System and method for composite business interactions in electronic commerce

• US 20030229503A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dan, Asit, Tarafdar, Ashis, Janakiraman, Pradeep, Dias, Daniel Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method, system, computer program product, and data structure for processing requests for services in a networked data processing system is provided. In one embodiment a request is received by a service provider. The request includes defined allowable actions and request definition compositions. The request also includes a plurality of actions wherein the relationships between the plurality of actions are defined. The service provider processes the plurality of actions according to the defined relationships and generates a response.

Claims

1. A method for processing requests in a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request with defined allowable actions and request definition compositions, wherein the request comprises a plurality of actions with defined relationships between the plurality of actions;

processing the plurality of actions according to the defined relationships; and

generating a response to the plurality of actions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for selection of an action for execution from a group of the plurality of actions.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for execution of a group of actions from the plurality of actions.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request comprise groups of actions organized in hierarchical groups and wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions regarding order of execution of actions within groups and order of execution of groups.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the defined relationships comprise instructions to use the resulting output of one of the plurality of actions as the input of another one of the plurality of actions.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of actions are arranged in groups of actions with varying definitions defining relationships between actions within a group and between the various groups.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the defined relationships comprises integrity rules comprising at least one of specifying a priority order in which the actions are to be executed, instructions that no action is to be finalized unless all of the actions can be finalized, and instructions that the actions are to be executed until a constraint specification is violated.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the integrity rules may be applied at a group level.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request is generated, received, processed, and the response generated in a local environment.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request composition definitions and defined relationship formats are defined by a service contract between a requester and a service provider.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request comprises a message header, a transactor, and an input message set, wherein the transactor comprises a plurality of actions and relationships between the plurality of actions and the input message set comprises a plurality of input messages and input identifications.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the message header includes a sender identification.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the response comprises a message header, a transactor, and an output message set, wherein the output message set comprises a plurality of output messages and output identifications.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the defined allowable actions and request definition compositions are defined by a service contract.

15. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for processing requests in a network environment, the computer program product comprising:

receiving instructions for receiving a request with defined allowable actions and request definition compositions, wherein the request comprises a plurality of actions with defined relationships between the plurality of actions;

processing instructions for processing the plurality of actions according to the defined relationships; and

generating instructions for generating a response to the plurality of actions.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for selection an action for execution from a group of the plurality of actions.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for execution of a group of actions from the plurality of actions.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request comprise groups of actions organized in hierarchical groups and wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions regarding order of execution of actions within groups and order of execution of groups.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the defined relationships comprise instructions to use the resulting output of one of the plurality of actions as the input of another one of the plurality of actions.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality of actions are arranged in groups of actions with varying definitions defining relationships between actions within a group and between the various groups.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the defined relationships comprises integrity rules comprising at least one of specifying a priority order in which the actions are to be executed, instructions that no action is to be finalized unless all of the actions can be finalized, and instructions that the actions are to be executed until a constraint specification is violated.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the integrity rules may be applied at a group level.

23. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request is generated, received, processed, and the response generated in a local environment.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request composition definitions and defined relationship formats are defined by a service contract between a requester and a service provider.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the request comprises a message header, a transactor, and an input message set, wherein the transactor comprises a plurality of actions and relationships between the plurality of actions and the input message set comprises a plurality of input messages and input identifications.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the message header includes a sender identification.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the response comprises a message header, a transactor, and an output message set, wherein the output message set comprises a plurality of output messages and output identifications.

28. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the defined allowable actions and request definition compositions are defined by a service contract.

29. A system for processing requests in a network environment, the system comprising:

a receiver which receives a request with defined allowable actions and request definition compositions, wherein the request comprises a plurality of actions with defined relationships between the plurality of actions;

a processor which for processes the plurality of actions according to the defined relationships; and

a response generator which generates a response to the plurality of actions.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for selection an action for execution from a group of the plurality of actions.

31. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions for execution of a group of actions from the plurality of actions.

32. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request comprise groups of actions organized in hierarchical groups and wherein the request definition compositions comprise instructions regarding order of execution of actions within groups and order of execution of groups.

33. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the defined relationships comprise instructions to use the resulting output of one of the plurality of actions as the input of another one of the plurality of actions.

34. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the plurality of actions are arranged in groups of actions with varying definitions defining relationships between actions within a group and between the various groups.

35. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the defined relationships comprises integrity rules comprising at least one of specifying a priority order in which the actions are to be executed, instructions that no action is to be finalized unless all of the actions can be finalized, and instructions that the actions are to be executed until a constraint specification is violated.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, wherein the integrity rules may be applied at a group level.

37. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request is generated, received, processed, and the response generated in a local environment.

38. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request composition definitions and defined relationship formats are defined by a service contract between a requester and a service provider.

39. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the request comprises a message header, a transactor, and an input message set, wherein the transactor comprises a plurality of actions and relationships between the plurality of actions and the input message set comprises a plurality of input messages and input identifications.

40. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein the message header includes a sender identification.

41. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the response comprises a message header, a transactor, and an output message set, wherein the output message set comprises a plurality of output messages and output identifications.

42. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the defined allowable actions and request definition compositions is defined by a service contract.

43. A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on a data processing system, comprising:

a data structure stored in the memory, the data structure including information used by an application program and including;

a message header identifying a sender;

a transactor which includes a plurality of requested actions and relationships between the requested actions; and

an input message set.