Automatic generation of executable components from business process models

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code stored thereon for automatically generating executable components from a process model, the computer program product comprising:
• computer usable program code for receiving the process model, wherein the process model comprises activities performed as part of a business operation, a sequencing of the activities, and input and output data of the activities;
• computer usable program code for generating a business operation model from the process model, wherein the business operation model comprises a set of connected dominant information entities;
• computer usable program code for optionally saving the business operation model;
• computer usable program code for optionally displaying the business operation model to a user;
• and
• computer usable program code for generating executable component definitions based on the business operation model;
• wherein the computer usable program code for generating the business operation model is carried out by (1) generating a domination graph for each dominant information entity comprising nodes and unidirectional edges such that there are no cycles for each information entity, wherein each node in the domination graph represents an information entity and each unidirectional edge represents a domination relationship between a dominant information entity and a dominated information entity;
• (2) generating a behavior model for each dominant information entity, wherein the behavior model comprises the activities of the process model having the dominant information entity as an input or an output;
• and (3) generating the business operation model containing behavior models of the set of connected dominant information entities which exchange messages between one another;
• and
• wherein a first information entity is a dominant information entity over a second dominated information entity when (1) for each activity having the second information entity as an input, the first information entity is also an input, (2) for each activity having the second information entity as an output, the first information entity is also an output, and (3) the first information entity is used in at least one activity where the second information entity is not used.

A data processing system for automatically generating executable components from a process model, the data processing system comprising:

• a bus;
• a communications unit connected to the bus;
• a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code;
• and
• a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program code to:
• receive the process model, wherein the process model comprises activities performed as part of a business operation, a sequencing of the activities, and input and output data of the activities;
• generate a business operation model from the process model, wherein the business operation model comprises a set of connected dominant information entities;
• optionally save the business operation model;
• optionally display the business operation model to a user;
• and
• generate executable component definitions based on the business operation model;
• wherein generating the business operation model is carried out by (1) generating a domination graph for each dominant information entity comprising nodes and unidirectional edges such that there are no cycles for each information entity, wherein each node in the domination graph represents an information entity and each unidirectional edge represents a domination relationship between a dominant information entity and a dominated information entity;
• (2) generating a behavior model for each dominant information entity, wherein the behavior model comprises the activities of the process model having the dominant information entity as an input or an output;
• and (3) generating the business operation model containing behavior models of the set of connected dominant information entities which exchange messages between one another;
• and
• wherein a first information entity is a dominant information entity over a second dominated information entity when (1) for each activity having the second information entity as an input, the first information entity is also an input, (2) for each activity having the second information entity as an output, the first information entity is also an output, and (3) the first information entity is used in at least one activity where the second information entity is not used.