Techniques for providing connections to services in a network environment

• US 20060015353A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GrandCentral Communications Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, David Byrne
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/253 using establishment or release of connections between ports

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating consumption of services via a services network are described. Access is provided to a services directory which identifies a plurality of services and at least one connector for facilitating consumption of each of the services via the network. Each connector is operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first network end point associated with the corresponding service and a second network end point associated with a consumer of the service. For each of selected ones of the connectors, information accessible via the services directory is provided regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service. For each of selected ones of the services, access to a connector design process is provided via the services directory. The connector design process is operable to facilitate creation of a new connector for the corresponding service, and to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling consumption of services via a services network, the method comprising:

providing access to a services directory, the services directory identifying a plurality of services associated with the network and at least one connector for facilitating consumption of each of the services via the network, each connector being operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first end point on the network associated with the corresponding service and a second end point on the network associated with a consumer of the service;

for each of selected ones of the connectors, providing information accessible via the services directory regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service; and

for each of selected ones of the services, providing access to a connector design process via the services directory, the connector design process being operable to facilitate creation of a new connector for the corresponding service, and to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling visibility of each of the connectors in the services directory according to an identity associated with each user on the services network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein controlling visibility of the connectors is also done with reference to a policy framework associated with the network, the policy framework defining access policies relating to the plurality of services.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising configuring the policy framework for a particular one of the services in response to input received from a service provider representative associated with the particular service.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising configuring the policy framework for a user in response to input received from an authorized representative of an enterprise associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the policy framework specifies any of access, authentication, and encryption technologies for each of the services.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein each identity includes any of an enterprise associated with the user, a role within the enterprise associated with the user, and an identifier of a client machine associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the services directory comprises a personalized directory corresponding to and configured by a specific user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of services are controlled by a plurality of independent service providers and employ a plurality of interfaces at least some of which are not directly interoperable.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising facilitating copying of a previously created connector.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising facilitating customization of the copied connector.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the information for each selected connector includes at least one of use instructions, authentication information, an address of an interface operable to communicate with the selected connector, a message schema associated with the selected connector, and a web services description language (WSDL) file associated with the service corresponding to the selected connector.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the connector design process comprises:

specifying a connector name;

specifying a connector address;

specifying a connector type;

specifying a post interface binding; and

specifying the at least one business process.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the connector address is on the services network.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the connector address is on an enterprise network associated with a developer engaged in the connector design process.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the connector type supports one of one-way messaging, two-way messaging, and both one-way and two-way messaging.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the post interface binding corresponds to one of a SOAP interface, an FTP interface, an AS2 interface, a synchronous interface, an asynchronous interface, and a custom interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the custom interface is specified by a developer engaged in the connector design process.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein each connector comprises at least one of an inbound mapping process and an outbound mapping process for mediating the business policy differences.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process resides in the services network.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process resides in an enterprise network associated with the corresponding service.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing at least one connector template from which the new connector may be created.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the new connector is not a SOAP connector, the method further comprising automatically generating a SOAP connector with reference to at least one schema file relating to the service corresponding to the new connector.

24. A services network for providing access to a plurality of services by a plurality of users having associated client machines, each of the plurality of users being associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises, the plurality of services being controlled by a plurality of independent service providers and employing a plurality of interfaces at least some of which are not directly interoperable, the system comprising:

at least one data store having a first directory stored therein which maps an identity corresponding to each of the users to a policy framework which defines access policies relating to the services, the identity for each user identifying the associated enterprise, the at least one data store also having a second directory stored therein which identifies the plurality of services and at least one connector for facilitating consumption of each of the services via the network, each connector being operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first end point on the network associated with the corresponding service and a second end point on the network associated with a consumer of the service; and

at least one computing device which is operable to connect with each of the client machines and each of the interfaces associated with the services, and to selectively facilitate interaction among client machines and the services with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling the users associated with different ones of the enterprises to independently access the plurality of services using the services network, the at least one computing device further being operable to provide access to the second directory and, for each of selected ones of the connectors, provide information accessible via the second directory regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service.

25. The service network of claim 24 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to, for each of selected ones of the services, provide access to a connector design process via the second directory, the connector design process being operable to facilitate creation of a new connector for the corresponding service, and to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences.

26. The service network of claim 25 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to provide at least one connector template from which the new connector may be created.

27. The services network of claim 25 wherein the new connector is not a SOAP connector, the at least one computing device further being operable to automatically generate a SOAP connector with reference to at least one schema file relating to the service corresponding to the new connector.

28. The services network of claim 24 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to control visibility of each of the connectors in the second directory according to the identities and the policy framework.

29. The services network of claim 24 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to facilitate copying and customization of one of the connectors.

30. The services network of claim 24 wherein each connector comprises at least one of an inbound mapping process and an outbound mapping process for mediating the business policy differences.

31. The services network of claim 30 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process are stored in the at least one data store.

32. The services network of claim 30 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process is stored in an enterprise network associated with the corresponding service.

33. The service network of claim 24 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to provide connector templates from which new connectors may be constructed