Automatic generation of database invocation mechanism for external web services

• US 20040199636A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Larry, Qu, Rong, Wolfson, Charles Daniel, Reinwald, Berthold, Schwarz, Peter M., Kleewein, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, system and program product for automatically generating an invoking mechanism from a web service description, thereby enabling integration of a service external to a database into a database such that the service may be easily invoked from the database. Preferably, the service is a web service available over the internet The service may be invoked from any of a number of invoking mechanisms of the database. In a first specific embodiment, the mechanism comprises a user-defined function within an SQL statement. In a second specific embodiment, the mechanism comprises a virtual table. In a third specific embodiment, the mechanism comprises a stored procedure. In a fourth specific embodiment, the mechanism comprises a trigger. In a fifth specific embodiment, the mechanism comprises a federated table accessed via a nickname and implemented using a wrapper.

Claims

1. A method for enabling invocation of an external service from a database, comprising the step of:

generating a database invocation mechanism from a description of the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service further comprises a web service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the description comprises a standardized description of the service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the standardized description comprises WSDL.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the description is retrieved from a registry.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the registry is accessed over the internet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the description is retrieved with a SOAP request.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the registry comprises a standardized registry.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the registry comprises a UDDI registry.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the registry is local to the database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the invocation mechanism further comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a UDF, a virtual table, a stored procedure, a trigger, and a federated table.

12. A program product containing instructions executable by a computer, the instructions embodying a method for enabling invocation of an external service from a database, comprising the step of:

generating a database invocation mechanism from a description of the service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service further comprises a web service.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the description comprises a standardized description of the service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the standardized description comprises WSDL.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the description is retrieved from a registry.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the registry is accessed over the internet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the description is retrieved with a SOAP request.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the registry comprises a standardized registry.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the registry comprises a UDDI registry.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the registry is local to the database.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the invocation mechanism further comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a UDF, a virtual table, a stored procedure, a trigger, and a federated table.

23. A method for enabling invocation of an external service from a database, comprising the step of:

generating a database invocation mechanism from a description of the service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the service further comprises a web service.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the description comprises a standardized description of the service.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the standardized description comprises WSDL.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the description is retrieved from a registry.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the registry is accessed over the internet.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the description is retrieved with a SOAP request.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the registry comprises a standardized registry.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the registry comprises a UDDI registry.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the registry is local to the database.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the invocation mechanism further comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a UDF, a virtual table, a stored procedure, a trigger, and a federated table.