Service-Oriented Process Configuration Layer for Dynamic Runtime Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current service-oriented business process systems lack effective techniques for matching business requirements with available services, particularly in a realistic n-to-m relationship, and fail to distinguish between diverse configurational operators and resolve dependencies between service matches, limiting dynamic service deployment and configurational activities at runtime.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a service-oriented process configuration layer that enhances business process modeling to support logical operators and constraints for matching process steps and services, using configurational operators such as disjunctive, conjunctive, and adjunctive operators to merge and resolve service matches, enabling dynamic service deployment and adaptation during runtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If service-oriented business process systems use traditional matching techniques, then the system structure remains simple, but the ability to match business requirements with available services in n-to-m relationships is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service matching process into distinct configurational operators (disjunctive, conjunctive, adjunctive) that handle different types of n-to-m relationships. Each operator manages specific aspects of service matching independently, allowing the system to handle complex matching scenarios without overwhelming structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a configurational operator layer as an intermediary between business requirements and service matches. This intermediary layer resolves dependencies and manages the complexity of n-to-m relationships, enabling versatile service matching while maintaining system structure through abstraction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports dynamic service deployment at runtime, then the adaptability improves, but the complexity of resolving configurational dependencies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary resolution of configurational dependencies during service matching and configuration phases. By resolving dependencies before runtime execution, the system prepares service match configurations in advance, enabling dynamic deployment without incurring the full complexity burden during runtime operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic service deployment by allowing service matches to be selected, modified, and resolved at runtime based on actual business requirements. The configurational operators enable flexible adjustment of service bindings while maintaining consistency with the overall process configuration, balancing adaptability with manageable complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the system distinguishes between diverse configurational operators, then the precision of service matching improves, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring dependencies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different configurational operators (disjunctive, conjunctive, adjunctive) to different local contexts within the service matching process. Each operator is tailored to specific types of dependencies and matching scenarios, improving precision by applying the appropriate level of scrutiny and resolution strategy to each local situation rather than using a uniform approach.
Data Source
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AI summary
Certain example embodiments described herein relate to techniques for matching business requirements with available services in service-oriented business process systems. An n-to-m relationship between process steps and services may be established. In certain example embodiments, both future design and dynamic runtime changes become possible by elaborating on possible resolution techniques before process execution and by identifying/resolving configurational dependencies. The addition of a service-oriented process configuration layer is made possible in certain example embodiments by enhancing the way that business processes are modeled visually or notationally, and through the implementation of a metamodel. The model linking process steps and services may be extended so as to support logical operators, rules or constraints for matching process steps and services, dependencies and relationships, etc. A meta model may be provided so as to provide support for evaluating or analyzing matches, sometimes automatically, at either or both of runtime and design time.