Metadata Model Repository for Mobile Business Applications

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current business application platforms are not suitable for model-driven development of mobile versions of business applications, requiring hard-coding and lacking consistency with desktop applications, which hinders the development of mobile device-tailored business applications.

Innovation Solution

A metadata model repository architecture that allows metadata models and object models to be created and shared between backend and mobile devices, enabling the reuse of design time tools and eliminating the need for resource-consuming model checks on mobile devices, facilitating the development of consistent online and offline mobile business applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If model-driven development is used for desktop business applications, then development efficiency and consistency are improved, but it cannot be applied to mobile versions requiring hard-coding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevelopment efficiencyVSAvoidplatform compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The metadata model repository architecture enables a single model-driven development platform to serve multiple device types (desktop and mobile) by providing platform-agnostic metadata models that can be consumed by different runtime environments, eliminating the need for separate hard-coded mobile development

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If mobile-specific design time tools are created, then mobile application development is enabled, but system complexity and development overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobile development capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The backend metadata model repository serves as a universal design-time tool that can generate applications for both desktop and mobile platforms, eliminating the need for separate mobile-specific design tools and reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Mobile applications are generated by copying and adapting metadata models from the backend repository rather than creating mobile applications from scratch, reducing development overhead while maintaining mobile-specific capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If model checks and validation are performed on mobile devices, then model consistency is ensured, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodel consistencyVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Model checks and validation are performed in advance on the backend metadata model repository before deploying applications to mobile devices, ensuring model consistency without requiring resource-intensive validation operations on mobile devices themselves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9633107B2Mobile metadata model repository

Publication Date: 2017.04.25 SAP SE

AI summary

A system includes creation of a first data structure defining a generic business object model in a storage medium of a first device, creation of a second data structure defining a specific business object model in the storage medium of the first device, where the specific business object model being an instance of the generic business object model, reception of the second data structure defining the specific business object model at a mobile device, and storage of the second data structure in a storage medium of the mobile device.