Using Collaborative Annotations to Specify Real-Time Process Flows and System Constraints

• US 20100162222A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bou-Ghannam, Akram, Narayan, Vishwanath
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method of modifying an existing standard-based system using collaborative annotations can include associating an annotation with a message of the standard-based system. The message can correspond to a first service and the annotation can specify at least one of a second service. The method further can include intercepting the message and executing the annotation. At least one of the second service can be automatically invoked according to the annotation.

Claims

1. A method of modifying an existing standard-based system using collaborative annotations comprising:

associating an annotation with a message of the standard-based system, wherein the message corresponds to a first service and the annotation specifies at least one of a second service;

intercepting the message;

executing the annotation; and

automatically invoking the at least one of the second service according to the annotation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation specifies a constraint that is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation specifies an order of invocation for a plurality of services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation specifies at least one of an event, a condition, and an action.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selectively executing the action if the condition is met.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a representation of a new service through a graphical user interface, wherein the new service is comprised of the first service and the at least one of the second service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating step occurs at runtime of the standard-based system

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a service response from the first service, said method further comprising preventing the service response from reaching an intended client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

extracting at least one result from the service response; and

incorporating the at least one result in a service request that invokes the at least one of the second service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of results from the at least one of the second service; and

accumulating the results according to the annotation.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

extracting at least one result from the service response; and

selecting the at least one of the second service from a plurality of services according to the at least one result and the annotation.

12. A system for modifying an existing standard-based system at runtime comprising an annotation framework layer that associates an annotation with a message of the standard-based system, wherein the annotation specifies an order of invocation for a plurality of services, said annotation framework layer intercepting the message during operation of one of the plurality of services and selecting a further service to be invoked from the plurality of services according to the annotation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said annotation framework layer invokes the further service from the plurality of services.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said annotation specifies at least one of an event, a condition, and an action, said annotation framework layer invoking the further service in accordance with the action.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the message is a service response, said annotation framework layer preventing the service response from reaching an intended client.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the annotation framework layer extracts at least one result from the service response and incorporates the at least one result in a service request that invokes the further service.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the annotation framework layer extracts at least one result from the service response and selects the further service from the plurality of services according to the at least one result and the annotation.

18. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

associating an annotation with a message of an existing standard-based system, wherein the message corresponds to a first service and the annotation specifies at least one of a second service;

intercepting the message;

executing the annotation; and

automatically invoking the at least one of the second service according to the annotation.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein the message specifies a constraint that is not a specifiable option within the standard-based system.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising:

blocking a service response from at least one of the plurality of services specified by the annotation;

extracting at least one result from the service response; and

selecting the further service from the plurality of services according to the at least one result and the annotation.