Service Oriented Integration Server Architecture

• US 20090144449A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watt, Stephen James
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An integration server architecture (ISA) that facilitates communication between processes that do not share a common message format or use a common communication protocol. The ISA comprises a combination of adapters and a Queuing and Translation Engine (QTE). Every process that uses the ISA must have an adapter designed to understand that process'"'"'s native message format. The adapter forwards the message to the QTE. The QTE places the forwarded message in an incoming message queue (IMQ). The QTE then retrieves messages from the IMQ in the order they arrive, identifies the sender, and locates an entry for the sender in a Configuration Database (CDB). The CDB entry designates a translation map that enables the QTE to properly translate messages into the receiving process'"'"'s native format. The QTE uses the map to translate the messages into the receiving process'"'"'s native format, and then forwards the translated message to the appropriate adapter.

Claims

1. A programmable apparatus for translating messages sent from a sending process to a receiving process over a communication channel, comprising

a processor;

a memory;

a configuration database in the memory;

a message translation program in the memory directing the processor to perform steps comprising;

receive incoming messages on the communication channel;

retrieve a translation map from the configuration database;

translate the incoming message into an outgoing message using information contained in the translation map; and

send the outgoing message on the communication channel.

wherein the configuration database stores a plurality of gateway profiles;

wherein each gateway profile is described using extensible markup language and comprises;

a target uniform resource locator (URL);

a designation of a translation map; and

a designation of a failure queue to which all errors are reported;

wherein the translation map is an extensible style language file; and

wherein when the message translation module detects a message in an incoming message queue, the message translation module searches the configuration database to locate a gateway profile that matches both the sending process and target URL.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adapter program in the memory directing the processor to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel;

and

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the message translation program.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adapter program directing the processor to

listen for the outgoing message on the communication channel;

responsive to detecting the outgoing message on the communication channel, post the outgoing message at a URL designated in the outgoing message; and

notify the receiving process that the outgoing message is available for retrieval.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adapter program directing the processor to

listen for the outgoing message on the communication channel;

and

responsive to detecting the outgoing message on the communication channel, send the outgoing message to the receiving process.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an incoming message queue in the memory, wherein the sending process sends a message over the communication channel to the incoming message queue in the memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the message translation program further directs the processor to check the incoming message queue for the incoming message, and, responsive to detecting the incoming message in the incoming message queue, retrieve the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a notification program in the memory directing the processor to notify the message translation program that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, and the message translation program, responsive to receiving a notice from the processor that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further retrieves the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an incoming message queue in the memory;

an adapter program in the memory directing the processor to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel;

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the incoming message queue; and

notify the message translation program that the incoming message has been placed in the incoming message queue; and

wherein the message translation program, responsive to receiving a notice from the processor that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further retrieves the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an incoming message queue in the memory;

an adapter program in the memory directing the processor to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel; and

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the incoming message queue;

a notification program in the memory directing the processor to notify the message translation program that the incoming message has been placed in the incoming message queue; and

wherein the message translation program, responsive to receiving a notice from the processor that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further retrieves the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

10-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A computer readable memory for causing a computer to translate messages sent from a sending process to a receiving process, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a configuration database stored in the storage medium;

a message translation computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the message translation computer program, causes the computer to

receive incoming messages on the communication channel;

retrieve a translation map from the configuration database;

translate the incoming message into an outgoing message using information contained in the translation map; and

send the outgoing message on the communication channel;

wherein the configuration database stores a plurality of gateway profiles;

wherein each gateway profile is described using extensible markup language and comprises;

a target uniform resource locator (URL);

a designation of a translation map; and

a designation of a failure queue to which all errors are reported;

wherein the translation map is an extensible style language file; and

wherein when the message translation module detects a message in an incoming message queue, the message translation module searches the configuration database to locate a gateway profile that matches both the sending process and target URL.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising an adapter computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the adapter computer program, causes the computer to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel;

and

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the message translation computer program.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising an adapter computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the adapter computer program, causes the computer to

listen for the outgoing message on the communication channel;

responsive to detecting the outgoing message on the communication channel, post the outgoing message at a URL designated in the outgoing message; and

notify the receiving process that the outgoing message is available for retrieval.

21. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising an adapter computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the adapter computer program, causes the computer to

listen for the outgoing message on the communication channel;

and

responsive to detecting the outgoing message on the communication channel, send the outgoing message to the receiving process.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising an incoming message queue stored in the storage medium, wherein the sending process sends a message over the communication channel to the incoming message queue stored in the storage medium.

23. The computer readable memory of claim 22 wherein the message translation computer program further causes the computer to check the incoming message queue for the incoming message, and, responsive to detecting the incoming message in the incoming message queue, retrieve the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

24. The computer readable memory of claim 22 further comprising a notification computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the adapter computer program, causes the computer to notify the message translation computer program that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, and the message translation program, responsive to receiving a notice from the processor that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further causes the computer to retrieve the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

25. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising:

an incoming message queue stored in the storage medium;

an adapter computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the message translation computer program, causes the computer to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel;

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the incoming message queue; and

notify the message translation computer program that the incoming message has been placed in the incoming message queue; and

wherein the message translation program, responsive to receiving a notice from the computer that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further causes the computer to retrieve the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

26. The computer readable memory of claim 18 further comprising:

an incoming message stored in the storage medium;

an adapter computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the message translation computer program, causes the computer to

listen for an incoming message on the communication channel; and

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, send the message to the incoming message queue;

a notification computer program stored in the storage medium, wherein the storage medium, so configured by the message translation computer program, causes the computer to notify the message translation computer program that the incoming message has been placed in the incoming message queue; and

wherein the message translation computer program, responsive to receiving a notice from the computer that the incoming message is in the incoming message queue, further causes the computer to retrieve the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

27-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A method of translating messages sent on a communication channel from a sending process to a receiving process, comprising:

listening on the communication channel for an incoming message from the sending process;

responsive to detecting an incoming message on the communication channel, retrieving a translation map from a configuration database;

translating the incoming message into an outgoing message using information contained in the translation map; and

sending the outgoing message on the communication channel;

wherein the configuration database stores a plurality of gateway profiles;

wherein each gateway profile is described using extensible markup language and comprises;

a target uniform resource locator (URL);

a designation of a translation map; and

a designation of a failure queue to which all errors are reported;

wherein the translation map is an extensible style language file; and

wherein when the message translation module detects a message in an incoming message queue, the message translation module searches the configuration database to locate a gateway profile that matches both the sending process and target URL.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the listening step further comprises placing the incoming message in an incoming message queue;

and the retrieving step further comprises retrieving the incoming message from the incoming message queue.

37-39. -39. (canceled)