Metadata-Driven Cloud Ledger Development System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Developing distributed ledger-based applications is challenging for business analysts and consultants due to the need to understand technical details of APIs and programming languages, which creates a barrier to rapid development.

Innovation Solution

A metadata-driven cloud-based system that simplifies the development process by using metadata files to connect to cloud-based ledger services, allowing analysts to develop applications without requiring strong technical knowledge or programming skills, through a cross-platform SDK and visual editor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If developers use cloud-based ledger services with multiple APIs and programming languages, then the distributed ledger application can be executed on various platforms, but the development complexity and technical requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatform compatibilityVSAvoiddevelopment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a metadata file as an intermediary that sits between the business logic and the underlying blockchain APIs. This metadata file contains service connection data and action definitions that abstract away the complexity of different programming languages and APIs, allowing the same metadata to work across multiple platforms without requiring developers to understand platform-specific technical details.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The metadata-driven approach creates a universal development interface that works across multiple platforms and programming languages. The same metadata file can be used to generate applications on different platforms, making the development process platform-agnostic and reducing the need to learn multiple API ecosystems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If developers need to understand technical details of APIs and programming languages, then the application can be executed correctly on the distributed ledger, but the development time and skill requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexecution correctnessVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining service connections and actions in the metadata file before actual application execution. The metadata file contains all necessary configuration information, service connection data, and action definitions that are prepared in advance, eliminating the need for developers to understand technical execution details during the development phase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses metadata files as a copyable template that can be reused across different applications and platforms. Instead of rewriting platform-specific code, developers can copy and adapt metadata files, which automatically generate the correct platform-specific implementation, ensuring execution correctness without requiring deep technical knowledge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If business analysts without programming skills want to develop distributed ledger applications, then the accessibility improves, but the ability to handle technical implementation details decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidtechnical implementation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The metadata file serves as an intermediary that business analysts can work with without needing to understand underlying programming languages or APIs. The metadata abstracts technical implementation details while still allowing analysts to define business logic, service connections, and actions in a simplified format that doesn't require coding skills.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10521196B1Distributed ledger-based rapid application development
Publication Date: 2019.12.31 SAP SE
  • US10521196B1 patent drawing
  • US10521196B1 patent drawing
  • US10521196B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, employing a distributed ledger for cloud based rapid application development. In one aspect, a method for executing actions on a distributed ledger through a cloud-based ledger service instance, the method includes receiving a metadata file from a cloud-based mobile application service, establishing a connection to an instance of a cloud-based ledger service, and for each of a plurality of actions: determining an application program interface (API) call of the cloud-based ledger service instance to execute the action on the distributed ledger, dispatching the determined API call with the respective attributes for the action; and receiving a response from the cloud-based ledger service instance based on a result of the determined API call.