Capability model for deploying componentized applications
Disclosed are systems and methods for deploying a componentized application using a deployment tool to deploy an application expressing a requirement for a first capability associated with a second capability, and to find a first capability provider providing the first capability, where the second capability is provided by a second capability provider, and the second capability is dynamically associated with the first capability provider.
1 . A system for deploying an application, comprising:
a deployment tool stored in program memory; and
a processor element operable to execute the deployment tool, the processor element in communication with the program memory,
wherein the deployment tool is operable to deploy an application expressing a requirement for a first capability associated with a second capability, and to find a first capability provider providing the first capability, wherein the second capability is provided by a second capability provider, and
wherein the second capability is dynamically associated with the first capability provider.
2 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the application comprises one or more components.
3 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to deploy a plurality of components each expressing one or more requirements for one or more first capabilities associated with one or more second capabilities, and to find the one or more first capability providers that have acquired the one or more second capabilities for each of the plurality of components,
wherein the one or more second capabilities are provided by one or more second capability providers.
4 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to dynamically propagate the second capability from the second capability provider to the first capability provider.
5 . The deployment system of claim 4 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to record new metadata causing propagation of the second capability from the second capability provider to the first capability provider.
6 . The deployment system of claim 5 , further comprising deploying a new component that provides the new metadata.
7 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second capability providers are functionally independent.
8 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability provider is located at a different application layer than the first capability provider.
9 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability is dynamically propagated to the first capability provider via a dynamic metadata layer.
10 . The deployment system of claim 9 , wherein the dynamic metadata layer includes information describing an interrelationship between the first and second capability providers.
11 . The deployment system of claim 9 , further comprising a capability model stored in a data storage element, wherein the processor element is further in communication with the data storage element.
12 . The deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to record information in the capability model.
13 . The deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the capability model stores information related to the dynamic metadata layer.
14 . The deployment system of claim 13 , wherein the capability model comprises a database of capabilities and associated capability providers available in the deployment system.
15 . The deployment system of claim 13 , wherein the deployment tool finds the first capability provider providing the first capability associated with the second capability by accessing the stored information related to the dynamic metadata layer from the capability model.
16 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to prevent the application from being deployed when its deployment would result in unsatisfied capability requirements.
17 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the deployment tool is further operable to deploy the application to one or more nodes associated with the first and second capability providers.
18 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second capabilities are used to describe extension points and/or extensions of the extension points.
19 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using extension point propagation.
20 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using factory relationship propagation.
21 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using service/reference propagation.
22 . The deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the second capability is required by a first component located at the application and is provided by a second component located at a same application layer, and wherein the second capability is propagated from the second component to the first component through a separate application layer.
23 . The deployment system of claim 22 , wherein the second capability is propagated from the second component to a third component located at the separate application layer through a propagation relationship between the second and third components.
24 . The deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first set of one or more application layers; and
a second set of one or more application layers;
wherein the second set of application layers is deployed on the first set of application layers, and wherein the first and second capability providers are located at the first set of application layers, and wherein the application expressing the requirement for the first capability associated with the second capability is located at the second set of application layers.
25 . A method for deploying an application, comprising:
deploying, by a deployment tool, an application expressing a requirement for a first capability associated with a second capability, and to find a first capability provider providing the first capability, wherein the second capability is provided by a second capability provider, and
wherein the second capability is dynamically associated with the first capability provider.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the application comprises one or more components.
27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises deploying a plurality of components each expressing one or more requirements for one or more first capabilities associated with one or more second capabilities, and finding the one or more first capability providers that have acquired the one or more second capabilities for each of the plurality of components,
wherein the one or more second capabilities are provided by one or more second capability providers.
28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises dynamically propagating the second capability from the second capability provider to the first capability provider.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the method further comprises recording new metadata causing propagation of the second capability from the second capability provider to the first capability provider.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the method further comprises deploying a new component that provides the new metadata.
31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first and second capability providers are functionally independent.
32 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the second capability provider is located at a different application layer than the first capability provider.
33 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the second capability is dynamically propagated to the first capability provider via a dynamic metadata layer.
34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the dynamic metadata layer includes information describing an interrelationship between the first and second capability providers.
35 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises a capability model stored in a data storage element, wherein the processor element is further in communication with the data storage element.
36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the method further comprises recording information in the capability model.
37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the capability model stores information related to the dynamic metadata layer.
38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the capability model comprises a database of capabilities and associated capability providers available in the deployment system.
39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the method further comprises finding the first capability provider providing the first capability associated with the second capability by accessing the stored information related to the dynamic metadata layer from the capability model.
40 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises preventing the application from being deployed when its deployment would result in unsatisfied capability requirements.
41 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises deploying the application to one or more nodes associated with the first and second capability providers.
42 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first and second capabilities are used to describe extension points and/or extensions of the extension points.
43 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using extension point propagation.
44 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using factory relationship propagation.
45 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the second capability is propagated to the first capability provider using service/reference propagation.
46 . The method of claim 25 wherein the second capability is required by a first component located at the application and is provided by a second component located at a same application layer, and wherein the second capability is propagated from the second component to the first component through a separate application layer.
47 . The method of claim 46 , wherein the second capability is propagated from the second component to a third component located at the separate application layer through a propagation relationship between the second and third components.
48 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
deploying a second set of one or more application layers on a first set of one or more application layers, wherein the first and second capability providers are located at the first set of application layers, and wherein the application expressing the requirement for the first capability associated with the second capability is located at the second set of application layers.
49 . Logic for deploying an application, the logic being embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:
deploy an application expressing a requirement for a first capability associated with a second capability, and to find a first capability provider providing the first capability, wherein the second capability is provided by a second capability provider, and
wherein the second capability is dynamically associated with the first capability provider.