Status Management Runtime Component for Software State Constraint Enforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As software systems become larger and more complex, managing the state of objects in a coherent and less burdensome manner becomes increasingly difficult, as programmers face challenges in understanding and enforcing constraints based on object states, leading to inefficiencies in determining whether actions can be performed.
Innovation Solution
A status management runtime component is introduced that sets and manages status values across object nodes, using a status schema model to determine whether actions are allowed, thereby reducing the burden on programmers and ensuring coherent state management by tracking status information and enforcing constraints within a status repository.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If programmers directly code state constraints into objects themselves, then the object can autonomously enforce state requirements, but the programming burden increases significantly as software projects become larger and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a status management runtime component as an intermediary between objects and state constraints. This runtime component maintains a status repository that stores status information about objects, and automatically determines whether actions are allowed based on current state without requiring programmers to explicitly code each constraint into every object. The runtime acts as a mediator that enforces state requirements centrally while keeping individual objects simple.
2Ease of operation
If programmers rely on other unrelated objects to enforce state requirements, then the original object remains simple, but the determination of whether actions are allowed becomes independent of the actual object state
Solution Approach 1:
The status management runtime component serves as a reliable intermediary that maintains accurate status information in a centralized status repository. When an object needs to perform an action, the runtime component queries the status repository to determine whether the action is allowed, ensuring that the determination is always based on the actual current state of objects rather than independent assumptions. This maintains both object simplicity and state accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously maintaining status information in the status repository that reflects the current state of objects. The status management runtime component uses this feedback information to make accurate decisions about whether actions are permitted, ensuring that state constraint enforcement remains reliable while objects themselves remain simple.
3Adaptability or versatility
If status information is distributed across multiple objects, then each object can maintain its own state data, but understanding and enforcing constraints based on object states becomes increasingly burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges status information from multiple independent objects into a centralized status repository managed by the status management runtime component. This allows individual objects to maintain their independence and adaptability while the runtime component consolidates status information to provide a unified view for constraint enforcement. The merging eliminates the complexity of managing distributed status constraints while preserving object independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A design-time status schema model describes the progress of a data object through a computing process. The status schema model includes status variables, processing actions and constraints for performing actions. The status schema model also may describe permitted changes to a status variable in response to performing an action. At runtime, the status schema model is used to control processing performed by, or on, an instance of a data object corresponding to the status schema model.