Decoupling Business Rules via Stand-Alone Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional business rule processing systems face limitations such as poor portability, limited trigger capabilities, and unsatisfactory integration with external applications, making it difficult to manage and update business rules dynamically, especially in content management systems where rules frequently change due to user requirements, regulations, and economic trends.
Innovation Solution
A stand-alone business rule engine that encodes business logic in platform-independent language, storing rules in a central repository and executing them independently, allowing for frequent updates without affecting existing systems, with a loosely coupled architecture and well-defined interfaces for improved portability and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If business rules are embedded in application code, then system integration is achieved, but portability and ease of updating rules deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct modules: a business rule repository storing rules in XML format, a business rule engine for processing, and application modules. This segmentation allows rules to be updated independently from application code, improving adaptability while managing complexity through clear module boundaries and interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts business rules from application code and stores them separately in a centralized repository. Rules are defined in XML files that can be modified without changing the application code, enabling easy updates and maintenance while preserving system integration through the engine's processing capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If business rules are stored in a centralized repository, then portability and reusability improve, but integration with existing systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The business rule engine is designed with universal interfaces that can process rules from a centralized repository and integrate with multiple different applications and systems. The engine uses standard XML formats and provides configurable processing capabilities that work across diverse system architectures, ensuring both portability and reliable integration.
3Ease of manufacture
If business logic is decoupled from application code, then maintenance costs reduce, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The architecture segments business logic into separate, independently maintainable XML rule files stored in a centralized repository. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to update business rules without modifying application code, reducing maintenance costs while the modular structure manages complexity through clear separation of concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The business rule engine acts as an intermediary between the centralized rule repository and application code. It handles the complexity of rule processing, validation, and execution, allowing simple XML rule definitions to be transformed into complex business logic operations without requiring application code changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A business rule processing system automatically processes dynamic business rules in a content management system, allowing frequent updates to the business rules. The updates can be automatically adapted by the system without restarting the content management system. The system utilizes a stand-alone rule engine. Business logic is encoded as business rule definition files using a platform-independent language; the business rule definition files are stored in a central business rule repository. The business rules are managed and executed by the rules engine; the rules engine provides business rule processing services to other parts of the content management system. The system reduces development and maintenance cost, accelerates the business rule update cycle, and simplifies administration efforts.