Real-time dynamic modification of service-oriented systems using annotations to specify real-time system constraints

• US 20060136896A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bou-Ghannam, Akram, Jaiswal, Peeyush, Narayan, Vishwanath
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A method of modifying an existing standard-based system can include automatically identifying at least one message of the standard-based system at runtime. A constraint can be associated with a selected message of the standard-based system at runtime. The constraint can be one that is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system. The method also can include intercepting the selected message and applying the constraint to the selected message.

Claims

1. A method of modifying an existing standard-based system comprising:

automatically identifying at least one message of the standard-based system at runtime;

associating a constraint with a selected message of the standard-based system at runtime, wherein the constraint is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system;

intercepting the selected message; and

applying the constraint to the selected message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected message is a service request, said applying step comprising modifying the service request in accordance with the constraint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected message is a service response, said applying step comprising processing at least one result specified by the service response in accordance with the constraint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of automatically identifying comprises identifying a message selected from at least one of a service request and a service response.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying a message parameter of the selected message.

6. The method of claim 5, said associating step comprising associating the constraint with the message parameter of the selected message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a user interface specifying a service request and a service response for a service available to the standard-based system, wherein the user interface indicates at least one constraint that has been associated with at least one of the service request and service response.

8. The method of claim 1, said intercepting step further comprising determining whether the selected message has been associated with the constraint.

9. A system for modifying an existing standard-based system at runtime comprising an annotation framework layer configured to execute in conjunction with the standard-based system, wherein said annotation framework layer identifies at least one message of the standard-based system at runtime and associates a user-specified constraint with a selected message, wherein the user-specified constraint is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said annotation framework layer intercepts the selected message between a client and a service and applies the constraint to the selected message.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a presentation layer communicatively linked with said annotation framework layer, wherein said presentation layer presents a user interface configured to receive user input specifying a constraint to be associated with a message of the standard-based system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said presentation layer presents a user interface specifying a service request and service response for a service transaction, said user interface indicating at least one constraint associated with at least one of the service request and service response.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the selected message is at least one of a service request and a service response.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the constraint is specified dynamically by a user at runtime of the standard-based system.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected message is a service request and said annotation framework layer applies the constraint by modifying the service request in accordance with the constraint.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected message is a service response and said annotation framework layer applies the constraint by processing at least one result specified by the service response in accordance with the constraint.

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

automatically identifying at least one message of the standard-based system at runtime;

associating a constraint with a selected message of the standard-based system at runtime, wherein the constraint is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system;

intercepting the selected message; and

applying the constraint to the selected message.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the selected message is a service request, said applying step comprising modifying the service request in accordance with the constraint.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the selected message is a service response, said applying step comprising processing at least one result specified by the service response in accordance with the constraint.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 17, further causing the machine to perform the step of presenting a user interface specifying a service request and a service response for a service available to the standard-based system, wherein the user interface indicates at least one constraint that has been associated with at least one of the service request and service response.