or
a user interface object.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a value, wherein
one or more parameters are associated with the first pattern, and
the value is for a parameter of the one or more parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
defining one or more rules.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein
the value is configured to define a characteristic of the enterprise software object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the
one or more rules include one or more sub-pattern rules associated with a plurality of sub-patterns associated with at least one pattern of the plurality of patterns, wherein
the sub-pattern rules constrain combinations of values and
combinations of the plurality of sub-patterns.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving a value, wherein
one or more parameters are associated with the first pattern,
the value is for a parameter of the one or more parameters, and
a rule of the one or more rules is configured to limit the parameter to an appropriate value.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
selecting the rule of the one or more rules, wherein
the rule of the one or more rules is selected based on information regarding an enterprise for which the enterprise software object is to be generated, and
the rule of the one or more rules governs permissible combinations of the plurality of patterns.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern comprises
a configuration option for the enterprise software object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first pattern further comprises:
one or more generation details for the enterprise software object.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the configuration options comprise:
one or more aspects, wherein
the one or more aspects specify one or more requirements for the first pattern as instantiated in the enterprise software object,
each of the one or more aspects is configured to be translated independently, and
each of the one or more aspects is associated with a corresponding content provider of a plurality of content providers.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
executing the enterprise software object in a cloud computing environment, wherein
the generating the enterprise software object is performed in the cloud computing environment, and

the selection is received by a computing device of the cloud computing environment.

13. A computer program product comprising:
a plurality of instructions, comprising
a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to identify a problem domain of a plurality of problem domains, wherein
the problem domain represents a plurality of problems,

a second set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to receive a selection, wherein
the selection identifies a first pattern of a plurality of patterns, and
each of the plurality of patterns is associated with the problem domain,

a third set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to define one or more rules, and
determine whether the first pattern is compatible with a second pattern of the plurality of patterns, wherein
the first pattern and the second pattern are configured to
describe, at least in part, a general solution to a class of problems of a corresponding classes of problems of the plurality of problems, and
facilitate generation of at least a portion of an enterprise software object,

the determination of whether the first pattern is compatible with the second pattern is based, at least in part, on at least one of
the second pattern, or
the enterprise software object, and

the determination comprises restricting the selection according to the one or more rules, wherein
the one or more rules are associated with the plurality of patterns, and
a rule of the one or more rules enforces compatibility between patterns of the plurality of patterns,

a fourth set of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to, in response to a determination that the first pattern is compatible with the second pattern,
generate a first configured pattern by configuring the first pattern, wherein
the first configured pattern describes, at least in part, a specific solution to a specific instance of a problem of the class of problems,
the first configured pattern is generated by
 providing, at least in part, the specific solution by identifying one or more modifications to be made to the first pattern, and
 generating domain code that represents the one or more modifications, wherein
 the domain code is associated with a desired platform of a plurality of platforms,
the domain code is configured to be used to generate executable code, and

generate the enterprise software object, wherein
the fourth set of instructions uses the first configured pattern to generate, at least in part, the enterpris

Assignees

• Yaseen Rahim Mohamed
• Liang John
• Choi Yunhee
• Zhang Xiaomei
• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Yaseen Rahim Mohamed
• Liang John
• Choi Yunhee
• Zhang Xiaomei

Classifications

• G06F8/35

  model driven · CPC title

• G06F8/316

  Aspect-oriented programming techniques · CPC title

• G06F8/10 Primary

  Requirements analysis; Specification techniques · CPC title