Abstract: A software program assists in establishing goals and objectives and creating appraisals based on those goals and objectives. The goals for an organization are determined, and individual objectives based on the goals are defined. The software program assigns weights and compensation adjustment guidelines to the individual objectives, and obtains a plurality of appraisals based on the individual objectives. The scores from the appraisals are combined with the compensation adjustment guidelines, and a suggested compensation adjustment is automatically determined. Any of the individual objectives may also have a corresponding qualification component, and an individuals qualifications may be automatically revised based on the appraisal grades and the corresponding qualification component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving a query in a controller. A data store stores data in a relational database. The database comprises a plurality of fields and a plurality of data elements. Each field is associated with a portion of the data elements. The database is arranged as at least one table, and the query identifies data of an object to be stored in a data set. The method further comprises determining, by the controller, whether the relational database includes a field associated with a class of the object; and if the relational database does not include a field associated with the class of the object, adding a column to the relational database, the added column having a field corresponding to the class. The method further comprises adding the data of the object to the relational database.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide mechanisms that mitigate organizational exposures when evaluating and choosing computer applications, enhancements, and modifications thereto. Some embodiments provide technological solutions that allow for rapid application prototyping, deployment, evaluation, testing, and the act of going live in a production environment. Some such embodiments provide applications including content and data, in the form of virtual appliance templates, that is pre-installed, pre-configured, pre-tested, and pre-loaded in a very rapid manner. Some embodiments may further allow for cloning of the instantiated application to another virtual computing environment, and utilization from that location on forward looking basis.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media include actions of receiving a query, identifying, based on the query, one or more relevant elements from an overall data model, identifying, using an adapter mapping, one or more adapters based on the one or more relevant elements, the adapter mapping associating each relevant element with a particular adapter, querying, using the one or more adapters, one or more data elements in data sources of a plurality of disparate data sources, each adapter being specific to a data source of the plurality of data sources, receiving, at the one or more adapters, one or more data results, transforming each data result of the one or more data results into a unified data format to provide respective one or more transformed data results, storing the one or more transformed data results in a temporary data store and querying the temporary data store to generate a result.

Abstract: Analytical functions to be applied to business intelligence data may be sequentially selected from a set of chips, each corresponding to a different function. A function associated with a selected chip may be applied to the business intelligence data and the selected chip may be added to an analysis path with other selected chips in a sequential order of selection. A result, which may include at least two selectable data points, may be displayed. Once a data point selection is made, the selection may be used to limit the functions associated with subsequently displayed chips to the selected data points. The chips listed in the analysis path may be used to change prior data point selections, the changes of which may be automatically propagated to any subsequently selected chips as indicated in the analysis path.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing an automated validity check of transaction data postings. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes entering at least one code for specifying at least one posting to be performed for a transactional data processing operation. The method may also include starting the transactional data processing operation, sending a request to a service component for performing a validity check of the at least one code, buffering one or more posting requests resulting from execution of the transactional data processing operation. Further, the method may include sending, in response to receipt of a first signal indicative of code validity from the service component, the one or more buffered posting requests with the at least one code to a posting component.

Abstract: Techniques for managing information exchange between business entities include identifying, through an application of a plurality of applications on a first business entity computing system, an identifiable business context (IBC) referenced on a second business entity computing system, the IBC including a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity; identifying a communication connection between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system based on the identification of the IBC; and generating an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) for storage on the first business entity computing system, the IBCR associated with the communication connection and including the unique identifier and a second plurality of business data objects, at least one of the second plurality of business data objects distinct from the first plurality of business data objects.

Abstract: Implementations of complex software solutions are accompanied with an intrinsic conflict between requirements, such as an ever-growing complexity of enterprise software solutions versus a demand for more and more shortened implementation cycles. Various embodiments include at least one of systems methods and software to address such conflicts. One method embodiment includes receiving a request to assemble a virtual appliance from at least one deployment template, the request including characteristic data representative of at least one virtual appliance functional and deployment requirement. In response to the received request, such embodiments may query a template warehouse to identify and deployment templates from a template warehouse to a data storage device to form a virtual appliance. The virtual appliance may then be packaged into a transport data structure and stored. The transport data structure may then be transported by various means to a target virtual machine and deployed therein.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method for authentication, the method comprising: defining a demanded level of security in an authorization service of a server; providing at least one authentication mechanism comprising at least one instance for at least one client; providing a policy comprising a security level for the at least one instance; receiving at least one request from the client to the server; authenticating the request based on the policy and the demanded level of security by the authentication service; and permitting the request if the demanded level of security is reached.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for adapting formats of data queries into a generic format. A query requesting data stored in a business objects data source is received. The query has a generic format and includes parameters that describe a computer interface implementation configured to execute the query to identify the requested data. Based on the one or more parameters, the computer software interface implementation is identified. The interface implementation specifies an interface-specific query format. The query is converted from the generic query format into the interface-specific query format, and provided to the computer software interface implementation. The interface implementation executes the interface-specific query and obtains the requested data in an interface-specific results format. This data is converted into a generic results format, and provided in response to receiving the query.

Abstract: Techniques for managing information exchange between business entities include identifying a plurality of routing rules stored in a database of a first business entity computing system; receiving a request for a business transaction through an application of a plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system; determining, based on the identified routing rules, an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) associated with a second business entity computing system, the IBC comprising a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity; determining, based on the identified IBCR, a communication connection associated with the IBC and an identifiable business context (IBC) associated with the first business entity computing system; and initiating the business transaction between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system through the deter

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for generating delivery notification records. A described technique includes (i) identifying a computer-readable text file associated with an inbound delivery notification at a first system, the first system associated with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (ii) identifying backend information associated with the identified text file from the ERP system, (iii) analyzing the identified text file using an information recognition method to identify a proposed set of information associated with the identified backend information based on the analysis, (iv) verifying at least a portion of the proposed set of information from the identified text file based on data associated with the ERP system and related to the identified backend information, and (v) associating at least a portion of the verified set of information from the identified text file with an instance of a delivery notification data object.

Abstract: A data archiving approach exploits functionality already existing within a database layer, utilizing additional information received from an application layer. Rather than writing archive-eligible records to a separate archive layer, a central module of an application layer receives from the database layer, the name of the database table to which stored records belong. This central module determines primary key fields of the table, and extracts values of those primary key fields. The central module may then leverage an existing capability (e.g. data aging, table partitioning) of the database layer, informing it of the eligible records (identified by table name and primary key values). The database layer may then move the archive-eligible records (e.g. in an asynchronous manner) to an appropriate level within a data storage hierarchy of the database layer. In some embodiments, the eligible records may be moved to lower cost (e.g. read-only) storage medium within the storage hierarchy.

Abstract: Techniques for managing information exchange between business entities include presenting an interface through an application of a plurality of applications to a user for an identifiable business context (IBC), the IBC including a unique identifier associated with a first business entity and a plurality of business data attributes associated with the first business entity; receiving, from the application, the IBC for storage in a repository communicably coupled to the application; defining a communication connection between the first business entity and a second business entity; associating the defined communication connection with the IBC; and publishing the IBC unique identifier, the defined communication connection, and at least a portion of the plurality of business data attributes to a registry that is exposed to the plurality of applications.

Abstract: An evidence monitor may monitor interactions between at least one service provider and at least one service consumer during a time period. The evidence monitor may receive negative feedback from the at least one service consumer regarding a corresponding interaction of the interactions. A reputation engine may increase a reputation score of the at least one service provider during the time period in accordance with a growth rate, as the interactions occur during the time period. The reputation engine may also decrease the reputation score of the at least one service provider in response to the negative feedback and in accordance with a negative feedback response characteristic.

Abstract: This disclosure provides various embodiments for performing a dry-run of a business process model in a design-time environment. A start event and end event of the business process model are identified, defining a path of a flow map including a sequence of a plurality of events, including the start event, the end event, and at least one other event sequenced between the start and ends. The events in the path are stepped-through to simulate each event. An error is identified corresponding to a particular event in the path and the step-through is paused upon identifying the error. A user is then prompted for an input to at least temporarily resolve the at least one error. The stepping-through of the plurality of events is then resumed in response to a resolution input from the user. The dry run ends in response to stepping-through to the end event.

Abstract: Systems and techniques to allow a user to design and manage business solutions. The business solution management system (150) comprises a portal layer (112), an application layer (104) and a data repository (106). The portal layer (112) comprises at least first and second agents (204, 208). The application layer (104) comprises at least first and second software applications (220, 224). The first and second agents (204, 208) provide user interfaces to the first and second software applications (220, 224). The first software application (220) is operable to allow a user to design a business solution with user parameters and user-selectable, pre-defined business process objects and pre-defined technology objects. The second software application (224) is operable to allow a user to manage the business solution. The data repository (106) comprises the pre-defined business objects (316) and pre-defined technology objects (314).

Abstract: A method relates to authority checks governing user access to business object attachments in a store of business object attachments. The business object attachments are semantically associated with business objects of one or more remote computer systems. The method includes, at a content management interface layer that is communicatively coupled to the store of business object attachments, sending a request for user authority checks on a parent business object of a business object attachment to an originating computer system and receiving results of the user authority checks from the originating computer system.

Abstract: Various systems and related methods involve navigating, finding, and visually presenting data objects or sets of data objects. In one implementation, a set of data objects is visually presented as a graphical element and one or more semantic relationships between the graphical element and other sets of data objects are visually presented. Furthermore, this includes a method for finding related sets of data objects by presenting different search paths and enabling the user to select a destination set of data objects based on the presented paths. One possible operation associated with this system includes presenting relationships between data objects outside of predefined work flows.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, including computer program products, and systems implement and use techniques relating to electronic signatures. In one implementation, a one-way hash is calculated for an electronic document and a digital watermark representing the one-way hash is embedded in a signature document. Based on a user input, the signature document having the embedded digital watermark is altered, and the electronic document is associated with the signature document. The electronic document and the signature document together comprise a signed electronic document. The user input can include biometric information, such as a handwritten signature or a voice recording. For additional security, the one-way hash can be encrypted before a representation of the hash is embedded in the signature document.