Automatic configuration of a computer system based on process modeling of an implemented process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575747-B2
Application number	US-201414157756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A configuration architecture automatically links the output of a business process modeler to a business system configuration tool. The output of the business process modeler is translated into a representation of a source business process that is used by the business system configuration tool to automatically generate configuration templates. A user can provide configuration information through the configuration templates. The configuration inputs are applied to an implementation of a business system to obtain a configured, working business system instance with the same functionality as the source business process.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
obtaining, by a computing process modeler, a representation of a source computing process, wherein the representation models activities in the source computing process that perform computing process functionality;
generating, by the computing process modeler, a representation of a user interface display comprising a selection user input mechanism for user selection of a configuration tool instance;
receiving an indication of user actuation of the selection user input mechanism, identifying a configuration tool instance that is to be used;
based on the identified configuration tool instance, translating the representation of the source computing process to a translated representation, wherein the translated representation conforms to a format of the identified configuration tool instance and represents the modeled activities in the source computing process;
using the identified configuration tool interface to generate a configuration template from the translated representation, wherein the configuration template is generated based on the modeled activities in the source computing process and comprises a user configuration input mechanism that receives an indication of a user configuration input; and
based on the indication of the user configuration input, configuring a computing system instance for runtime operation, the configured computing system instance having the computing process functionality.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the configuration template is generated to include a series of prompts that are presented to a user to define the configuration of the computing system instance, the series of prompts pertaining to the computing process functionality.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein obtaining a representation of the source computing process comprises:
obtaining a first representation of the source computing process at the computing process modeler, and wherein receiving an indication of user actuation comprises:
receiving an indication of a user synchronization input at the computing process modeler to send the representation of the source computing process to the identified configuration tool instance.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 and further comprising:
receiving the indication of the user configuration input to obtain a configured configuration template; and
applying the configured configuration template to the computing system instance to obtain the configured computing system instance that has the computing process functionality of the source computing process.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating a representation of a user interface display comprises:
generating a representation of a list of user actuatable input mechanisms, each corresponding to a different configuration tool instance;
receiving an indication of user actuation of a particular one of the user actuatable input mechanisms; and
selecting the configuration tool instance corresponding to the particular user actuatable input mechanism as the identified configuration tool instance.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein generating a configuration template comprises:
receiving the translated representation at the configuration tool instance corresponding to the particular user actuatable input mechanism actuated by the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein generating a configuration template comprises:
generating a set of templates and sub-templates with the identified configuration tool instance based on the translated representation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the configuration tool instance comprises an instance of a question-based system configuration tool, and wherein generating a configuration template comprises:
generating a question that is answered by the user configuration input.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein generating a question comprises:
generating a set of question in question groups, each group comprising questions that are related by subject matter.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein translating comprises:
translating the recorded representation of the source computing process into a representation having a schema expected by the configuration tool instance.

11. An electronic configuration system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions configure the electronic configuration system to provide a computing process modeler and a system configuration tool;
wherein the computing process modeler is configured to: provide a representation of a computing process, wherein the representation models activities in the computing process that perform process functionality;
generate a representation of a selection user input mechanism that is actuated to identify a configuration tool instance; and
translate the representation of the computing process into a translated representation of the computing process based on the identified configuration tool instance, wherein the translated representation conforms to a format of the identified configuration tool instance and represents the modeled activities in the computing process; and
wherein the system configuration tool is configured to:
receive the translated representation of the computing process;
based on the translated representation, generate a configuration template, wherein the configuration template is generated based on the modeled activities in the computing process and comprises a user input mechanism that receives an indication of a user configuration input; and
based on the indication of the user configuration input, generate a configured computing system instance for runtime operation that has the computing process functionality.

12. The electronic configuration system of claim 11 wherein the configuration template is generated to include a series of prompts that are presented to a user to define the configuration of the computing system instance, the series of prompts pertaining to the computing process functionality.

13. The electronic configuration system of claim 11 wherein the computing process modeler comprises:
a translation component configured to receive a first representation of the computing process and translate the first representation into a second representation of the computing process according to a schema that is expected by the system configuration tool.

14. The electronic configuration system of claim 13 wherein the computing process modeler models the computing process as the first representation of the computing process.

15. The electronic configuration system of claim 11 wherein the system configuration tool is configured to generate the configuration template as a hierarchical set of templates, sub-templates, question groups and questions, each having the user input mechanism to receive the user configuration input.

16. A computing system comprising:
a processor; and
memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
obtain a first representation of a source computing process, the first representation modeling activities in the source computing process that perform computing process functionality;
generate a representation of a configuration instance selection user interface display with a selection user input mechanism;
receive an indication of user actuation of the

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Deepak
• Desai Aditya Makarand
• Basu Arijit
• Yu Yen Ping
• Swaminathan Manoj

Classifications

• G06F9/4401

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F8/355 Primary

  Round-trip engineering · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F9/4416

  Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL] · CPC title

• G06F8/71 Primary

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