Web service agent

• US 20040107196A1
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Link, Claudius, Chen, Ye, Vogler, Hartmut K., Drumm, Christian, Loo, Kaj Van De
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing a web service agent application. The web service agent application has a communication module and a processing module. The communication module receives requests from one or more web service applications or one or more adaptive agent applications; and transmits responses to one or more web service applications or one or more adaptive agent applications. The processing module receives a request for information from the communication module; identifies a resource that can fulfill the request for information; obtains a response to the request from the identified resource; and delivers the response to the request to the communication module.

Claims

1. A web service agent application, comprising:

a communication module operable to;

receive requests from one or more web service applications or one or more adaptive agent applications; and

transmit responses to one or more web service applications or one or more adaptive agent applications; and

a processing module operable to

receive a request for information from the communication module;

identify a resource that can fulfill the request for information;

obtain a response to the request from the identified resource; and

deliver the response to the request to the communication module.

2. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the one or more web service applications and the one or more adaptive agent applications is internal to a local area network.

3. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the one or more web service applications and the one or more adaptive agent applications is external to a local area network.

4. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the one or more web service applications and the one or more adaptive agent applications is internal to a local area network;

and

at least one of the one or more web service applications and the one or more adaptive agent applications is external to the local area network.

5. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein the communication module is further operable to:

automatically interpret a semantic of a web service application; and

publish a service offered by the web service application in a directory that is accessible to one or more web service agent applications.

6. The web service agent application of claim 5, wherein the communication module is operable to automatically interpret the semantic by translating terms in a request for a web service application into terms used by the web service application to describe its services.

7. The web service agent application of claim 5, wherein the communication module is operable to automatically interpret the semantic by interpreting a meaning of terms used by the web service application to describe its services.

8. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

make only selected information available in response to the request for information.

9. The web service agent application of claim 8, wherein the selected information is made available based on a predefined information policy for a web service application or an adaptive agent application requesting information.

10. The web service agent application of claim 8, wherein the processing module further is operable to:

negotiate a set of terms for a fulfillment of the request for information between the requesting application and a resource, based on a predefined negotiation protocol.

11. The web service agent application of claim 10, wherein the set of terms for the fulfillment include a monetary compensation to be paid by a host of the requesting application to the host of the resource.

12. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein the processing module further is operable to:

evaluate a performance of one or more web service applications;

identify one or more web service applications that can provide the requested information; and

select one of the web service applications based on the evaluation.

13. The web service agent application of claim 1, wherein the processing module further is operable to:

save information regarding a performance of one or more web service applications; and

use the saved in formation to select a web service application.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more web service applications;

one or more computer software applications that reside on one or more local area networks; and

one or more web service agents that are operable to;

receive a request from a web service application or from a computer software application that resides on a local area network;

locate a web service application or a computer software application external to the local area network that can respond the request; and

negotiate a set of terms for the response between the requesting application and the located web service application or computer software application.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request from a web service application or an adaptive agent application;

identifying a resource that can fulfill the request for information;

obtaining a response to the request from the identified resource; and

transmitting a response to the requesting web service application or adaptive agent application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a request comprises:

receiving a request from a web service application or an adaptive agent application internal to a local area network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein

receiving a request from a web service application or an adaptive agent application external to a local area network.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically interpreting a semantic of a web service application; and

publishing a service offered by the web service application in a directory that is accessible to one or more web service agent applications.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically interpreting comprises:

translating terms in a request for a web service application into terms used by the web service application to describe its services.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically interpreting comprises:

interpreting a meaning of terms used by the web service application to describe its services.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

making only selected information available in response to the request for information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein making selected information available comprises:

making selected information available based on a predefined information policy for a web service application or an adaptive agent application requesting information.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

negotiating a set of terms for a fulfillment of the request for information between the requesting application and a resource, based on a predefined negotiation protocol.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein negotiating comprises:

negotiating a monetary compensation to be paid by a host of the requesting application to the host of the resource.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

evaluating a performance of one or more web service applications;

identifying one or more web service applications that can provide the requested information; and

selecting one of the web service applications based on the evaluation.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

saving information regarding a performance of one or more web service applications; and

using the saved in formation to select a web service application.