Computer-aided software engineering facility

A method of operating a data processor to generate and distribute a computer program in a computer system, the computer system comprising a plurality of hardware components coupled to form an interconnected computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. creating a set of entities, said set of entities comprising a subset of data entities and a subset of process entities;
• B. creating a set of relationships, said set of relationships comprising a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset;
• C. creating and storing a data entity model by performing the steps of
• i. accepting as input to the data processor data relating to a task to be performed by the computer program, the input data characterized according to the sub-set of data entities, said data entities comprising pre-selected organizational categories;
• ii. accepting as input to the data processor information to link the data entities according to the first pre-determined sub-set, said first predetermined subset comprising pre-selected identifying characteristics between data entities;
• iii. operating the data processor to link the input data entities to each other according to the input first determined subset;
• iv. operating the data processor to store the linked set of input data entities and input first predetermined subset in a storage area;
• D. creating and storing a hierarchical process model by performing the steps of
• i. accepting as input to the data processor information relating to a procedure for accomplishing the task to be performed by the computer program, the input information characterized according to the subset of process entities, said process entities comprising pre-selected process organizational categories;
• ii. said input process entities forming a first part of the hierarchical process model, said hierarchical process model comprising a representation which divides the function of the computer program into discrete sub-tasks, said discrete sub-tasks comprising descriptions of the functions of pre-selected sections of the computer program and the processing requirements for implementing those functions, said descriptions forming said input process entities;
• iii. accepting as input to the data processor information to link said input process entities to each other and to selected ones of the input data entities according to the second predetermined subset, said second predetermined subset forming a second part of said hierarchical process model and comprising descriptions to identify dependencies between the set of entities;
• iv. operating the data processor to link the input set of entities identified by the input information of (D)(iii) according to the input second predetermined subset to create the hierarchical process module;
• v. operating the data processor to store the linked entities, which form the hierarchical process model, in the storage area;
• E. creating and storing a hardware configuration model by performing the steps of
• i. accepting as input to the data processor information specifying connectivity data for the computer network and operational requirements for the operating environments of pre-selected ones of the hardware components;
• ii. operating the data processor to store the connectivity data and operational requirement information in the storage area;
• F. creating a link between the information contained in the hardware configuration model and the input process entities contained in the hierarchical process model, by performing the steps of
• i. accepting as input to the data processor information to link the connectivity data and operational requirements information of the hardware components to pre-selected ones of the input process entities to specify an operating environment for execution of the preselected ones of the input process entities;
• ii. operating the data processor to link the connectivity data and operational requirements information of the hardware components to the pre-selected ones of the input process entities;
• G. creating and storing a logic module, the logic module containing a plurality of logic constructs, each of said plurality of logic constructs corresponding to a predetermined one of the input process entities, the creating and storing of said logic module accomplished by performing the steps of
• i. accepting as input to the data processor information comprising logic constructs in a first programming language, each of said logic constructs comprising statements in the first computer programming language that will enable the computer hardware components to perform the discrete tasks specified in a pre-selected one of the input process entities, said logic constructs in the first programming language comprising statements that reference certain ones of the input entities;
• ii. accepting as input to the data processor information that relates each logic construct to a pre-selected corresponding process entity, the logic construct being designed to perform the function specified by its corresponding process entity;
• iii. operating the data processor to link each logic constant to a corresponding process entity according to the relating information;
• iv. operating the data processor to store the linked logic constructs and the corresponding input which relates each logic construct to the corresponding process entity in the storage area;
• H. operating the data processor to generate, for each logic construct, a computer program module, by utilizing the logic constructs, the corresponding input process entities, the linked set of entities and second predetermined subset the linked set of input data entities and first predetermined subset, and the input information that specifies the connectivity data of the hardware components linked to the preselected corresponding ones of the process entities, said computer program modules each comprising computer code that is supported by the operating environment of the hardware component linked to the corresponding pre-selected one of the process entities;
• I. operating the data processor to scan the storage area to associate with each generated computer program module the linked ones of the hardware components;
• and
• J. operating the data processor to distribute each generated computer program module to the linked ones of the hardware components.