System and method for transforming business process policy data

1. A system for transforming a first data in a first format to a second data in a second format, comprising:

a processor;

a translation services logic for:

receiving, from a first application that interacts with data in a first pre-transformation format, a data definition and a data transformation rule;

receiving, from a second application that interacts with data in a second post-transformation format, a data definition and a data transformation rule; and

creating a mapping rule object based on:

the data definition and the data transformation rule received from the first application that interacts with the data in the first pre-transformation format; and

the data definition and the data transformation rule received from the second application that interacts with the data in the second post-transformation format;

the mapping rule object for:

receiving a first data in a first format; and

transforming the first data in the first format to a second data in a second format according to the data definition and the data transformation rule; and

the translation services logic comprising post-translation execution logic that chains the mapping rule object to at least one additional mapping rule object resulting in multi-stage transformation.

2. The system of claim 1 , the mapping rule object comprising:

a source logic for identifying a source from which the first data will be received;

a destination logic for identifying a destination to which the second data will be provided; and

a rule logic for transforming the first data to the second data.

3. The system of claim 2 , where the source is an information provider.

4. The system of claim 3 , where the information provider is an XML file.

5. The system of claim 2 , where the destination is an XML file.

6. The system of claim 2 , the mapping rule object comprising a source filter rule logic for selecting the first data to be transformed.

7. The system of claim 6 , where the first data is an object.

8. The system of claim 6 , where the source filter rule logic comprises a structured query language rule.

9. The system of claim 6 , comprising a translation rule form logic for controlling a form taken by the mapping rule object.

10. The system of claim 9 , where the form is one of, an XML based object, and an XML based file.

11. The system of claim 9 , comprising a post translation execution logic for specifying a subsequent entity to invoke after the mapping rule object completes transforming the first data to the second data.

12. The system of claim 11 , where the subsequent entity is one, of a business process policy, a business process policy object, and a mapping rule object.

13. The system of claim 11 , where the subsequent entity is invokeable by one or more of, an application programming interface, a command line interface, a graphical user interface, a library call, a user context action, and a role context action.

14. The system of claim 11 , comprising a target object disposition logic.

15. The system of claim 14 , where the target object disposition logic comprises one or more of, a delete and recreate logic, an append new object logic, an update by object logic, and a delete by object logic.

16. The system of claim 14 , comprising a parameter interface for receiving a parameter for selectively controlling the operation of one or more of, the source logic, the destination logic, the rule logic, the source filter rule logic, the translation rule form logic, the post translation execution logic, and the target object disposition logic.

17. The system of claim 14 , comprising a mapping rule object identifier for storing an identifier of one or more mapping rule objects to invoke upon completing the processing of one or more of, the source logic, the destination logic, the rule logic, the source filter rule logic, the translation rule form logic, the post translation execution logic, and the target object disposition logic.

18. The system of claim 14 , comprising a programmatic interface for receiving one or more commands from one or more of, an application programming interface, a command line interface, a graphical user interface, a library call, a user context, a role context, a business process policy, a business process policy object, and an object oriented message.

19. A computer readable medium storing computer executable components of the system of claim 14 .

20. A computer implemented method for adapting business process policy data, comprising:

receiving, from a first application that interacts with business process policy data in a first pre-transformation format, a data definition comprising one or more business process policy data formats;

receiving, from the first application that interacts with the business process policy data in the first pre-transformation format, a data transformation rule comprising one or more business process policy data format translation rules;

receiving, from a second application that interacts with the business process policy data in a second post-transformation format; a data definition comprising one or more business process policy data formats; and

receiving from the second application that interacts with the business process policy data in the second post-transformation format, a data transformation rule comprising one or more business process policy data format translation rules;

using a translation services logic to create, based on the data definition and the data transformation rules received from the first application that interacts with the data in the pre-transformation format and the second application that interacts with the data in the post-transformation format, a mapping rule object for:

receiving a first business process policy data formatted in a first business process policy data format; and

adapting the first business process policy data formatted in the first business process policy data format for use by a second business process policy in a second business process policy data format;

using post-translation execution logic to chain the mapping rule object to at least one additional mapping rule object; and

executing the post-translation execution logic to result in multi-stage transformation.

21. The method of claim 20 , comprising:

receiving a first data formatted in a first business process policy data format;

adapting the first data to a second data formatted in a second business process policy data format according to the one or more defined business process policy data formats and the one or more defined business process policy data format translation rules; and

providing the second data to a data destination.

22. The method of claim 21 , comprising selectively invoking one or more business process policies based, at least in part, on the first data format, the second data format, and a business process policy data format translation rule for adapting the first data format to the second data format.

23. The method of claim 21 , comprising selectively invoking one or more mapping rule objects based, at least in part, on the first data format, the second data format, and a business process policy data format translation rule for adapting the first data format to the second data format.

24. The method of claim 21 , where adapting a first data formatted in a first business process policy data format to a second data formatted in a second business process policy data format comprises:

selectively deleting one or more pre-existing objects created by a prior operation of a mapping rule object; and

creating one or more new objects.

25. The method of claim 21 , where adapting a first data formatted in a first business process policy data format to a second data formatted in a second business process policy data format comprises:

creating one or more new objects; and

adding the one or more new objects to a set of pre-existing objects created by a prior operation of a mapping rule object.

26. The method of claim 21 , where adapting a first data formatted in a first business process policy data format to a second data formatted in a second business process policy data format comprises updating one or more pre-existing objects created by a prior operation of a mapping rule object.

27. The method of claim 21 , where adapting a first data formatted in a first business process policy data format to a second data formatted in a second business process policy data format comprises:

selectively deleting one or more of, a field, a value, and a record from a pre-existing object created by a prior operation of a mapping rule object; and

selectively adding one or more of, a field, a value, and a record to a pre-existing object created by a prior operation of a mapping rule object.

28. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions operating, when executed by the processor, to perform the method of claim 21 .

29. A system for facilitating interactions between business process policies embodied in computer components, comprising:

means for receiving, from a first application that interacts with business process policy data in a first pre-transformation format, a data definition comprising a business process policy data format;

means for receiving, from the first application that interacts with the business process policy data in a second post-transformation format, a data transformation rule comprising a process for converting a first data in a first business process policy data format to a second data in a second business process policy format;

means for receiving, from a second application that interacts with the business process policy data in a second post-transformation format; a data definition comprising one or more business process policy data formats;

means for receiving from the second application that interacts with the business process policy data in the second post-transformation format, a data transformation rule comprising one or more business process policy data format translation rules;

means for creating, based on the data definition and the data transformation rule received from the first application that interacts with the data in the first pre-transformation format and the second application that interacts with the data in the second post-transformation format, a mapping rule object;

means for receiving the first data at the mapping rule object; means for converting, at the mapping rule object, the first data to the second data according to the data definition and the data transformation rule received from the first application that interacts with the data in the first pre-transformation format and the second application that interacts with the data in the second post-transformation format; and

means for providing the second data to a data destination;

means for chaining by post translation execution logic the mapping rule object to at least one additional mapping rule object; and

means for executing the post-translation execution logic to result in multi-stage transformation.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the data definition comprises a first data definition and a second data definition;

the data transformation rule comprises a first data transformation rule and a second data transformation rule;

the translation services logic operating to:

receive the first data definition and the first data transformation rule from a source application;

receive the second data definition and the second data transformation rule from a target application; and

create the mapping rule object using the first and second data definitions and the first and second data transform rules; and

the mapping rule object is operable to:

receive the first data in the first format from the source application; and

transform the first data in the first format to a second data in a second format according to the data definition and the data transformation rule.