Apparatus and method for content and context processing of web service traffic

• US 20040133656A1
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amberpoint, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Butterworth, Paul E., Carter, Frederick H., Wallace, Mark T., Schilling, Michael S., Thurston, Charles E., Cortopassi, Joseph R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method of supplementing the operations performed by a web service includes operating an autonomous software agent. The autonomous software agent receives a request directed to a web service and identifies a web service input operation associated with the request. The web service input operation is associated with a set of input actions. The input actions are executed prior to directing the request to web service. The autonomous software agent may also receive a response from the web service. A web service output operation associated with the response is identified. The web service output operation is associated with a set of output actions. The output actions are executed prior to directing the response to a client.

Claims

1. A computer readable media to direct a computer to operate in a specified manner, comprising:

an autonomous software agent configured to

receive a request directed to a web service;

identify a web service input operation associated with said request;

associate said web service input operation with a set of input actions; and

execute said input actions prior to directing said request to said web service.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein said autonomous software agent is further configured to

receive a response from said web service;

identify a web service output operation associated with said response;

associate said web service output operation with a set of output actions; and

execute said output actions prior to directing said response to a client.

3. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein said autonomous software agent is further configured to

receive a fault response from said web service;

associate said fault response with a set of fault actions; and

execute said fault actions.

4. The computer readable media of claim 1 further comprising a management console to facilitate the formation of said autonomous software agent.

5. The computer readable media of claim 4 wherein said management console includes an agent configuration editor to form a configuration module for submission to said autonomous software agent.

6. The computer readable media of claim 4 wherein said management console includes an environment monitor to facilitate the supervision of operating parameters associated with said autonomous software agent.

7. The computer readable media of claim 4 wherein said management console includes an authorization policy editor to form a web service access policy executed by said autonomous software agent.

8. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein said autonomous software agent includes a module layer, a core layer, and a platform layer.

9. The computer readable media of claim 1 further comprising an action list specifying a set of selectable actions to perform in connection with a web service operation.

10. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein said autonomous software agent provides a context object for use by sets of actions.

11. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein said autonomous software agent provides a context object to characterize the state of said autonomous agent.

12. A method of supplementing the operations performed by a web service, comprising:

operating an autonomous software agent to

receive a request directed to a web service;

identify a web service input operation associated with said request;

associate said web service input operation with a set of input actions; and

execute said input actions prior to directing said request to said web service.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein operating further comprises operating said autonomous software agent to

receive a response from said web service;

identify a web service input operation associated with said response;

associate said web service input operation with a set of output actions; and

execute said output actions prior to directing said response to a client.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein operating further comprises operating said autonomous software agent to

receive a fault response from said web service;

associate said fault response with a set of fault actions; and

execute said fault actions.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating an agent configuration editor to form a configuration module for submission to said autonomous software agent.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating an environment monitor to facilitate the supervision of operating parameters associated with said autonomous software agent.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating an authorization policy editor to form a web service access policy executed by said autonomous software agent.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said operating is performed in accordance with a context object.