WEB SERVICE SYSTEM, SCHEDULE EXECUTION APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070124351A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A schedule execution unit accesses a storage unit for storing a call list registered in a database and determines whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed. If the presence of a Web service call to be executed is confirmed, the schedule execution unit reads out the Web service address and process details and calls the Web service. By so doing, the apparatus that provides the function and the apparatus that carries out the call can be separated, thus enabling a particular program to be executed simply and flexibly according to a schedule.

Claims

1. A Web service system in which a schedule execution apparatus, a database apparatus and a function providing apparatus in which a Web service is implemented are communicably connected,

the database apparatus comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service,

wherein the call information is stored as a record in a function call list by the storage unit, such function call list being updatable when accessed by an external unit,

the schedule execution apparatus comprising;

a check unit adapted to access the database apparatus and check whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

a read-out unit adapted to read out, in a case in which the check unit determines that there is a Web service call to be executed, the address information and the process information of the Web service to be executed from the database apparatus; and

a calling unit adapted to generate a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmit the message according to the read-out address information,

the function providing apparatus comprising;

a process execution unit adapted to execute a process according to the message based on the message received from the schedule execution apparatus and on a function that the Web service provides,

wherein, when a process according to the process execution unit is completed, the schedule execution apparatus is notified of termination of the Web service.

2. The Web service system according to claim 1, wherein the function providing apparatus further comprises a determination unit adapted to determine whether or not a function according to the message will be completed within a predetermined time period based on the message received from the schedule execution apparatus and on the function that the Web service provides,

wherein, in a case in which the determination unit determines the process according to the process execution unit will not be completed within the predetermined time period, the function providing apparatus transfers the process according to the message to another application program, notifies the schedule execution apparatus that the termination of the Web service and updates the function call list of the database apparatus.

3. The Web service system according to claim 1, further comprising a timer unit,

wherein, the check unit determines whether or not there is the time information indicating a date and time that is prior to a current date and time of the timer unit in the database apparatus,

wherein, the read-out unit reads out the address information and the process information that correspond to the time information indicating a date and time that is prior to the current date and time of the timer unit.

4. The Web service system according to claim 1, wherein the process information is a XML document and the calling unit generates the message as a SOAP message addressed to the Web service.

5. The Web service system according to claim 1, further comprising a registration apparatus communicably connected to the Web service system for registering the call information that controls the schedule execution apparatus in the database apparatus, the registration apparatus comprising:

a call information input unit adapted to obtain the call information input through a user interface;

a call information generating unit adapted to generate the call information based on information obtained by the call information input unit; and

a registration unit adapted to register the generated call information as a record in the function call list of the database apparatus.

6. A schedule execution apparatus comprising:

a check unit adapted to access a database apparatus, which stores call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service, and determines whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

a read-out unit adapted to read out the address information and the process information from the database apparatus in a case where the check unit determines that there exists a Web service call to be executed; and

a calling unit adapted to generate a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmits the message to a function providing apparatus in which a Web service is implemented according to the read-out address information.

7. A method comprising:

storing call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service, wherein the call information is stored as a record in a function call list, such function call list being updatable when accessed by an external unit;

determining whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

reading the address information and the process information in a case in which it is determined that there is a Web service call to be executed;

generating a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmitting the message according to the read-out address information;

executing a process according to the message received and on a function that the Web service provides; and

notifying termination of the Web service when the process is completed.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method is used in a Web service system in which a schedule execution unit, a database unit and a function providing unit implementing a Web service are communicably connected.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the storing of the call information, the time information and the process information is performed by the database unit,

wherein the determining whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed is performed by the schedule execution unit,

wherein the reading of the address information and the process information is performed by the schedule execution unit,

wherein the generating of the message for calling the Web service to be executed is performed by the schedule execution unit,

wherein the execution of the process is performed by the function providing unit, and

wherein the notifying of termination of the Web service is performed by the function providing unit.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether or not a function according to the call information will be completed within a predetermined time period based on the call information and on the function that the Web service provides;

transferring the process according to the call information to another application program, in a case where it is determined that the process will not be completed within the predetermined time period;

notifying termination of the Web service; and

updating the function call list.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining if the time information indicates a date and time that is prior to a current date and time; and

reading out the address information and the process information that correspond to the time information indicating a date and time that is prior to the current date and time.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the process information is a XML document and the message is generated as a SOAP message addressed to the Web service.

13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining the call information input through a user interface;

generating the call information based on information obtained via the user interface; and

registering the generated call information as a record in the function call list.

14. A method comprising:

accessing a database unit, which stores call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service, and determining whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

reading out the address information and the process information from the database unit in a case where it is determined that there exists a Web service call to be executed; and

generating a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmitting the message to a function providing apparatus in which a Web service is implemented according to the read-out address information.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

storing call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service, wherein the call information is stored as a record in a function call list, such function call list being updatable when accessed by an external unit;

determining whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

reading the address information and the process information in a case in which it is determined that there is a Web service call to be executed;

generating a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmitting the message according to the read-out address information;

executing a process according to the message received and on a function that the Web service provides; and

notifying termination of the Web service when the process is completed.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

accessing a database unit, which stores call information containing address information for calling a Web service, time information at which the Web service should be called, and process information that describes the process that should be executed by the Web service, and determining whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed;

reading out the address information and the process information from the database unit in a case where it is determined that there exists a Web service call to be executed; and

generating a message for calling the Web service to be executed according to the read-out process information and transmitting the message to a function providing apparatus in which a Web service is implemented according to the read-out address information.