SERVICE ROUTER FOR USE WITH A SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080069082A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patrick, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/857,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069082A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS

Abstract

A service router for use with a service-oriented architecture environment. In accordance with an embodiment, the principles governing the topology of computer networks can be similarly applied to the service space—from small federated Service Segments (or sub-domains), to large public federated Service Domains. At the heart of the Service Network are one or more Service Routers, that are themselves responsible for transparently bridging between federated Service Segments. The Service Routers determine where services reside in the Service Network and, based on routing information gathered through interaction with other Service Routers, Network Routers and other mechanisms, deliver service requests, using optimal routes, from a source Service Segment to the target Service Segment. Working in concert with the Service Router, an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) can abstract the location of services, and hide the existence of the Service Network from service requestors.

Claims

1. A service router for use with a service-oriented architecture environment, comprising:

a routing table;

a routing policy; and

means for

receiving requests from service requestors on a local service segment,

determining where requested services reside in a service network, and,

based on both the routing table and the routing policy, delivering the service requests from the service router to a target service segment in the service network.

2. The service router of claim 1, wherein the local service segment includes a service bus that handles service requests that are local to the service segment.

3. The service router of claim 1, wherein each service router uses a path-finding algorithm for determining the lowest cost or optimal path from the local service segment to the target service segment, and wherein the lowest cost path to the target service segment can include interim service routers or hops.

4. The service router of claim 1, wherein the routing policy includes information that determines the optimal path from the local service segment to the target service segment based on the SOA requirements of the service requestor.

5. The service router of claim 1, wherein the service router maintains a local registry information about other service routers that are adjacent to the service router, including the identification of each router, its attached service networks and domains, and their relative costs, and wherein to populate the local registry, each service router sends and receives advertisements about their own local service segments, which advertisements are then use to populate the local registry at each service router.

6. A method for routing services in a SOA environment using a service router, comprising the steps of:

receiving requests from service requesters on a local service segment;

accessing a routing table that defines adjacent service routers in a service network;

determining where requested services reside in the service network;

accessing a routing policy associated with at least one or both of the service requestor or the requested service; and

delivering the service requests from the service router to a target service segment in the service network, based on both the routing table and the routing policy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the local service segment includes a service bus that handles service requests that are local to the service segment.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each service router uses a path-finding algorithm for determining the lowest cost or optimal path from the local service segment to the target service segment, and wherein the lowest cost path to the target service segment can include interim service routers or hops.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the routing policy includes information that determines the optimal path from the local service segment to the target service segment based on the SOA requirements of the service requestor.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the service router maintains a local registry information about other service routers that are adjacent to the service router, including the identification of each router, its attached service networks and domains, and their relative costs, and wherein to populate the local registry, each service router sends and receives advertisements about their own local service segments, which advertisements are then use to populate the local registry at each service router.