4,751,635 Jun. 14, 1988

Transcription

1 United States Patent [191 Kret [11] [45] Patent Number: Date of Patent: 4,751,635 Jun. 14, 1988 [54] DISTRIBUTED MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SOFI'WARE MANAGERS [75] Inventor: Michael A. Kret, Pisacataway Township, Middlesex County, NJ. [73] Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc., Livingston, NJ. [21] Appl. No.: 852,622 [22] Filed: Apr. 16, 1986 [51] Int. Cl G06F 15/16 [52] US. Cl. 364/200 [58] Field of Search /200 MS File [56] - References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,145,739 3/1979 Dunning et a1. 364/200 4,509,121 4/1985 Rey et a1. 364/200 4,514,806 4/1985 Hartig /200 Primary Examiner Raulfe B. Zache Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James W. Falk; John T. Peoples [57] ABSTRACT A management system utilizes a distributed network having a host computer connected to one or more com puter based workstations. Separate, on-line softward support systems provide the execution environment for the system. Each support system provides data that reflects one or more aspects of a life cycle of a develop ment project. This data is stored in separate databases associated with each support system. Periodically, the host computer extracts information from each of these support system databases to obtain data indicative of development activity for various phases of the life cycle of the software system. The extracted information is used to update a relational database. At any time, a manager situated at a workstation can formulate queries into the relational database. Thereafter, the worksta tion, through a workstation/host communications inter face, initiates a host session and then loads the queries into the host computer. The host, in turn, executes these queries and downloads the query results into the work~ station. Then the manager appropriately analyzes and interprets those query results at the workstation. The communications interface ensures that the host session remains substantially transparent to the manager. This advantageously frees the manager of any need to learn the host logon procedure and operating system, thereby minimizing the managerial time and effort required to obtain the desired information. 15 Claims, 26 Drawing Sheets HURKSTATIEN El,1 EMRED 135;; llwual l EFEHEL l FFHi

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3 US. Patent Jun. 14, 1988 Sheet 2 of 26 4,751,635 F IG. 2 FIG. 2A FIG. 2O FIG. 2A OOIAIN OsEO 3101 OEOOEsIs FROM MODIFICATION OEOOEsIs AND PREVIOUS RELEASE OEOOEOIEO ENHANCEMENTS Q I i """""" [359 CONCEPTUALIZATION 315i DESIGN 325; IMPLEMENTATION, 3281 OOOOAENIAIIOAA TE,S_T_IF]_G.----I.3.31 E USER UNIT 1 TRAINING r3132 j UAIEOIIIOAE 330 I333. SYSTEM 5

4 US. Patent Jun. 14, 1988 Sheet 3 of 26 FIG. 28 4,751,635 DELIVERY OF RELEASE m soc EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE MRs MRs FOR NEW RELEASE 3521 USE RELEASE ACCEPTANCE TESTING BY BOC YES MAINTENANCE ITEM?

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9 US. Patent Jun. 14,1988 Sheet 8 of 26 4,751,635 FIG. 7 FIG. 7A MAIN PROGRAM m 71OIRORKSTAUOR RAROwARE INITIALIZATION 720 EXECUTE "FRAMEWORK" PROGRAM AT WORKSTATION WORKSTATION/HOST COMMUNICATIONS INITIALIZATION 7 507* OOERY EXECUTION E (SUSPEND EXECUTION 0F "FHAMENOHK' AT WORKSTATION)

10 US. Patent Jun. 14,1988 Sheet 9 0f 26 4,751, RETURN "FRAMEWORK' PROGRAM TO ACTIVE EXECUTION AT WORKSTATION I ExEcUTE PRE-DEFINED TUTERPRET AU HOC UUERY ANALYSIS PROCESS RESULTS USING FULL FUNCTIONALITY 0F 'FRAMERORK' 7721 FGHMAT QUERY PROGRAM (SPREADSHEET. HESLFB 7741 CALCULATE TUUTcES 780 GRAPHICS & TExT PROCESSING]

11 US. Patent Jun. 14, 1988 Sheet 10 of 26 4,751,635 F I 6. 8 WORKSTATION/HOST COMMUNICATIONS INITAILIZATION ROUTINE 752 ( ENTER ) 840 X LOGON TO HOST TO ESTABLISH HOST TSO SESSION 850 \ EXECUTE COMMAND LIST AT HOST TO BEGIN EXECUTION OF HOST PORTION OF WORKSTATION/HOST COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE 850 \ ESTABLISH "VIRTUAL'l OISKETTES AT HOST 8 PROVIDE PASSWORD FROM WORKSTATION TO GAIN READ/WRITE ACCESS TO HOST 'VIRTUAL' DISKETTES T EXIT T

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13 US. Patent Jun. 14,1988 Sheet 12 of 26 4,751, DOWNLOAD STATUS MESSAGE TD WORKSTATION F I G. 9B OUERY SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED DDUNLDAD OUERY RESULTS 1 FROM OUTPUT "VIRTUAL" DISKETTE AT HOST T E: 1 TD ACTUAL DRIVE AT WORKSTATION [e.g. c: T VIA COMMUNICATIONS LINK DISPLAY APPROPRIATE MESSAGE AT WORKSTATION O TERMINATE HOST

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