Process Agents for Decoupled Business Object Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Large software applications with multiple business objects face performance issues due to locking mechanisms that suspend operations when one business object communicates with others, and integration challenges require frequent changes and updates across components.
Innovation Solution
Introducing process agents that separate static and frequently updated components, allowing independent operation and updates of business objects, enabling simpler integration and communication between them without direct interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If business objects are composed of many different components including user interfaces, data, business rules and communication components, then the system can handle complex business logic, but operation speed decreases and other business objects become locked until operations complete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides business objects into separate components: business objects themselves and process agents. Business objects contain only core business logic and data, while process agents handle communication, user interfaces, and coordination. This segmentation allows business objects to operate independently without being locked during communication operations, resolving the contradiction between handling complex business logic and maintaining operation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Process agents act as intermediaries between business objects. Instead of business objects directly communicating and locking each other, process agents mediate these communications. The process agent handles the communication protocol and coordination, allowing business objects to remain unlocked and operational during interactions with other business objects.
2Adaptability or versatility
If business objects are designed to coordinate with every imaginable other business object, then integration capability improves, but changes require shutdown and upgrade of business objects and review of entire inner working
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into business objects and process agents, where process agents handle integration and coordination logic. This allows integration capabilities to be modified in process agents without changing business objects, eliminating the need for shutdown and upgrade of business objects when integrating with new systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts communication coordination and integration logic from business objects and places it in separate process agents. This extraction allows integration changes to be made in process agents independently of business objects, making updates easier and eliminating the need to review the entire inner working of business objects when integrating with new systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If changes are made to one business object, then the object can be updated with new functionality, but all integrated business objects must be updated at the same time to account for new interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system so that business objects contain only core logic and data, while process agents handle interfaces and communication. This allows business objects to be updated independently without affecting integrated objects, as process agents manage the interface coordination and can adapt to new business object versions without requiring simultaneous updates across the system.
Data Source
AI summary
The addition of process agents into an application system allows a much simpler integration between business objects by placing the integrating components into separate, independently updateable process agents. Process agents observe business objects with which they are associated and communicate with other process agents. Alternatively, process agents may be notified by business objects to perform communication activities. Thus, a business object may be designed, operated, or updated with complete independence from the surrounding structure of the application system. The logic, application code, and integration components that require specific changes or design in response to changes in the overall application system or real world conditions are placed in the process agent objects, allowing them to be updated, modified or integrated freely without any changes to business objects within the system.