Method to automatically map business function level policies to IT management policies

A computer-implemented system for retaining data in a storage layer according to a high-level policy comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory device coupled to the processor,
• wherein the processor is further configured to perform:
• describing the high-level policy as a table on a regulation layer, the table including a high-level object and attributes of the high-level object, the attributes including a retention time indicating how long the high-level object needs to be retained and a start event from which the retention time is measured;
• performing a first data mapping of the high-level object in the regulation layer to a data type in a business model layer, said first data mapping performed by
• substituting the high-level objects in the table in the regulation layer with corresponding data types in the business model layer, wherein for each high-level object defining a row of the table, the high-level object is mapped to one or more data types in a set of {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer wherein attributes of the high-level object row in the table are replaced with attributes of each data type of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer, wherein:
• one-to-one mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having exactly one corresponding data type {Bi} in the business model layer,
• one-to-several mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having several corresponding data types {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer,
• one-to-subtype mapping substitution indicates one high-level object corresponds to a subtype {Si} of a data type {B1} in the business model layer, and
• one-to-union of several subtypes mapping substitution indicates that the high-level object corresponds to a union of several subtypes {S1, . . . , Sn} of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer;
• and
• mapping the start event in the regulation layer to a start-event-action in the business model layer by substituting the corresponding start-event-action in the business model layer for the start event in the regulation layer, the start-event-action being one of:
• an action, a set of several actions, subsets of actions, or a pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer;
• performing a second data mapping of the data type of the business model layer to a data item in the storage layer, said second data mapping performed by:
• mapping the start-event-action in the business model layer to actual executable steps in the storage layer when the start-event-action is one of the action, the set of several actions or the subsets of actions;
• transforming, when the start event is mapped to the pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer, the pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer to a similar pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the storage layer;
• deriving a low-level policy from the high-level policy by substituting the high-level object with the data item and substituting the start event with the actual executable steps or the similar pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event;
• and
• retaining the data item in the storage level in accordance with the start event.

A computer program product for retaining data in a storage layer according to a high-level policy, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, said method steps comprising:

• describing the high-level policy as a table on a regulation layer, the table including a high-level object and attributes of the high-level object, the attributes including a retention time indicating how long the high-level object needs to be retained and a start event from which the retention time is measured;
• performing a first data mapping of the high-level object in the regulation layer to a data type in a business model layer, said first data mapping performed by
• substituting the high-level objects in the table in the regulation layer with corresponding data types in the business model layer, wherein for each high-level object defining a row of the table, the high-level object is mapped to one or more data types in a set of {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer wherein attributes of the high-level object row in the table are replaced with attributes of each data type of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer, wherein:
• one-to-one mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having exactly one corresponding data type {Bi} in the business model layer,
• one-to-several mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having several corresponding data types {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer,
• one-to-subtype mapping substitution indicates one high-level object corresponds to a subtype {Si} of a data type {B1} in the business model layer, and
• one-to-union of several subtypes mapping substitution indicates that the high-level object corresponds to a union of several subtypes {S1, . . . , Sn} of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer;
• and
• mapping the start event in the regulation layer to a start-event-action in the business model layer by substituting the corresponding start-event-action in the business model layer for the start event in the regulation layer, the start-event-action being one of:
• an action, a set of several actions, subsets of actions, or a pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer;
• performing a second data mapping of the data type of the business model layer to a data item in the storage layer, said second data mapping performed by:
• mapping the start-event-action in the business model layer to actual executable steps in the storage layer when the start-event-action is one of the action, the set of several actions or the subsets of actions;
• transforming, when the start event is mapped to the pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer, the pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the business model layer to a similar pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event in the storage layer;
• deriving a low-level policy from the high-level policy by substituting the high-level object with the data item and substituting the start event with the actual executable steps or the similar pair of a precondition of the start event and a postcondition of the start event;
• and
• retaining the data item in the storage level in accordance with the start event.

A computer-implemented method for transforming a low-level policy associated with IT an IT (Information Technology) layer to a high-level policy associated with a business model layer comprising:

• identifying high-level objects in the regulation layer;
• describing the high-level policy as a table on the regulation layer, the table including the high-level objects and attributes of the high-level objects, the attributes including retention times indicating how long the high-level objects need to be retained and start events from which the retention times are measured;
• performing a first data mapping of the high-level objects in the regulation layer to data types in a business model layer, said first data mapping performed by
• substituting the high-level objects in the table in the regulation layer with corresponding data types in the business model layer, wherein for each high-level object defining a row of the table, the high-level object is mapped to one or more data types in a set of {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer wherein attributes of the high-level object row in the table are replaced with attributes of each data type of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer, wherein:
• one-to-one mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having exactly one corresponding data type {Bi} in the business model layer,
• one-to-several mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having several corresponding data types {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer,
• one-to-subtype mapping substitution indicates one high-level object corresponds to a subtype {Si} of a data type {Bi} in the business model layer, and
• one-to-union of several subtypes mapping substitution indicates that the high-level object corresponds to a union of several subtypes {S1, . . . , Sn} of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer;
• and
• mapping the start events in the regulation layer to start-event-actions in the business model layer by substituting the corresponding start-event-actions in the business model layer for the start events in the regulation layer, a start-event-action being one of:
• an action, a set of several actions, subsets of actions, or a pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer;
• performing a second data mapping of the data types of the business model layer to data items in the storage layer, said second data mapping performed by:
• mapping the start-event-actions in the business model layer to actual executable steps in the storage layer when the start-event-action is one of the action, the set of several actions or the subsets of actions;
• transforming, when the start events are mapped to the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer, the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer to a similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the storage layer;
• deriving a low-level policy from the high-level policy by substituting the high-level objects with the data items and substituting the start events with the actual executable steps or the similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events;
• and
• retaining the data items in the storage level in accordance with the start events;
• identifying low-level objects in the low-level policy, the low-level objects including:
• the data items, the actual executable steps, the similar pair of the precondition of the start events and the postcondition of the start events;
• automatically discovering a data dependency between the low-level objects and the high-level objects;
• mapping the low-level objects to related high-level objects based on the first data mapping and the second data mapping;
• and
• mapping the low-level policy to another high-level policy by applying the discovered data dependency and substituting the low-level objects with the related high-level objects,
• wherein a processor coupled to a memory device perform:
• the identifying the high-level objects, the describing the high-level policy, the performing the first data mapping, the mapping the start events, the performing the second data mapping, the retaining the data items, the identifying the low-level objects, the automatically discovering the data dependency, the mapping the low-level objects, and the mapping the low-level policy.

A computer-implemented system for transforming a low-level policy associated with IT an IT (Information Technology) layer to a high-level policy associated with a business model layer comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory device coupled to the processor,
• wherein the processor is further configured to perform:
• identifying high-level objects in the regulation layer;
• describing the high-level policy as a table on the regulation layer, the table including the high-level objects and attributes of the high-level objects, the attributes including retention times indicating how long the high-level objects need to be retained and start events from which the retention times are measured;
• performing a first data mapping of the high-level objects in the regulation layer to data types in a business model layer, said first data mapping performed by
• substituting the high-level objects in the table in the regulation layer with corresponding data types in the business model layer, wherein for each high-level object defining a row of the table, the high-level object is mapped to one or more data types in a set of {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer wherein attributes of the high-level object row in the table are replaced with attributes of each data type of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer, wherein:
• one-to-one mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having exactly one corresponding data type {Bi} in the business model layer,
• one-to-several mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having several corresponding data types {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer,
• one-to-subtype mapping substitution indicates one high-level object corresponds to a subtype {Si} of a data type {Bi} in the business model layer, and
• one-to-union of several subtypes mapping substitution indicates that the high-level object corresponds to a union of several subtypes {S1, . . . , Sn} of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer;
• and
• mapping the start events in the regulation layer to start-event-actions in the business model layer by substituting the corresponding start-event-actions in the business model layer for the start events in the regulation layer, a start-event-action being one of:
• an action, a set of several actions, subsets of actions, or a pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer;
• performing a second data mapping of the data types of the business model layer to data items in the storage layer, said second data mapping performed by:
• mapping the start-event-actions in the business model layer to actual executable steps in the storage layer when the start-event-action is one of the action, the set of several actions or the subsets of actions;
• transforming, when the start events are mapped to the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer, the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer to a similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the storage layer;
• deriving a low-level policy from the high-level policy by substituting the high-level objects with the data items and substituting the start events with the actual executable steps or the similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events;
• and
• retaining the data items in the storage level in accordance with the start events;
• identifying low-level objects in the low-level policy, the low-level objects including:
• the data items, the actual executable steps, the similar pair of the precondition of the start events and the postcondition of the start events;
• automatically discovering a data dependency between the low-level objects and the high-level objects;
• mapping the low-level objects to related high-level objects based on the first data mapping and the second data mapping;
• and
• mapping the low-level policy to another high-level policy by applying the discovered data dependency and substituting the low-level objects with the related high-level objects.

A computer program product for transforming a low-level policy associated with IT an IT (Information Technology) layer to a high-level policy associated with a business model layer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, said method steps comprising:

• identifying high-level objects in the regulation layer;
• describing the high-level policy as a table on the regulation layer, the table including the high-level objects and attributes of the high-level objects, the attributes including retention times indicating how long the high-level objects need to be retained and start events from which the retention times are measured;
• performing a first data mapping of the high-level objects in the regulation layer to data types in a business model layer, said first data mapping performed by
• substituting the high-level objects in the table in the regulation layer with corresponding data types in the business model layer, wherein for each high-level object defining a row of the table, the high-level object is mapped to one or more data types in a set of {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer wherein attributes of the high-level object row in the table are replaced with attributes of each data type of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} on the business model layer, wherein:
• one-to-one mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having exactly one corresponding data type {Bi} in the business model layer,
• one-to-several mapping substitution indicates one high-level object having several corresponding data types {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer,
• one-to-subtype mapping substitution indicates one high-level object corresponds to a subtype {Si} of a data type {Bi} in the business model layer, and
• one-to-union of several subtypes mapping substitution indicates that the high-level object corresponds to a union of several subtypes {S1, . . . , Sn} of the set {B1, . . . , Bn} in the business model layer;
• and
• mapping the start events in the regulation layer to start-event-actions in the business model layer by substituting the corresponding start-event-actions in the business model layer for the start events in the regulation layer, a start-event-action being one of:
• an action, a set of several actions, subsets of actions, or a pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer;
• performing a second data mapping of the data types of the business model layer to data items in the storage layer, said second data mapping performed by:
• mapping the start-event-actions in the business model layer to actual executable steps in the storage layer when the start-event-action is one of the action, the set of several actions or the subsets of actions;
• transforming, when the start events are mapped to the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer, the pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the business model layer to a similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events in the storage layer;
• deriving a low-level policy from the high-level policy by substituting the high-level objects with the data items and substituting the start events with the actual executable steps or the similar pair of a precondition of the start events and a postcondition of the start events;
• and
• retaining the data items in the storage level in accordance with the start events;
• identifying low-level objects in the low-level policy, the low-level objects including:
• the data items, the actual executable steps, the similar pair of the precondition of the start events and the postcondition of the start events;
• automatically discovering a data dependency between the low-level objects and the high-level objects;
• mapping the low-level objects to related high-level objects based on the first data mapping and the second data mapping;
• and
• mapping the low-level policy to another high-level policy by applying the discovered data dependency and substituting the low-level objects with the related high-level objects.