Method and apparatus for processing workflow through a gateway

• US 20040019630A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Steven M., Burbeck, Stephen L., Boubez, Toufic, Graham, Stephen G., Casler, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing the processing of a document. A set of services registered for use in processing a document received from a client is identified in which registration information for each service within the set of services provides input requirements. A service from the set of registered services is selected to form a selected service by comparing a current state of the document with the input requirements for each service within the set of registered services. Execution of the selected service on the document is initiated, wherein a state transition occurs to a new state, which becomes the current state of the document processing system. The document processing system state is comprised of a collection of information fragments (tuples) which represent the set of documents currently being processed and the state of each document currently being processed. The selecting step and the initiating step are repeated until a response is returned to the client. In response to a request to register a new service, the set of registered services provided for processing of the document is dynamically altered to include the new service.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing processing of a document, the method comprising:

identifying a set of services registered for use in processing a document received from a client, wherein registration information for each service within the set of services provides input requirements;

selecting a service from the set of registered services to form a selected service by comparing a current state of the document with the input requirements for each service within the set of registered services;

initiating execution of the selected service on the document, wherein a state transition occurs to a new state, which becomes the current state of the document;

repeating the selecting step and the initiating step until a response is returned to the client; and

responsive to a request to register a new service, dynamically altering the set of registered services provided for processing of the document to include the new service.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a request to remove an existing service from the set of registered services, dynamically altering the set of registered services provided for processing the document to remove the existing service.

3. A method in a data processing system for handling a request, the method comprising:

receiving a document from a client;

parsing the document to identify a state of the document;

selecting a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service;

initiating the selected registered service to process the document, wherein the document is altered;

repeating the selecting and initiating steps until the document has a selected state; and

returning the document having the selected state to the client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is a markup language document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the client is at least one of a process on the data processing system, a computer in communication with the data processing system, and a personal digital assistant.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a request to register a service; and

registering the service in response to receiving the request to form a new registered service, wherein the new registered service becomes part of the set of registered services.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to unregister the registered service; and

unregistering the registered service in response to receiving the request to form an unregistered service, wherein the unregistered service is absent from the set of registered services and is unselectable by the selecting set.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of registered services includes business logic.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the state of the document includes data from the document and wherein the selecting step comprises:

selecting a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service by comparing input requirements for each of the registered services with the data.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the document is altered by the selected registered service returning a new document in place of the document received from the client.

12. A method in a data processing system for processing an extensible markup language document, the method comprising:

receiving the extensible markup language document from a client;

identifying a state of the extensible markup language document;

determining whether the state corresponds to a service registered with the data processing system;

responsive to the state corresponding to a service, calling the service, wherein the service executes a process and alters the extensible markup language document to form an altered extensible markup language document; and

returning the altered extensible markup language document to the client.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the state is a first state and further comprising:

identifying a second state of the altered extensible markup language document;

determining whether the second state corresponds to another service registered with the data processing system; and

responsive to the second state corresponding to another service, calling the another service, wherein the another service executes a process and alters the altered extensible markup language document.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

repeating the identifying, determining, and calling steps without initiating the returning step until a state is identified in which the altered extensible markup language document is to be returned to the client.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the state includes data from the extensible markup language document.

16. A data processing system for managing processing of a document, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to identify a set of services registered for use in processing a document received from a client in which registration information for each service within the set of services provides input requirements;

select a service from the set of registered services to form a selected service by comparing a current state of the document with the input requirements for each service within the set of registered services;

initiate execution of the selected service on the document in which a state transition occurs to a new state, which becomes the current state of the document;

repeat instructions to select and the initiate until a response is returned to the client; and

dynamically alter the set of registered services provided for processing of the document to include the new service in response to a request to register a new service.

17. A data processing system for handling a request, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a document from a client;

parse the document to identify a state of the document;

select a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service;

initiate the selected registered service to process the document in which the document is altered;

repeat the instructions to select and initiate until the document has a selected state; and

return the document having the selected state to the client.

18. A data processing system for processing an extensible markup language document, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive the extensible markup language document from a client;

identify a state of the extensible markup language document;

determine whether the state corresponds to a service registered with the data processing system;

call the service in which the service executes a process and alters the extensible markup language document to form an altered extensible markup language document in response to the state corresponding to a service; and

return the altered extensible markup language document to the client.

19. A data processing system for managing processing of a document, the data processing system comprising:

identifying means for identifying a set of services registered for use in processing a document received from a client, wherein registration information for each service within the set of services provides input requirements;

selecting means for selecting a service from the set of registered services to form a selected service by comparing a current state of the document with the input requirements for each service within the set of registered services;

initiating means for initiating execution of the selected service on the document, wherein a state transition occurs to a new state, which becomes the current state of the document;

repeating means for repeating instructions of the selecting means and the initiating means until a response is returned to the client; and

altering means, responsive to a request to register a new service, for dynamically altering the set of registered services provided for processing of the document to include the new service.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the altering means is a first altering means, further comprising:

second altering means, responsive to a request to remove an existing service from the set of registered services, for dynamically altering the set of registered services provided for processing the document to remove the existing service.

21. A data processing system for handling a request, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a document from a client;

parsing means for parsing the document to identify a state of the document;

selecting means for selecting a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service;

initiating means for initiating the selected registered service to process the document, wherein the document is altered;

repeating means for repeating initiation of the selecting means and initiating means until the document has a selected state; and

returning means for returning the document having the selected state to the client.

22. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the document is a markup language document.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

24. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the client is at least one of a process on the data processing system, a computer in communication with the data processing system, and a personal digital assistant.

25. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the receiving means is a first receiving means, further comprising:

second receiving means for receiving a request to register a service; and

registering means for registering the service in response to receiving the request to form a new registered service, wherein the new registered service becomes part of the set of registered services.

26. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the receiving means is a first receiving means, further comprising:

second receiving means for receiving a request to unregister the registered service; and

unregistering means for unregistering the registered service in response to receiving the request to form an unregistered service, wherein the unregistered service is absent from the set of registered services and is unselectable by the selecting set.

27. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the set of registered services includes business logic.

28. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the state of the document includes data from the document and wherein the selecting means comprises:

means for selecting a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service by comparing input requirements for each of the registered services with the data.

29. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the document is altered by the selected registered service returning a new document in place of the document received from the client.

30. A data processing system for processing an extensible markup language document, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving the extensible markup language document from a client;

identifying means for identifying a state of the extensible markup language document;

determining means for determining whether the state corresponds to a service registered with the data processing system;

calling means, responsive to the state corresponding to a service, for calling the service, wherein the service executes a process and alters the extensible markup language document to form an altered extensible markup language document; and

returning means for returning the altered extensible markup language document to the client.

31. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the identifying means is a first identifying means, the determining means is a first determining means, and the calling means is a first calling means, wherein the state is a first state and further comprising:

second identifying means for identifying a second state of the altered extensible markup language document;

second determining means for determining whether the second state corresponds to another service registered with the data processing system; and

second calling means, responsive to the second state corresponding to another service, for calling the another service, wherein the another service executes a process and alters the altered extensible markup language document.

32. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising:

repeating means for repeating initiation of the identifying means, determining means, and calling means without initiating the returning means until a state is identified in which the altered extensible markup language document is to be returned to the client.

33. The data processing system of claim 30, wherein the state includes data from the extensible markup language document.

34. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing processing of a document, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for identifying a set of services registered for use in processing a document received from a client, wherein registration information for each service within the set of services provides input requirements;

second instructions for selecting a service from the set of registered services to form a selected service by comparing a current state of the document with the input requirements for each service within the set of registered services;

third instructions for initiating execution of the selected service on the document, wherein a state transition occurs to a new state, which becomes the current state of the document;

fourth instructions for repeating the second instructions and the third instructions until a response is returned to the client; and

fifth instructions, responsive to a request to register a new service, for dynamically altering the set of registered services provided for processing of the document to include the new service.

35. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for handling a request, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a document from a client;

second instructions for parsing the document to identify a state of the document;

third instructions for selecting a registered service from a set of registered services based on the state of the document to form a selected registered service;

fourth instructions for initiating the selected registered service to process the document, wherein the document is altered;

fifth instructions for repeating the third and fourth instructions until the document has a selected state; and

sixth instructions for returning the document having the selected state to the client.

36. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing an extensible markup language document, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the extensible markup language document from a client;

second instructions for identifying a state of the extensible markup language document;

third instructions for determining whether the state corresponds to a service registered with the data processing system;

fourth instructions, responsive to the state corresponding to a service, for calling the service, wherein the service executes a process and alters the extensible markup language document to form an altered extensible markup language document; and

fifth instructions for returning the altered extensible markup language document to the client.