SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING SERVICE NETWORKS IN A SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080069124A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patrick, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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 system and method for supporting Service Networks in a SOA 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 system for supporting service networks in a service oriented architecture (SOA) environment, comprising:

a service network including a plurality of service segments; and

a service router associated with each service segment that is responsible for transparently bridging service requests from applications between the federated service segments, including determining where services reside in the service network and, based on a routing information gathered through interaction with other service routers, network routers and other mechanisms, delivering the service requests, using optimal routes, to the target service segment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of service segments includes a mix of both service requesters and service providers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of service segments includes a service bus that handles service requests that are local to the service segment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each service router uses a routing information that includes a path-finding algorithm for determining the lowest cost path to the target service router, and wherein the lowest cost path to the target service router can include interim service routers or hops.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the path-finding algorithm is a Dijkstra algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each service router uses a routing information that includes a route policy for determining the best path to the target service router based on the SOA requirements of the application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the service routers associated with each of the plurality of service segment communicate using one of a full or a partial mesh network.

8. A method for supporting Service Networks in a SOA environment, comprising the steps of:

for supporting service networks in a service oriented architecture (SOA) environment, comprising;

providing a service network including a plurality of service segments; and

providing a service router associated with each service segment that is responsible for transparently bridging service requests from applications between the federated service segments, including determining where services reside in the service network and, based on a routing information gathered through interaction with other service routers, network routers and other mechanisms, delivering the service requests, using optimal routes, to the target service segment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of service segments includes a mix of both service requestors and service providers.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of service segments includes a service bus that handles service requests that are local to the service segment.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein each service router uses a routing information that includes a path-finding algorithm for determining the lowest cost path to the target service router, and wherein the lowest cost path to the target service router can include interim service routers or hops.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the path-finding algorithm is a Dijkstra algorithm.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each service router uses a routing information that includes a route policy for determining the best path to the target service router based on the SOA requirements of the application.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the service routers associated with each of the plurality of service segment communicate using one of a full or a partial mesh network.