Tokenized Process Template for Service Configuration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for deploying software applications are tedious and error-prone, especially in Software as a Service (SAAS) architectures, due to the need for manual configuration of service references, which becomes complex and inhibits scalability and customizability as the number of service references increases.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves providing a catalog of processes, determining service references in a business process template, tokenizing these references using a tokenization module, and publishing the tokenized template to a MetaData Services repository, allowing the Business Process Management software to resolve tokens and invoke services without requiring knowledge of physical service addresses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual configuration methods are used to update service references in deployment templates, then configuration accuracy can be maintained through developer control, but configuration complexity and time consumption increase significantly as the number of service references grows

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration accuracyVSAvoidconfiguration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a configuration management system that acts as an intermediary between developers and deployment templates. This system automatically manages service reference configurations, reducing manual intervention while maintaining accuracy through centralized control and automated updates across multiple environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The configuration management system enables self-service capabilities where the system automatically generates, updates, and manages service references in deployment templates without requiring manual developer intervention for each reference, thereby reducing configuration complexity while maintaining accuracy through automated validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If additional software tools are employed to manage service reference configurations, then configuration management capability is enhanced, but system complexity and deployment time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration management capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the configuration management capabilities directly into the existing development and deployment workflow, eliminating the need for separate additional software tools. The configuration management system is integrated with the IDE and deployment processes, providing enhanced management capability while reducing overall system complexity by consolidating functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If service references are hardcoded in deployment templates, then deployment reliability can be ensured through explicit configuration, but adaptability and scalability are reduced when deploying to multiple environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment reliabilityVSAvoidenvironment adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic configuration management where service references are not hardcoded but managed through a centralized configuration management system. This system allows the same deployment template to adapt to different environments (development, testing, production) by dynamically resolving service references based on environment-specific configurations, thereby maintaining reliability through centralized control while achieving environment adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Manufacturing precision

If developers manually update configuration plans for each service reference, then configuration accuracy can be maintained, but productivity and deployment speed decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration accuracyVSAvoiddeployment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The configuration management system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring and validating service references before deployment. It automatically generates configuration plans and performs validation checks in advance, ensuring configuration accuracy is maintained while significantly improving deployment speed by eliminating manual update steps during the deployment process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11048524B2Creating a tokenized process template for invoking one or more services by replacing service references with respective tokens

Publication Date: 2021.06.29 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A system and method are provided for facilitating configuration of one or more references to a software service to be called by a software application. A catalog process is provided. The catalog includes information identifying services to be called to implement processes. Service references occurring in a process template are determined that are used to implement the processes identified in the catalog. During a build phase, a tokenized process template is created by replacing each of the service references in the process template with a respective token. At least one of the processes is run in accordance with the tokenized process template, including resolving the tokens and invoking at least one service identified thereby.