Methods and tools for creating and evaluating system blueprints

A computer-implemented method for analyzing requirements, solutions and deployments, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a first database having requirements, solutions, and deployments, wherein (i) requirements comprise functions, data, and events;
• (ii) solutions have installation requirements;
• and (iii) deployments comprise sites, milestones, platforms, and infrastructure resources;
• b) creating a first blueprint by selecting one or more requirements from the first database;
• c) creating a second blueprint by selecting one or more solutions from the first database to satisfy the selected requirements of the first blueprint;
• d) creating a third blueprint by selecting a deployment from the first database to deploy the selected solutions in the second blueprint;
• e) storing the first blueprint, the second blueprint, and the third blueprint in a second database;
• and
• f) displaying the first blueprint, the second blueprint, and the third blueprint in a graphical format.

A computer system comprising:

• a) a first database containing one or more requirements comprising functions, data, and events,
• wherein functions having dependencies with other functions, and
• wherein functions are grouped into business blueprint components;
• b) a second database containing one or more solutions, wherein the one or more solutions are (i) mapped to the functions in the first database and (ii) have installation requirements related to the deployment of the solution;
• c) a third database containing one or more deployments, wherein deployments are mapped to the functions in the first database and wherein deployments comprise deployment platforms having infrastructure resources;
• d) graphical user interface coupled to the databases for:
• 1) creating a first blueprint by selecting one or more requirements from the first database, organizing the requirements into business blueprint components, and displaying graphically the dependencies of the functions and business blueprint components;
• 2) creating a second blueprint by selecting one or more solutions from the second database to satisfy the selected requirements of the first blueprint and displaying graphically whether the selected solutions satisfy the functions of the selected requirements;
• 3) creating a third blueprint by selecting one or more deployments from the third database to deploy the selected solutions in the second blueprint and displaying graphically whether infrastructure resources in the selected deployment platforms comprise functionality to fully deploy the installation requirements of the selected solutions;
• and
• e) a fourth database operable to store the blueprints.

A computer system comprising:

• a) a first database containing one or more requirements, wherein each requirement of the one or more requirements has dependencies with one or more other requirements;
• b) a second database containing one or more solutions,
• wherein the one or more solutions are mapped to the one or more requirements of the first database, and
• wherein the one or more solutions have installation requirements related to the deployment of the solution;
• c) a third database containing one or more deployments,
• wherein the one or more deployments are mapped to requirements in the first database, and
• wherein deployments comprise deployment platforms having infrastructure resources;
• d) graphical user interface coupled to the first database, the second database and the third database for:
• 1) creating a first blueprint by selecting one or more requirements from the first database and causing the mapping of the dependencies of the requirements;
• 2) creating a second blueprint by selecting one or more solutions from the second database to satisfy the selected requirements of the first blueprint and causing the mapping of the selected solutions to the requirements based on whether the solutions satisfy the requirements;
• 3) creating a third blueprint by selecting one or more deployments from the third database to deploy the selected solutions in the second blueprint and causing the mapping of the selected deployments to the solutions based on whether the deployments can deploy the solutions;
• e) means for analyzing the blueprints using a plurality of evaluation modules.

A data structure defining a project, comprising:

• a) a first blueprint comprising one or more data objects pertaining to requirements of the project;
• b) a second blueprint comprising one or more data objects pertaining to solutions of the project;
• c) a third blueprint comprising one or more data objects pertaining to deployments of the project;
• and
• d) means for mapping each data object to one or more other data objects based on the relationship and dependency between the one or more data objects, wherein (i) data objects pertaining to solutions are associated to data objects pertaining to requirements based on whether the solutions satisfy the requirements of the project;
• and (ii) data objects pertaining to solutions are associated to data objects pertaining to deployments based on whether the deployments are compatible with the solutions.