Abstract: A business process (15) having a number of computer implemented steps using software application components, to enable automatic deployment on computing infrastructure, is modelled by a management system. It automatically derives a grounded model (55) of the business process from an unbound model (25) of the business process, based on an infrastructure design template (35). The unbound model specifies the application components to be used, and the grounded model adds a complete design of the computing infrastructure to be used. The use of an infrastructure design template can reduce the large number of options to be evaluated to help reduce the complexity of generating or changing the grounded model. The infrastructure design template formally relates the business process, application components and infrastructure design so that designs, or changes which are inconsistent or inefficient can be avoided. Thus more automation of the designing and changing the design is feasible.

Abstract: A system for automated lifecycle management of a computer implemented service, according to requirements, having a service model (30) representing the service at a given development state in the lifecycle, and a transition model (70) representing allowed operations to change the service model to a different one of the development states of the service, according to the requirements, and the transition model having a transparent structure suitable for automated inspection of the allowed operations, and suitable for automated adaptation of the allowed operations. The service model can be developed to another of its states of development according to the transition model. This can help facilitate more automation of the service development than for example code in a closed and fixed form such as for example a compiled program for altering the service model. This in turn can enable more complex services to be developed, or reduce development costs.

Abstract: A method of automated deployment managed by a service provider, of a computer based business process, involves generating a model (730) of the business process including a design of computing infrastructure, and deploying the model on hardware (770) dedicated to the enterprise, with an interface for the service provider to enable ongoing management of the deployed process by the service provider. Having dedicated hardware means the location of the hardware can be arranged to suit the enterprise. This means limitations such as bandwidth or latency of WAN links, can be addressed by choosing the location of the dedicated hardware appropriately. Trust of security can also be increased compared to that of the shared data centres. The automated model driven deployment can help enable the service provider to provide such deployments on different types of hardware. The need for the enterprise to maintain specialist expertise in house is reduced.

Abstract: A modelling system to provide a computer based business process for an enterprise, allows the enterprise to input values for a plurality of non functional requirements (760) for the deployment, and allows at least some of the values to be varied independently of others of the values, and creates a design of software application components (770) and a design of computing infrastructure (780), for running the software application components, so that the business process operates according to the values input for the non functional requirements of the business process. By modelling the underlying computing infrastructure, it becomes feasible to create models with greater certainty that they will deploy successfully, and with greater predictability of how well they will meet given non functional requirements. This enables more freedom to be allowed to vary the values of these non functional requirements and get greater customisation to suit the needs of the enterprise.

Abstract: A method of setting up a development environment for development work on a computer based business process, involves providing a software model (827) of the business process, and providing in the model a representation (870) of tools for developing part of the process, incorporated with the corresponding part of the modelled business process. The selected parts of the model incorporating the tools are deployed, and the given tools installed, to set up the development environment. By modelling the development tools incorporated in the business process, setting up the development environment can be made easier. Choice and arrangement of tools needs less manual input, so risks of errors, and time spent in setting up can be reduced.

Abstract: A system for automated lifecycle management of a computer implemented service, according to requirements, having a service model (30) representing the service at a given development state in the lifecycle, and a transition model (70) representing allowed operations to change the service model to a different one of the development states of the service, according to the requirements, and the transition model having a transparent structure suitable for automated inspection of the allowed operations, and suitable for automated adaptation of the allowed operations. The service model can be developed to another of its states of development according to the transition model. This can help facilitate more automation of the service development than for example code in a closed and fixed form such as for example a compiled program for altering the service model. This in turn can enable more complex services to be developed, or reduce development costs.

Abstract: A system for developing a computer implemented service, for deployment on computing infrastructure, generates variants of the model by automatically choosing values for a limited set of design variables, and evaluates the variants in operation. A model manager (187) stores in a model repository (107) a current variant (57) and at least some previous variants, and their evaluation results and derivation trails, the generating part being arranged to use the evaluation results and the derivation trails to generate a next current variant. Such use of the repository can help make more efficient the search by the model manager for variants that work well. In particular the derivation trails and evaluations can make it easier to determine when to revert to a preceding variant or determine what new design choices to try next.

Abstract: A system for managing a computer implemented service, according to given requirements has a template (71) of a model of the service, parameterised by requirements and also representing allowed operations (65) to change the model, parameterised by requirements. A rendering tool (61) uses the template to create a service model according to the given requirements. The service can be deployed according to the model. A change manager (62) can make changes to the service model according to the allowed operations of the template. Having the allowed operations in parameterised form in the template can help reduce a risk of introducing changes which are inconsistent with the requirements.

Abstract: A business process (15) having a number of computer implemented steps using software application components, to enable automatic deployment on computing infrastructure, is modelled by a management system. It automatically derives a grounded model (55) of the business process from an unbound model (25) of the business process, based on an infrastructure design template (35). The unbound model specifies the application components to be used, and the grounded model adds a complete design of the computing infrastructure to be used. The use of an infrastructure design template can reduce the large number of options to be evaluated to help reduce the complexity of generating or changing the grounded model. The infrastructure design template formally relates the business process, application components and infrastructure design so that designs, or changes which are inconsistent or inefficient can be avoided. Thus more automation of the designing and changing the design is feasible.