Techniques for managing interaction of web services and applications

• US 20040068586A1
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Xie, Nan, Singh, Vebhhav
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A web service broker transforms, at runtime, output data from client applications to the input data form required by various web services. Such transformations are based on data and/or parameter mappings that are accessible to the broker. Further, the broker accesses and invokes particular web services in the manner required by the web services. Such invocations are based on information regarding the access style, such as RPC style of communication, and encoding, such as SOAP, associated with respective web services. The broker provides a generic framework in that it is capable of supporting transformation of different data and data forms from many different applications to respective data that many different respective web services can use.

Claims

1. A method for handling requests for web services, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving, from a source, a request for information from a particular web service that has characteristics that are described in Web Service Description Language and are published in a Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration registry;

in response to receiving said request, accessing transformation information that specifies

how to transform first data associated with said request to second data that said particular web service can use to service requests for said requested information, and

how to invoke said particular web service in a manner required by said particular web service, to obtain said requested information from said particular web service;

based on said transformation information,

transforming said first data to said second data; and

invoking, in said manner required by said particular web service, said particular web service to obtain said requested information from said particular web service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, from said particular web service, said requested information; and

transforming, based on said transformation information, said requested information to data that said source can use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation information specifies how to transform a plurality of first data each from a respective source of a plurality of sources, to a plurality of second data each for a respective web service of a plurality of web services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first particular source to second data that a web service can use, and a mapping of first data from a second particular source to second data that a web service can use, and wherein said first data from said first particular source has a different form than said first data from said second particular source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first particular source to second data that a first web service can use, and a mapping of first data from a second particular source to said second data that said first web service can use, and wherein said first data from said first particular source has a different form than said first data from said second particular source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first source to second data that a first web service can use and to second data that a second web service can use, and wherein said first web service is different than said second web service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

based on said transformation information, determining whether to use RPC style of communication or messaging style of communication to invoke said particular web service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

based on said transformation information, determining whether to use SOAP encoding to encode a communication for invoking said particular web service.

9. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

10. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

11. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

12. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

14. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

17. A method for handling requests for web services, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving, from a source, a request for information, wherein said request includes an identification of a particular instance of said source;

in response to receiving said request, based on said identification of said particular instance of said source, accessing transformation information;

wherein said transformation information includes a mapping between said identification of said particular instance of said source and an identification of a particular web service from which said particular instance wants said requested information;

wherein said transformation information specifies how to transform first data associated with said request to second data that said particular web service can use to service requests for said requested information; and

based on said transformation information, transforming said first data to said second data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said identification of a particular instance of said source includes identification of a user of said source.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

passing said second data as input to said particular web service to service said request.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein said transformation information specifies a mapping between said first data output from said source and data that said particular web service can use as input to determine said requested information;

and

wherein said step of passing includes passing said second data, according to said transformation information, as input to said particular web service to determine said requested information.

21. The method of claim 20,

wherein said transformation information specifies a first manner in which said particular web service can be invoked to service requests for said requested information;

and

wherein said step of passing includes passing said second data in said first manner, to invoke said particular web service to determine said requested information.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein said transformation information specifies a second manner in which said second data is characterized so that said particular web service can be invoked to service requests for said requested information;

and

wherein said step of passing includes passing, according to said first manner, said second data that is characterized according to said second manner, to invoke said particular web service to determine said requested information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said second manner includes characterizing said second data according to Simple Object Access Protocol.

24. The method of claim 19,

wherein said transformation information specifies a first manner in which said particular web service can be invoked to service requests for said requested information and a second manner in which said second data is characterized in an invocation of said particular web service;

and

wherein said step of passing includes passing, according to said first manner, said second data that is characterized according to said second manner, to invoke said particular web service to determine said requested information.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein said particular web service has characteristics that are described in Web Service Description Language.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said particular web service has characteristics that are published in a Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration registry.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, from said particular web service, said requested information; and

transforming, based on said transformation information, said requested information to data that said source can use.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein said transformation information specifies how to transform a plurality of first data each from a respective source of a plurality of sources, to a plurality of second data each for a respective web service of a plurality of web services.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first particular source to second data that a web service can use, and a mapping of first data from a second particular source to second data that a web service can use, and wherein said first data from said first particular source has a different form than said first data from said second particular source.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first particular source to second data that a first web service can use, and a mapping of first data from a second particular source to said second data that said first web service can use, and wherein said first data from said first particular source has a different form than said first data from said second particular source.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein said transformation information includes a mapping of first data from a first source to second data that a first web service can use and to second data that a second web service can use, and wherein said first web service is different than said second web service.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said first web service and said second web service can determine the same requested information, and wherein said second data that said first web service can use is different from said second data that said second web service can use.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.

34. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 18.

35. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 19.

36. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 20.

37. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 21.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 22.

39. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 23.

40. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 24.

41. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 25.

42. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 26.

43. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 27.

44. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 28.

45. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 29.

46. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 30.

47. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 31.

48. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 32.

49. A system for handling requests for web services, the system comprising:

means for receiving, from a source, a request for information from a particular web service that has characteristics that are described in Web Service Description Language and are published in a Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration registry;

means for accessing, in response to receiving said request, transformation information that specifies

how to transform first data associated with said request to second data that said particular web service can use to service requests for said requested information, and

how to invoke said particular web service in a manner required by said particular web service, to obtain said requested information from said particular web service;

means for transforming, based on said transformation information, said first data to said second data; and

means for invoking, based on said transformation information, said particular web service in said manner required by said particular web service to obtain said requested information.

50. An system for handling requests for web services, the system comprising:

means for receiving, from a source, a request for information, wherein said request includes an identification of a particular instance of said source;

means for accessing transformation information in response to receiving said request and based on said identification of said particular instance of said source;

wherein said transformation information includes a mapping between said identification of said particular instance of said source and an identification of a particular web service from which said particular instance wants said requested information;

wherein said transformation information specifies how to transform first data associated with said request to second data that said particular web service can use to service requests for said requested information; and

means for transforming said first data to said second data based on said transformation information.