SOA Lifecycle Management System for Customizable Service Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) systems lack customizable lifecycle management, providing only 'one-size-fits-all' approaches that do not adapt to the specific needs of implementing organizations, limiting flexibility and effectiveness in managing SOA entities and metadata.

Innovation Solution

A lifecycle management system (LMS) that allows users to select specific objects and assign lifecycle properties, define customizable stages and states, and control transitions based on organizational requirements, using JAXR taxonomy and graphical user interfaces to tailor lifecycle management to individual SOA components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a standardized lifecycle management approach is used for all SOA entities, then implementation simplicity is improved, but adaptability to specific organizational needs deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to organizational needs
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the SOA entities into different categories (services, policies, associations, registry information) and allows selective application of lifecycle management to specific segments. This enables organizations to apply lifecycle management only to the portions of their SOA that require it, rather than forcing a standardized approach across all entities. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing implementation simplicity for selected segments while maintaining adaptability through selective application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic configuration capabilities that allow organizations to adapt the lifecycle management approach based on their specific needs. The system can dynamically adjust which entities are managed, what lifecycle stages are applicable, and how transitions are handled. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to be simple when needed while becoming more complex and customized when organizational requirements demand it.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If lifecycle management is applied to all SOA entities, then completeness of management is improved, but system complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of managementVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the principle of partial action by allowing organizations to implement lifecycle management for only the subset of SOA entities that require it, rather than forcing complete coverage of all entities. This resolves the contradiction by providing completeness of management for the selected subset while avoiding the unnecessary complexity that would arise from applying lifecycle management to all entities uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If fixed lifecycle stages are predefined for all entities, then implementation ease is improved, but flexibility in defining organizational-specific phases deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation easeVSAvoidflexibility in defining phases
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal lifecycle management framework that can serve multiple functions: it provides predefined standard stages for organizations that want simplicity, while simultaneously allowing customization for organizations that need organizational-specific phases. The same system infrastructure supports both fixed and flexible approaches, resolving the contradiction by making the system multi-functional rather than forcing a single approach.

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

Data Source

PatentEP2293230B1System for managing the lifecycle of a service oriented architecture
Publication Date: 2014.05.07 SOFTWARE AG
  • EP2293230B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2293230B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2293230B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and a system for managing the lifecycle of a service oriented architecture (SOA) comprising the steps of selecting (50) a subset of a plurality of objects of the SOA for lifecycle management in accordance with the requirements of an organization implementing the SOA, and assigning a lifecycle property to each member of the subset of the plurality of objects of the SOA.