Method and apparatus for controlling a multi-node process

• US 20030120596A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling multi-node services. There is described a process broker for controlling a process between two or more clients and service registry comprising; a plurality of process templates, each process template representing a process to co-ordinate a service on nodes and comprising one or more steps for coordinating such a service with each node; means for receiving a message from a first node; means for selecting a process template and participating node/s in response to the message; means for envoking the process steps as defined in the selected process template on the selected nodes; and means for responding to the first node with a response of the type defined in the selected process template and based on the response from the participating node/s.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a process between two or more nodes comprising;

means for storing two or more process templates, each defining a process between the two or more nodes;

means for receiving and sending messages to and from the nodes;

means for selecting a process template and a second node in response to a message received from a first node;

means for performing the process template including sending a message to the selected second node as defined by a process template and receiving a message from the second node in response;

and means for sending a response to the first node as a result of performing the selected process template.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first node is a client for envoking a process to buy a product or a service.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second node is a client with goods or services to dispose of.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each process template comprises one or more steps and at least one step is an interaction with a node.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process template steps are coded in an interpreted language.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a subsequent step in the selected process template is received from a node during execution of a preceding step and said subsequent step is added to the selected process template.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the broker comprises protocol converter for, when receiving messages from a client, converting the message transport protocol to the common protocol if it is different from the common protocol;

and for, when sending a message to a client, converting the message transport protocol to the client'"'"'s transport protocol if the client uses a different transport protocol.

8. A method for controlling a process between two or more nodes comprising;

storing two or more process templates, each defining a process between the two or more nodes;

receiving and sending messages to and from the nodes;

selecting a process template and a second node in response to a message received from a first node;

performing the process template including sending a message to the selected second node as defined by a process template and receiving a message from the second node in response;

and sending a response to the first node as a result of performing the selected process template.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first node is a client for envoking a process to buy a product or a service.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the second node is a client with goods or services to dispose of.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein each process template comprises one or more steps and at least one step is an interaction with a node.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the process template steps are coded in an interpreted language.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a subsequent step in the selected process template is received from a node during execution of a preceding step and said subsequent step is added to the selected process template.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the broker comprises protocol converter for, when receiving messages from a client, converting the message transport protocol to the common protocol if it is different from the common protocol;

and for, when sending a message to a client, converting the message transport protocol to the client'"'"'s transport protocol if the client uses a different transport protocol.

15. A computer program product for controlling a process between two or more nodes comprising program code for, when ran on a computer system, performing the steps of;

storing two or more process templates, each defining a process between the two or more nodes;

receiving and sending messages to and from the nodes;

selecting a process template and a second node in response to a message received from a first node;

performing the process template including sending a message to the selected second node as defined by a process template and receiving a message from the second node in response;

and sending a response to the first node as a result of performing the selected process template.

16. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first node is a client for envoking a process to buy a product or a service.

17. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein the second node is a client with goods or services to dispose of.

18. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein each process template comprises one or more steps and at least one step is an interaction with a node.

19. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein the process template steps are coded in an interpreted language.

20. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein a subsequent step in the selected process template is received from a node during execution of a preceding step and said subsequent step is added to the selected process template.

21. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein the broker comprises protocol converter for, when receiving messages from a client, converting the message transport protocol to the common protocol if it is different from the common protocol;

and for, when sending a message to a client, converting the message transport protocol to the client'"'"'s transport protocol if the client uses a different transport protocol.