Dynamic interface adapter for integration of source and target applications

• US 20030093404A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bader, Lance D., Wainwright, Mark R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method of supporting interaction of a source application running in an enterprise and multiple target applications performing semantically similar operations but having different interfaces. An application profile is associated with the source application. The application profile includes specifications for a connection element defining parameters for establishing a connection between the source application and a selected one of the target operations, a collection of database commands to be performed in the course of interactions and a collection of elements defining computer operations to be performed. Each of the computer operation elements can include a user input template, at least one parameter element and a result element.

Claims

1. A dynamic interface adapter for enabling a source application to interact with a target application without changing the programming code in either application, said adapter comprising:

an application profile processor for extracting from a profile a description of parameter values required for formatting a request from the source application to the target application; and

a parameter value marshaling processor for defining the sources from which the parameter values are to be extracted.

2. An adapter as defined in claim 1 wherein the parameter value sources include one or more of an enterprise database, a data dictionary and information provided by a user invoking the source application.

3. An adapter as defined in claim 2 wherein the profile is defined in a text file created using a markup language and wherein said profile includes tags defining one or more of connection properties, database commands and computer operations.

4. An adapter as defined in claim 3 wherein each of the tags defining a computer operation comprises:

a template configured to accept selected ones of the required parameter values;

a plurality of parameter elements specifying from where said required parameter values can be obtained and how said parameter values can be delivered to said computer operation; and

a result element specifying a handler for both successful and unsuccessful attempts to complete the computer operation.

5. A computer application profile comprising:

a connection element defining the parameters required for establishing a connection between a source application and a target application;

a collection of database commands defining database operations to be performed in the course of interactions between the source and target applications; and

a collection of computer operations to be performed in the course of interactions between the source and target applications,

each of said connection element, database commands collection and computer operations collection being defined in accordance with markup tags defined by a markup language schema.

6. A method of processing a request sent to an enterprise source application that is required to interact with a target application, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to receiving the request, identifying and retrieving an application profile specific to the target application to be invoked by the request;

extracting from the application profile a specification of a plurality parameter values needed to establish an interface between the source and target applications;

marshaling the required parameter values from locations specified in the application profile;

generating an access request in accordance with the marshaled parameter values; and

forwarding the access request to the target application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said marshaling step comprises the step of obtaining said required parameter values from at least one of an enterprise data source, a data dictionary and the request sent to the enterprise source application.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

extracting, from the application profile, a template through which selected ones of the required parameter values can be obtained; and

forwarding said extracted template to a requesting client,

wherein parameter values provided through said template are stored in said data dictionary and obtained during the marshalling step.

9. A method of configuring an enterprise system to provide interaction between an enterprise source application and a target application, wherein the two applications perform semantically similar operations but have different interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a dynamic interface adapter with the enterprise system, said adapter processing requests requiring interaction between the source application and the target application;

formatting an application profile for the source and target applications, said profile comprising a specification for a connection element, a collection of database commands and a collection of operation elements, each of said operation elements comprising a template for user input, at least one parameter element and a result element.

10. A computer readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for processing requests to an enterprise system, said requests requiring interaction between an enterprise source application and a target application, said computer program comprising instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

in response to a user request requiring interaction of the source and target applications, identifying and retrieving an application profile required for the interaction;

extracting, from the profile, a specification for a plurality of parameter values required for the interaction;

marshaling the required parameter values form locations specified in the profile;

generating a request in accordance with the required parameter values; and

forwarding the request to one of the source and target applications.

11. The machine readable storage of claim 10 wherein the marshaling step comprises the step of obtaining a required parameter value from at least one of an enterprise data base, a data dictionary or the user request.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

extracting, from the application profile, a template through which selected ones of the required parameter values can be obtained; and

forwarding the extracted template to a requesting client,

wherein parameter values provided through the template are stored in said data dictionary and obtained during the marshaling step.

13. A machine readable storage have stored thereon a computer program for configuring an enterprise system to support interaction of an enterprise source application and a target application, said source and target applications supporting semantically similar operations but having different interfaces, the computer program comprising instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

associating a dynamic interface adapter with the source application;

formatting an application profile for the enterprise source application and at least one target application, said profile comprising a specification for a connection element, a collection of database commands, and a collection of operation elements, each of said operation elements comprising a template for use in receiving user input, at least one parameter element and a result element; and

processing requests requiring interaction of the source application and a selected target application in accordance with the specification contained in the application profile the the source application and the selected target application.