Seamless lifecycle stability for extensible software features

US11366658B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• SAP SE · DE

Inventors

• Georg Wilhelm · Guteneck, DE
• Daniel Wachs · Mannheim, DE
• Fabian Fellhauer · Östringen, DE
• Karsten Schaser · Wiesloch, DE
• Christian Holzer · Ubstadt-Weiher, DE
• Rene Dehn · Sinsheim, DE
• Uwe Schlarb · Östringen, DE
• Christian Fuhlbruegge · Spechbach, DE
• Thomas HENN · Sakai, JP
• Matthias Herchenroether · Heidelberg, DE
• Thomas Wieczorek · Meckesheim, DE
• Daniel Niehoff · Sandhausen, DE
• Karsten Bohlmann · Wiesloch, DE
• Marcel Hermanns · Heidelberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 19, 2021
• Grant date: Jun 21, 2022
• Expiry date: Jan 19, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F9/44526
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for ensuring seamless lifecycle stability for extensions to standard software products. One example method includes determining a requested change to a software feature of a software object. The software feature has been designated as an extensible software feature and is associated with a lifecycle stability contract that identifies aspects of the extensible software feature that are designated to remain stable across different releases of the software object. The lifecycle stability contract is used to perform a compatibility check for the requested change to determine whether the requested change complies with the lifecycle stability contract. The requested change is permitted in response to determining that the requested change complies with the lifecycle stability contract and the requested change is denied in response to determining that the requested change violates the lifecycle stability contract.