Providing web services from a service environment with a gateway

• US 20050114437A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., McIntyre, Joseph H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A method for providing Web services can include the step of registering a Web service with a service provider. The Web service can be installed within a service environment. A request for the Web service can be sent by a service user to an application server disposed within an application environment. The network space of the application environment can be different from the network space of the service environment. The application server can access the requested Web service using a gateway, such as a Parlay gateway. Once the Web service is accessed by the application server, service data for the Web service can be transported between the application server and the service user.

Claims

1. A method for providing Web services comprising the steps of:

registering a Web service with a service provider;

installing the Web service within a service environment;

receiving a request for the Web service from a service user, wherein said request is received within an application environment, and wherein said application environment is disposed within a different network space than said service environment;

accessing said requested Web service across a gateway; and

transporting service data for said Web service from a processor disposed in said application environment to the service user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said application environment is an open Internet environment, and wherein said service environment is at least one of a trusted network environment and a secure network environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said gateway is a Parlay gateway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said accessing step further comprises the steps of:

initiating a component within said gateway that is specific to said Web service; and

,

initiating a component within said gateway that is applicable to multiple Web services.

5. The method of claim 1, said accessing step further comprises the step of:

conveying information between the gateway and the application environment using a Common Request Broker Architecture.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

responsive to receiving the request for the Web service, executing at least one Java servlet within said application environment that initiates said accessing step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said Web service is registered with a service registry, and wherein said received request results from said service user selecting said Web service from said service registry.

8. A system for providing Web services comprising:

a Web service installed within a service environment;

an application server configured to distribute said Web service to said client application, wherein said application server is disposed within an application environment; and

a gateway between said application server and said installed Web service.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said Web service is associated with a Web Service Definition Language definition.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said application server further comprises an application engine configured to execute modular server-side applications.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said application server further comprises a component engine configured to provide interface routines for the applications of said application engine.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a communication link for exchanging Web service data between said gateway and said application server, wherein said communication link utilizes a Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said gateway is a Parlay gateway.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said gateway further comprises:

a function specific component configured for a particular Web service; and

a service component configured for a plurality of Web services.

15. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

registering a Web service with a service provider;

installing the Web service within a service environment;

receiving a request for the Web service from a service user, wherein said request is received within an application environment, and wherein said application environment is disposed within a different network space than said service environment;

accessing said requested Web service across a gateway; and

transporting service data for said Web service from a processor disposed in said application environment to the service user.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said application environment is an open Internet environment, and wherein said service environment is at least one of a trusted network environment and a secure network environment.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said gateway is a Parlay gateway.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said accessing step further comprises the steps of:

initiating a component within said gateway that is specific to said Web service; and

initiating a component within said gateway that is applicable to multiple Web services.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, said accessing step further comprises the step of:

conveying information between the gateway and the application environment using a Common Request Broker Architecture.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

responsive to receiving the request for the Web service, executing at least one Java servlet within said application environment that initiates said accessing step.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said Web service is registered with a service registry, and wherein said received request results from said service user selecting said Web service from said service registry.

22. A system for providing Web services comprising the steps of:

means for registering a Web service with a service provider;

means for installing the Web service within a service environment;

means for receiving a request for the Web service from a service user, wherein said request is received within an application environment, and wherein said application environment is disposed within a different network space than said service environment;

means for accessing said requested Web service across a gateway; and

means for transporting service data for said Web service between a processor disposed in said application environment and the service user.