METHOD, SYSTEM AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR ADAPTING TO PROTOCOL CHANGES

• US 20080144651A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Timothy J., Nosewicz, Mark E., Maldonado, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A method, system and program product for overriding existing functionality provided in an application programming interface (API) for a local protocol implementation is provided. The method includes providing an API for a local protocol implementation having a raw interface function that can be invoked by a client application to override existing functionality provided in the API. The method further includes defining for the raw interface function an array of pre-formed payload elements to be included for creating a customized protocol request message for requesting a protocol service from a server application using a remote protocol implementation different than the local protocol implementation, populating data for each element in the array defined, and invoking the raw interface function, which takes as input the array defined and inserts them, in order, behind a protocol message header of the protocol request message and sends the customized protocol request message to the server application.

Claims

1. A method of overriding existing functionality provided in an application programming interface for a local protocol implementation, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an application programming interface for a local protocol implementation implementing a protocol, said application programming interface having a raw interface function that can be invoked by a client application to override existing functionality provided in said application programming interface in order to interoperate with a remote protocol implementation implementing said protocol, said remote protocol implementation supporting different functionality than said local protocol implementation;

defining for said raw interface function an array of pre-formed payload elements to be included for creating a customized protocol request message for requesting a protocol service from a server application using said remote protocol implementation;

populating data for each element in said array of pre-formed payload elements defined for creating said customized protocol request message; and

invoking said raw interface function to override said existing functionality, wherein said raw interface function takes as input said array of pre-formed and pre-populated payload elements defined and creates said customized protocol request message by inserting said array of pre-formed payload elements in order behind a protocol message header of said protocol request message and sends said customized protocol request message to said remote protocol implementation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

returning to said client application a protocol response message from said server application, said protocol response message containing payload data formatted as another array of pre-formed payload elements.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said providing step further comprises the step of:

providing said application programming interface for said local protocol implementation having one or more pre-defined protocol functions that can be invoked by said client application for sending a standard protocol request message requesting said protocol service.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said providing said application programming interface for said local protocol implementation having one or more pre-defined protocol functions step further comprises the step of:

invoking a pre-defined protocol function of said one or more pre-defined protocol functions, said pre-defined protocol function having a list of pre-defined parameters to be passed to said pre-defined protocol function invoked for creating said standard protocol request message.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said invoking a pre-defined protocol function step further comprises the step of:

loading data corresponding to said list of pre-defined parameters into pre-defined payload elements of said standard protocol request message, said pre-defined payload elements corresponding to said list of pre-defined parameters passed to said pre-defined protocol function.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said each element in said array of pre-formed payload elements created comprises at least one of:

a TLV (Type, Length, Value), an AVP (Attribute Value Pair) and a delimited text string.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said protocol comprises any protocol that uses discrete payload elements.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said protocol comprises a Diameter protocol.

9. A system for modifying existing protocol functionality provided in an application programming interface for a client-side protocol implementation, comprising:

a server-side remote protocol implementation implementing a protocol configured to provide a protocol service in response to a protocol request message that is received; and

a client-side protocol implementation implementing said protocol having an application programming interface, said application programming interface having a raw interface function configured to override existing protocol functionality provided in said application programming interface, wherein a client application using said client-side protocol implementation defines for said raw interface function an array of pre-formed payload elements to be included for creating a customized protocol request message for requesting a protocol service from a server-side application using said server-side remote protocol implementation, said server-side remote protocol implementation supporting different functionality than said client-side protocol implementation;

wherein said client application populates data for each element in said array of preformed payload elements defined; and

wherein said client application invokes said raw interface function to modify existing protocol functionality provided in said application programming interface of said client-side protocol implementation.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said raw interface function is further configured to take as input said array of pre-formed and pre-populated payload elements defined and to create said customized protocol request message by inserting said array of pre-formed payload elements in order behind a protocol message header of said customized protocol request message and to send said customized protocol request message to said server-side application using said server-side remote protocol implementation.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said client-side protocol implementation having said application programming interface is configured to receive a function call invoking a pre-defined protocol function provided in said application programming interface for sending a standard protocol request message to said server-side application requesting said protocol service;

and wherein said server-side remote protocol implementation is configured to return to said client application a protocol response message containing payload data formatted as another array of pre-formed payload elements.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said application programming interface is further configured to load data corresponding to a list of pre-defined parameters into pre-defined payload elements of said standard protocol request message, said pre-defined payload elements corresponding to said list of pre-defined parameters passed to said pre-defined protocol function.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said each element in said array of pre-formed payload elements created comprises at least one of:

a TLV (Type, Length, Value), an AVP (Attribute Value Pair) and a delimited text string.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said protocol comprises any protocol that uses discrete payload elements.

15. A computer program product for modifying functionality provided in an application programming interface for a local protocol X implementation, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to provide an application programming interface for a local protocol X implementation implementing a protocol X, said application programming interface having a raw interface function that can be invoked by a client application to override existing functionality provided in said application programming interface in order to interoperate with a remote protocol X implementation implementing said protocol X, said remote protocol X implementation supporting different functionality than said local protocol X implementation;

second program instructions to define for said raw interface function an array of pre-formed payload elements to be included for creating a customized protocol X request message for requesting a protocol X service from a server application using said remote protocol X implementation, said second instructions including instructions to populate data for each element in said array of pre-formed payload elements defined;

third program instructions to invoke said raw interface function, wherein said raw interface function takes as input said array of pre-formed and pre-populated payload elements defined and creates said customized protocol X request message by inserting said array of pre-formed payload elements in order behind a protocol X message header of said protocol X request message and sends said customized protocol X request message to said remote protocol X implementation; and

wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

fourth program instructions to return to said client application a protocol X response message from said server application, said protocol X response message containing payload data formatted as another array of pre-formed payload elements;

said fourth program instructions being stored on said computer readable medium.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said first program instructions further comprise instructions to provide said application programming interface for said local protocol X implementation having one or more pre-defined protocol X functions that can be invoked by said client application for sending a standard protocol X request message requesting said protocol X service, and to invoke a pre-defined protocol X function of said one or more pre-defined protocol X functions provided, said pre-defined protocol X function having a list of pre-defined parameters to be passed to said pre-defined protocol X function invoked for creating said standard protocol X request message.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said first program instructions further comprise instructions to load data corresponding to said list of pre-defined parameters into pre-defined payload elements of said standard protocol X request message, said pre-defined payload elements corresponding to said list of pre-defined parameters passed to said pre-defined protocol X function.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein said each element in said array of pre-formed payload elements created comprises at least one of:

a TLV (Type, Length, Value), an AVP (Attribute Value Pair) and a delimited text string.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said protocol X comprises any protocol that uses discrete payload elements.