Metadata-driven audit reporting system with hierarchical relationships

A computer-implemented method for implementing middleware architecture that comprises a plurality of application modules, each application module comprising instructions for executing a software application, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• defining audit metadata for an attribute of a business object contained within a base database table, wherein the business object comprises a plurality of attributes, the business object comprising a collection of data logically related to a logical entity within at least one of the application modules, the audit metadata including:
• a business object identifier,
• an attribute identifier,
• a shadow database table name that identifies a shadow database table associated with the base database table, and
• a shadow database column name that identifies a column of the shadow database table associated with the attribute of the business object;
• defining business object metadata that defines a hierarchical relationship between the business object and at least one child business object;
• during execution of the software application and in response to a modification to data stored within the base database table, generating, by an audit data reporting module, audit data for the attribute of the business object based on the audit metadata, the audit data including a history of one or more modifications to the attribute of the business object, the history including:
• a first value of the attribute stored within the base database table prior to a modification,
• a second value of the attribute stored within the base database table after the modification, and
• a user identifier that identifies a user that performed the modification;
• storing the audit data for the attribute of the business object in the shadow database table identified by the shadow database table name and the shadow database column name of the audit metadata;
• displaying the audit data within a user interface including displaying the business object and the hierarchical relationship between the business object and the at least one child business object based on the business object metadata;
• wherein the business object is indicated to be auditable by the audit data reporting module by setting a custom property of the business object and the plurality of attributes are defined as being auditable in response to selecting the business object for auditing.

A middleware architecture system that comprises a plurality of application modules, each application module comprising instructions for executing a software application, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

• define audit metadata for an attribute of a business object contained within a base database table, wherein the business object comprises a plurality of attributes, the business object comprising a collection of data logically related to a logical entity within at least one of the application modules, the audit metadata including:
• a business object identifier,
• an attribute identifier,
• a shadow database table name that identifies a shadow database table associated with the base database table, and
• a shadow database column name that identifies a column of the shadow database table associated with the attribute of the business object;
• define business object metadata that defines a hierarchical relationship between the business object and at least one child business object;
• during execution of the software application and in response to a modification to data stored within the base database table, generate, by an audit data reporting module, audit data for the attribute of the business object based on the audit metadata, the audit data including a history of one or more modifications to the attribute of the business object, the history including:
• a first value of the attribute stored within the base database table prior to a modification,
• a second value of the attribute stored within the base database table after the modification, and
• a user identifier that identifies a user that performed the modification;
• store the audit data for the attribute of the business object in the shadow database table identified by the shadow database table name and the shadow database column name of the audit metadata;
• display the audit data including displaying the business object and the hierarchical relationship between the business object and the at least one child business object based on the business object metadata;
• wherein the business object is indicated to be auditable by the audit data reporting module by setting a custom property of the business object and the plurality of attributes are defined as being auditable in response to selecting the business object for auditing.