Client web service access

• US 20070005777A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fremantle, Paul, Hutchison, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US10/549,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and computer program product in which a web client request for a web service is intercepted and the target of the request updated according to policy data associated with the client. Further the application layer protocol in which the web client request is specified may be changed. As a result a web client which makes a request for which the target web service is hard-coded may be adapted to take advantage of managed access to web services resulting in access to web services which, for example, provide quality of service characteristics which more appropriately match the requirements of the web client.

Claims

1. A client data processing method for transforming a request from a web client, the method comprising the steps:

intercepting the request;

changing a first web service implementation specified in the request to a second web service implementation; and

forwarding the request to the second web service implementation thereby enabling the second web service implementation to process the request,

wherein the second web service implementation is selected based on policy data associated with the web client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is specified in a first application layer protocol and the method comprises the further step of:

modifying the request to be specified in a second application layer protocol.

3. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the client data processing host comprises a SOCKS proxy and the step of intercepting the request comprises calling the SOCKS proxy and including with the call details of the request.

4. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the client data processing host comprises a HTTP proxy and the step of intercepting the request comprises calling the HTTP proxy and including with the call details of the request.

5. The method of any preceding claim comprising the further steps of:

discovering one or more alternative web service implementations to handle the request; and

selecting the second web service implementation from the one or more alternative web services discovered;

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the discovering step comprises the steps of:

obtaining a first web service implementation Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) document for the first web service implementation; and

using information from the web service implementation WSDL document to obtain a WSDL document for each of the one or more alternative web service implementations to handle the request;

7. The method of any preceding claim comprising the further step of:

applying a security policy to the request;

wherein the step of applying the security policy comprises one or more of the steps;

encrypting at least part of the request;

adding a web client key to the request; and

sending the request using a secure application layer protocol;

8. The method of any preceding claim comprising the further step of:

adding information specific to the web client to the request comprising one or more of the steps;

adding an IP address of the client data processing host;

adding a machine identifier of client data processing host;

adding a web client key;

9. The method of any preceding claim wherein the policy data specifies one or more of:

a response time requirement;

a security level requirement;

a transaction requirement;

a cost requirement;

an availability requirement;

an application layer protocol requirement;

an additional information requirement; and

a web service implementation requirement.

19. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a data processing host, cause the data processing host to carry out the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

10. A client data processing apparatus for transforming a request from a web client, the apparatus comprising:

means for intercepting the request;

means for changing a first web service implementation specified in the request to a second web service implementation; and

means for forwarding the request to the second web service implementation thereby enabling the second web service implementation to process the request,

wherein the means for changing a first web service implementation is operable to select the second web service implementation based on policy data associated with the web client.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the request is specified in a first application layer protocol and the apparatus further comprises:

means for modifying the request to be specified in a second application layer protocol.

12. The apparatus of either claim 10 or claim 11 further comprising a SOCKS proxy and the means for intercepting the request is operable to call the SOCKS proxy and include with the call details of the request.

13. The apparatus of either claim 10 or 11 wherein apparatus further comprises a HTTP proxy and the means for intercepting the request is operable too call the HTTP proxy and include with the call details of the request.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 13 further comprising:

means for discovering one or more alternative web service implementations to handle the request; and

means for selecting the second web service implementation from the one or more alternative web services discovered;

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for discovering comprises:

means for obtaining a first web service implementation Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) document for the first web service implementation; and

means for using information from the web service implementation WSDL document to obtain a WSDL document for each of the one or more alternative web service implementations to handle the request;

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 15 further comprising:

means for applying a security policy to the request comprising on more of;

means for encrypting at leas t part of the request;

means f or adding a client key to the request; and

means for sending the request using a secure transport mechanism.

17. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 16 further comprising:

means for adding information specific to the web client to the request comprising one or more of;

means for adding an IP address of the client data processing host;

means for adding a machine identifier of client data processing host;

means for adding a web client key;

18. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 17 wherein the policy data specifies one or more of:

a response time requirement;

a security level requirement;

a transaction requirement;

a cost requirement;

an availability requirement;

an application layer protocol requirement;

an additional information requirement; and

a web service implementation requirement.