Method and system for accessing software-based systems

[0001] The invention which is the subject of the present application is to provide a method and system which allows the user of the same to access information held in an organization's database in an effective and improved manner.

[0002] The ability of an organization's personnel to access and manipulate the data that they, their customers, suppliers and partners generate in the course of their activities is a prerequisite for organizational effectiveness.

[0003] The use of process driven technologies to allow this access and manipulation is known and recent advances allow data which is gathered and stored in several systems to be made available to the user within one coherent view, placing the retrieved information in a process context for the end user. For example, the invention described in the applicant's co-pending British Patent Application No. 0018839.1 describes a method for developing a process-driven system for displaying diverse information within the context of the processes that require that information.

[0004] Several products constitute a body of prior art for this invention but which present a set of problems that this invention addresses.

[0005] A first area of technology relates to systems which are embedded within others. Applets Add-ins provide access to functionality from one system within another through the installation of a target system within the host system. (for example the Java jar technology U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,408).

[0006] A second area of technology relates to mechanisms for interaction between software-based systems. A known technology in this area is remote procedure calla well-established mechanism whereby two systems can interact and share information at the level of protocol for communication. A further technology is that of data exchange (eg Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Extensible Markup Language (XML), translation wrappers for e.g. legacy system access, adapters) that allow systems to meaningfully exchange information according to translation or defined protocol at the level of information.

[0007] A further technology relates to an attempt to ensure interoperability of diverse systems, typically based on object technologies. This technology involves the creation of common defined interfaces and methods of working for software components, such that a common broker can manage the communication between these (e.g. the CORBA request broker).

[0008] A further technology relates to the creation of shared data structures for authorised components, or agents, to present information against, giving an interaction typically aimed at problem resolution of some form, with features to support dynamic reconfiguration (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,146)

[0009] A further technology relates to populated frameworks for interaction that provide basic components with pre-defined interaction capabilities to address particular problems, giving a network similar in principle to a special case of target systems as activators (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,314)

[0010] A further technology relates to the presentation of data in target systems within a host system, where the host system is a portal, and the target systems are generally exposed through a web service interface, wrapped in html presentation (see for example the products of Plumtree Software).

[0011] A yet further area of technology relates to the coordination and control of a collection of systems by a central workflow or process integration engine (see for example Microsoft Corporation's BizTalk product, or the eBusiness Operating System product of Asera Corporation), through the definition of a process comprising a series of steps with information flow. This technology is intended to provide for the coordination of several systems in the execution of a single process.

[0012] The aim of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for accessing the data and functionality of a collection of software-based systems from other software-based systems, and including improvements in the provision of contextual access. A yet further aim is to provide the method and apparatus in a manner which provides a simpler and more powerful mechanism for creating, for example, coherent, contextual access to data and functionality derived from diverse sources, such as required by process-driven systems.

[0013] In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for creating a system to allow contextual access to data via access of a host data system by a user, said method comprising the following steps:

[0014] defining a host system for use by at least one user to access data,

[0015] defining at least one target data system to be selectively accessed via the host system,

[0016] creating an activator and specifying properties of the at least one target data system

[0017] creating a wrapper to define the interfaces between the at least one target system and the host system and characteristics of operation of the activator

[0018] instantiating the activator for the host system and at least one target system by adding values for the specification propertiescreating a representation of the at least one target system with regard to the host system

[0019] and the user using the host system in at least one instance to access at least one target system instance in context via the activator.

[0020] Typically a target system is a data resource such as an information system containing data and/or functionality, which is represented within and manipulated from the host system.

[0021] Typically a host system is an information system that benefits from containing representations of data or functionality from a range of diverse target systems. A fully-realised host system results from an application of the method and apparatus to link it to the target systems.

[0022] Typically, an activator is created for a coherent set of target systems to be represented within the host system, and contains a specification and a wrapper. The specification specifies the data and functionality of interest from the target systems and with respect to request from the user, those target systems which need to be accessed. The wrapper contains instructions on how to interface with the host system to present this data, and how to interface with the targets systems to access this data.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention, the wrapper contains programmable elements that control the manipulation of the target system data content from within the host system and allow the presentation of the retrieved data within a predetermined framework to the user so as to allow the user to utilise the data.

[0024] An instance is defined as a period of use of the system by a user which has a start and an end time. Thus, if a user uses the system a number of times in, for example, one day that user will be recognised as having had a number of usage instances in that day. In addition the system can experience simultaneous instances of use if a number of different users are using the system at the same time.

[0025] Typically the behaviour of each activator defined by the wrapper is persistent, in that an instance of an activator, once created, persists with regard to the host system and target systems such that the activator can interact with the host system at distinct time intervals with no loss of state in accordance with rules given by the specifications. This allows a user, upon their return from a previous instance of use, to recommence the usage with the same activator, without having to start from the beginning once again.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention the host system exposes itself to activators, allowing activators to modify the host system.

[0027] In a one embodiment, an activator can be treated as a target system, allowing an activator to work on behalf of a host system on another activator that may or may not (as defined by its wrapper) have any direct interface to the host system, and may in turn operate on other target systems, including other activators. The network of activators that results allows target systems to be accessed in the host system via several levels of abstraction, through layers of activators.

[0028] In one embodiment a target system can be a protocol that brokers access to other target systems, allowing the host system to dynamically find appropriate data and functionality from whichever target systems are available at the time of the request.

[0029] In one embodiment the activator is responsible for finding and instantiating another activator with values, allowing dynamic, extensible effects to be created. This extensible architecture, along with the use of a target system as a protocol allows descriptions to be given of unknown, diverse systems that a process-driven system might represent, and these descriptions allow a process-driven system to manipulate such systems, as and when they are available.

[0030] In one embodiment of the invention any of the target systems can be a representation of the host system, and an activator can utilise an understanding of host system data and behaviour in its own actions with regards to the host system or target systems. Where the host system is a process-based system, this allows for target systems to be used within the context of a larger process, giving an implementation of the concept of process-driven system, see for example, the applicant's co-pending British Patent Application No. 0018839.1. The activator understands the business process, and makes appropriate use of the target system within this, as defined by its specification.

[0031] In one embodiment if one of the target systems is a representation of the host system, an activator can give a dynamic presentation of the host system, acting as the Controller to the Target System's Model and the Host System's View in the Model View Controller style of a product such as, for example, described in Smalltalk-80: The Language and its Implementation; Adele Goldberg and David Robson (Addison Wesley, 1983, ISBN 0-201-11371-6.

[0032] In one embodiment any of the target systems can be a host system, with its own set of activators and target systems.

[0033] In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a system to allow user access to a plurality of data resources said data resources accessible by a user via a host system, each of said data resources identified as a target system connected to the host system, and characterised in that the system comprises at least one activator within the system, the activator selected in response to user request criteria; means for identifying the target system or systems which are to be accessed with reference to the specified properties of the target data systems, a wrapper which defines the interfaces between the target systems and the host system and to allow the user to obtain access to data retrieved from one or a number of selected target systems in a usage instance in a contextual manner.

[0034] In a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a data access system, said system allowing access via a computer based access location by a user to a host system and via said host system to a number of data resources known as target systems, said system, in response to a user request, identifying, via information stored in the host system, those of the target systems which need to be addressed to meet the user request, and having identified said target systems, accessing the same in accordance with defined interface procedures held in the host system, accessing the required data from the target systems and transferring the same to the host system for provision to the user in a contextual and organised manner.

[0035] Typically the target systems which need to be addressed are identified by an activator; the interfaces between the host system and identified target systems are defined within a wrapper. Typically the data from the target systems is provided to the user via the host system within a frame work generated by the host system from data stored therein for each specific target system so that the retrieved data is placed in position in the framework and the host system includes stored therein those features of the target system required to allow the display of the data retrieved from the respective target system in the framework so as to be provided in a clear and usable manner via the computer terminal used by the user.

[0036] The present invention therefore provides a process-driven system which lays out processes, and gives access to helpful data and functionality as a user browses and makes requests for information so that the user believes that the information retrieved is effectively from the host system and the invention treats the location of the data and functionality as target systems, making these accessible and useful within a host system that presents other non-system-based but related material as well. Thus the user, upon making the request, allows the host system, to firstly identify and access the target systems with the required data, and arranges for the transfer of the data to the host system using defined interfaces held in the host system to ensure that the host and target system can talk to allow the effective transfer of data between the host system and target system. The host system also includes a frame work or specification as to the presentation of the retrieved data dependent upon the particular target system from which it came and specific requirements for the system. Thus the defined and contextual presentation of retrieved information allows the user to use the same as if the data had been directly provided by the host system.

[0037] The persistence of the system allows the user of the host system of the invention to revisit a target system via the method of the invention with that target system behaving differently, if required, because it is being accessed in a different context. The change in context might be because it is the second visit, or because the user of the host system has done something significant with regard to his target system in-between visits such as, for example, entering a new piece of data elsewhere in the host system that the target system could make use of.

[0038] As the host system created by the invention describes functionality at a high level (typically at the level of genuine business process, some of which may be supported by target system functionality, and some of which may not), a mechanism is achieved which allows the user to work with a suitable level of abstraction in the host system, allowing the link to the level of a target system to be made in several easy steps, rather than involving direct interaction.

[0039] The use of the collection of packages, or activators, allows each to define the permissible interface to a collection of target systems and to a host system. The target systems are those that will be useful during the operation of the host system. Each activator defines behaviour with regards to these systems in terms of data exchange, data manipulation and data presentation. The subsequent instantiation of any number of activators gives a set of active, persistent proxies for target system instances accessible from and in the context of an instance of the host system, thus allowing these target systems instances to be accessed and manipulated from within the context provided by the host system instance.

[0040] As indicated an activator can be utilised as a target system itself thus allowing a network of interacting activators to be created. The activator is typically defined in software and specifies abstractly a set of target systems, and interfaces with these systems and a host system, providing persistent, dynamic behaviour with regards to these target systems within the host system.

[0041] Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates in schematic fashion the method of the invention in one embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates the use of an activator as a target system;

[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a target system as a representation of a host system;

[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of an implementation of the invention; and

[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a second implementation of the invention.

[0047] Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a schematic diagram of the key steps and components of a method, apparatus and system in accordance with the invention. The method provides the various components for the use of a host system by a user to access and obtain data from other data systems, referred to as target systems, linked to the host system. The access and manner of access and operation when access is gained is achieved via the use of activators, which set the parameters of the access to the target systems. Thus in FIG. 1 the generation of the system follows the method of creating an activator and specifying a number of target system properties 6 to which that activator is linked 1. The method then creates a wrapper which serves to define the interfaces between the target systems and host system and the characteristics and properties of the activator 2. With the wrapper complete, the activator can be instantiated or defined for the host system and the target systems by adding values for the specification properties 3 as is the wrapper 4. As a result, the target systems can be selectively accessed via the host system in a defined manner by the user of the host system for a specific request. This method can then be repeated to generate a number of activators and associated wrappers for possible different user requests so that in due course, upon a user request, the activator appropriate to that request is selected to access the target systems defined.

[0048] It is possible for the use of the activators and target system components to be altered to provide specific system effects as is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2 the same four generation steps are followed as described with respect to FIG. 1 however instead of only target systems 6 being specified being provided, an activator 8 representing a target system is provided so that the said activator operates on behalf of the host system on another activator that may or may not (as defined by its wrapper) have any direct interface to the host system, and may in turn operate on other target systems, including other activators. The network of activators that results allows target systems to be accessed in the host system via several levels of abstraction, through the provision of these additional layers of activators.

[0049] In FIG. 3 a target system 10 is utilised as a representation of another host system which allows the main host system to be used to access a further target system which in itself acts a host system, said second host system having the features as herein defined with respect to the first host system. Thus an activator 12 can utilise an understanding of host system data and behaviour in its own actions with regards to the host system or target systems.

[0050] A first example of implementation of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying FIG. 4.

[0051] This first implementation concerns the development of process-driven systems, allowing meaningful access to diverse content and functionality in the context of a process-based user-interface. It shows the invention acting as the basic mechanism within a process-driven system for providing structured access to business data.

[0052] Process models are increasingly used to define best practice within a business and to communicate this to those associated with the business, with the potential benefit of enhanced business performance and the reduction in risk of failures of adherence to best practice, whether that best practice is defined within the organisation or by a regulatory body.

[0053] Alongside process models describing best practice processes and the resources that these require in order to be delivered, businesses will evolve a body of documentation, guidelines, policies and rules concerning the delivery of said processes. This body constitutes the organisation's knowledge resource that distinguishes its delivery of a process from another organisation's delivery of the same process.

[0054] The co-pending British Patent Application No. 0018839.1 describes a process for which the term Knowledge Activation has been coined as a name for the linkage of resources as described within a process model, or Knowledge Map, to their counterparts within this body of organisational knowledge.

[0055] The invention described in this application provides integration between a body of documentation already organised or described within a content management system within a web-generated process model system, using existing mechanisms such as XML as a basis in a tagged template specification style.

[0056] The more specific method followed is then, with reference to FIG. 4:

[0057] Create a range of packages 16 containing XML specifications acting as an interface to files, databases and content management target systems 18. The properties and values in the specifications are represented as XML tags 20. Where these systems are able to export XML, the specification can be generated directly. The packages are defined in a format that is interpretable by a software tool. For example, for a target system 18 that is a content management system providing reports on economic activity, a fragment of a specification might be as follows:

[0058] <COUNTRY defaultUK>

[0059] <VALUE nameArgentina/>

[0060] <VALUE name. . . />

[0061] </COUNTRY>

[0062] Define a wrapper 22 in the form of tagged Hyper Text Markup Language HTML) templates 24 for each package, the tags corresponding to properties defined within the specification. The tags are defined in a format interpretable by a software tool. For example, a fragment of an HTML wrapper for the specification given above might be as follows:

[0063] <AHREF_ENGINE_country_COUNTRY_>

[0064] _COUNTRY

[0065] </A>

[0066] Instantiate the specification within a modelling tool 26, that creates a process-driven system. For each element of the process modelling tool, a specification can be instantiated indicating the data or functionality from the target system that is to be associated with this element. The user of the modelling tool can choose or supply the value or values to be used against each property in the specification and the Modelling tool instantiates the tagged HTML template using information from the instantiated XML specification, so creating the representation of the target system within the host system

[0067] The content from the content management target system 18 is then accessed by the user of the host system in a specified framework and contextual manner via the a specified context of, in this case, a knowledge map 30.

[0068] The components which are deployed in the operation of the method can now be set out in more detail.

[0069] The activator

[0070] Comprising an XML document (specification) that specifies the elements of the target system to be represented: a collection of properties that define how data or functionality is to be taken from or written to the target system, with suggested or default values, and an HTML document (wrapper) containing tags corresponding to properties in the specification. The tags are formatted in such a way as to be recognisable to the software tool such as the Business Activation, software, and embedded within a template representation comprising HTML formatting to be used to create a representation of the specified elements of the target system within the host system

[0071] The target systems

[0072] An information system containing data or functionality, to be represented within the host system

[0073] The host system

[0074] A process-driven system comprising web-enabled process models and definitional material containing representations of data or functionality from a range of diverse target systems, linked at appropriate points in the processes. The full host system results from an application of the method to link it to the target systems.

[0075] A second implementation of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying FIG. 5.

[0076] The second implementation also concerns the development of process-driven systems, allowing meaningful access to diverse content and functionality in the context of a process-based user-interface, showing the invention acting as the basic mechanism within a process-driven system for providing structured access to business data. This second implementation also makes use of further features of the invention.

[0077] The more specific method followed is illustrated, with reference to a simple, specific example as laid out in FIG. 5 the aim of which is to achieve the obtaining of information for an End of Year Tax task. Thus the steps followed are as follows;

[0078] Create an activator End of Year Tax32 specifying target system requirements and properties. Two target systems are used: Microsoft Excel 34, and an extant activator 36 that integrates with the Microsoft BizTalk system

[0079] A wrapper 38 is created to define the interfaces to the target systems and the users host system, comprising BPML 40, HTML 42, XML 44 and XML Schema components 46, and creating activator behaviour in the form of Web Service behaviour 48.

[0080] The activator for the host systemin this case a Financial Management Knowledge Map is created using the Salamander Business Transformation Toolset, and made available on Microsoft Corporation's IIS web server and target systems by adding values for the specification properties to create a sufficient representation of the target systems within the host system to allow the retrieved data to be displayed appropriately.

[0081] The host system request by the user accesses the identified target system instance(s) in context via the activator instance(s), through the mediation of the collection of interacting activators 50.

[0082] Thus, all communication between the Financial Management Knowledge Map, Activators and target system instances is through web method calls (Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)/XML). Activator behaviour is initiated through an initial end user request made in the Financial Management Knowledge Map. The End of Year Tax Activator responds to this request and gathers financial data from Excel and from the BizTalk Activator, which is presented in HTML format within the Financial Management Knowledge Map. The BizTalk Activator in turn requests financial data from the BizTalk Adapter for Service Advertising Protocol (SAP), which in turn requests financial data from a SAP Financials system.

[0083] The components which are deployed in the operation of the method of this implementation can now be set out in more detail.

[0084] The activator

[0085] A set of web services containing XML specification of target systems and a variety of wrapper examples allowing communication with host and target systems

[0086] The target systems

[0087] Microsoft's Excel system, and an extant Activator that integrates with Microsoft's BizTalk system

[0088] The host system

[0089] A process-driven system comprising web-enabled process models and definitional material containing representations of data or functionality from a range of diverse target systems, linked at appropriate points in the processes. The full host system results from an application of the method to link it to the target systems.

[0090] In comparison with technology that embeds systems within others the present invention is intended for use with common target systems within an organisation, onto which a view is created, rather than for use with small applications for which it might be feasible to take an entire copy of a target system and install this within the host.

[0091] Current software interaction mechanisms do not provide the concept of host system as required, in particular wrappers for alternate interfaces and support for interface presentation consistent with a host system while the present invention provides access to data in context of the host system, rather than simply interaction protocols between diverse software systems, while mechanisms that provide presentation within a host system (e.g. devices in a portal) lack the persistence and interaction of these components.

[0092] In comparison with workflow and process integration technology, the present invention addresses a different aim, concerned with the concept of a host system that provides the context for the usage of the target systems, which leads us to the concept of activators as potentially a community of interacting components, with no single point of control, giving flexibility and extensibility in deployment, and the concept of a host being a process-driven system, with a target being a model of this process-driven system.

[0093] In addition, further enhancements derive from the present invention:

[0094] the presentation of the data from the system can be controlled through templates, allowing the look and feel of the published framework to be preserved, and allowing the data to be interwoven with information from the published framework and data from elsewhere and previously used formats.

[0095] multiple packages may be developed for the same target system, giving alternative views onto the same content

[0096] the packages that are available can be varied according to user privileges

[0097] packages can contain active components for manipulating target systems within the host system

[0098] the generic concept of package is used regardless of whether the link to be made comprises a simple search string, or an active component, giving a simple, unifying approach to a complex and diverse problem areathat of linking to diverse content