Synchronous Interface to Asynchronous Processes

• US 20100223301A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lerner, Alexander, Boulos, Thomas Nabiel, Shkvarchuk, Taras
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5629 Admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network. A request for information is received from a client machine with a conversion engine. The request is received over a synchronous interface. The request is processed in the conversion engine. The processed request is transmitted over an asynchronous interface from the conversion engine to at least one web service. Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for converting a web service description language file for a synchronous web service into a web service description language file for an asynchronous client machine are also described.

Claims

1. An integration services network for facilitating access to one or more web services by a plurality of users having associated client machines, the network comprising:

a central repository having a directory stored thereon which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services, the integration services network configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among the plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework, the one or more web services including a first web service;

a translation engine configured to translate a first description of the first web service to a second description of the first web service, the first description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using synchronous communications, the second description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using asynchronous communications;

one or more conversion engines configured to facilitate communications between a first client machine and the first web service, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first description, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second description.

2. The integration services network of claim 1, wherein the first description comprises a first web service description language file and the second description comprises a second web service description language file.

3. The integration services network of claim 2, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description language files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description language files.

4. The integration services network of claim 2, wherein translating the first description to the second description includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description language file into a types part of the second web service description language file,

translating a message part of the first web service description language file into a message part of the second web service description language file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description language file into a port type part of the second web service description language file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description language file into a bindings part of the second web service description language file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description language file into a service part of the second web service description language file.

5. The integration services network of claim 1, wherein translating the first description to the second description comprises adding messages to the second description that are particular to asynchronous communication, the messages including one or more of:

a message for returning an acknowledgement response, a message for polling, a message for acknowledging a received request, or a message for acknowledging a response from a web service.

6. The integration services network of claim 1, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving an asynchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the asynchronous request to a synchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

7. The integration services network of claim 6, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service further comprises:

receiving a synchronous response to the transmitted request from the first web service in accordance with the first description;

delivering the received response to a receive queue; and

transmitting the received response to the client machine in accordance with the second description.

8. The integration services network of claim 6, further comprising a message router configured to:

determine, with reference to the policy framework, whether the first client machine has permission to send the request to the first web service; and

route a converted version of the request to the first web service when the first client machine has permission to send the request to the first web service.

9. A method of facilitating access to one or more web services by a plurality of users having associated client machines in communication with an integration services network, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a directory stored at a central repository, information that maps an identity for one or more of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services, wherein the integration services network is configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among the plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework, the one or more web services including a first web service;

translating, via a translation engine, a first description of the first web service to a second description of the first web service, the first description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using synchronous communications, the second description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using asynchronous communications;

conducting, via one or more conversion engines, communications between a first client machine and the first web service, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first description, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second description.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first description comprises a first web service description language file and the second description comprises a second web service description language file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description language files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description language files.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein translating the first description to the second description includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description language file into a types part of the second web service description language file,

translating a message part of the first web service description language file into a message part of the second web service description language file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description language file into a port type part of the second web service description language file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description language file into a bindings part of the second web service description language file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description language file into a service part of the second web service description language file.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein translating the first description to the second description comprises adding messages to the second description that are particular to asynchronous communication, the messages including one or more of:

a message for returning an acknowledgement response, a message for polling, a message for acknowledging a received request, or a message for acknowledging a response from a web service.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an asynchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the asynchronous request to a synchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a synchronous response to the transmitted request from the first web service in accordance with the first description;

delivering the received response to a receive queue; and

transmitting the received response to the client machine in accordance with the second description.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, with reference to the policy framework, whether the first client machine has permission to send the request to the first web service; and

routing a converted version of the request to the first web service via one or more message routers on the integration services network when the first client machine has permission to send the request to the first web service.

17. An integration services network for facilitating access to one or more web services by a plurality of users having associated client machines, the network comprising:

a central repository having a directory stored thereon which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services, the integration services network configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among the plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework, the one or more web services including a first web service;

a translation engine configured to translate a first description of the first web service to a second description of the first web service, the first description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using asynchronous communications, the second description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using synchronous communications;

one or more conversion engines configured to facilitate communications between a first client machine and the first web service, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first description, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second description.

18. The integration services network of claim 17, wherein the first description comprises a first web service description language file and the second description comprises a second web service description language file.

19. The integration services network of claim 18, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description language files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description language files.

20. The integration services network of claim 18, wherein translating the first description to the second description includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description language file into a types part of the second web service description language file,

translating a message part of the first web service description language file into a message part of the second web service description language file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description language file into a port type part of the second web service description language file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description language file into a bindings part of the second web service description language file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description language file into a service part of the second web service description language file.

21. The integration services network of claim 17, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving a synchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the synchronous request to an asynchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

22. The integration services network of claim 21, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service further comprises:

blocking the client machine until one or more of the following events has occurred;

a response to the received request has been obtained from the first web service and delivered to the client machine, an error message has been delivered to the client machine, or a predetermined time period has passed.

23. The integration services network of claim 21, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service further comprises:

receiving an asynchronous response to the converted request from the first web service in accordance with the first description;

processing the response in the one or more conversion engines; and

transmitting the processed response over the synchronous interface from the conversion engine to the client machine in accordance with the second description.

24. The integration services network of claim 21, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service further comprises:

receiving the synchronous request at a synchronous post interface;

placing the synchronous request in a receive queue;

routing a converted version of the request to one or more delivery queues; and

transferring the converted version of the request from the delivery queues to one or more asynchronous push interfaces.

25. A method of facilitating access to one or more web services by a plurality of users having associated client machines in communication with an integration services network, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a directory stored at a central repository, information that maps an identity for one or more of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services, wherein the integration services network is configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among the plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework, the one or more web services including a first web service;

translating, via a translation engine, a first description of the first web service to a second description of the first web service, the first description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using asynchronous communications, the second description describing how to connect to or communicate with the first web service using synchronous communications;

conducting, via one or more conversion engines, communications between a first client machine and the first web service, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first description, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second description.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first description comprises a first web service description language file and the second description comprises a second web service description language file.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description language files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description language files.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein translating the first description to the second description includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description language file into a types part of the second web service description language file,

translating a message part of the first web service description language file into a message part of the second web service description language file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description language file into a port type part of the second web service description language file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description language file into a bindings part of the second web service description language file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description language file into a service part of the second web service description language file.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a synchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the synchronous request to an asynchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

blocking the client machine until one or more of the following events has occurred;

a response to the received request has been obtained from the first web service and delivered to the client machine, an error message has been delivered to the client machine, or a predetermined time period has passed.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a response to the converted request from the first web service via asynchronous communications in accordance with the first description;

processing the response in the one or more conversion engines; and

transmitting the processed response over the synchronous interface from the conversion engine to the client machine in accordance with the second description.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving the synchronous request at a synchronous post interface;

placing the synchronous request in a receive queue;

routing a converted version of the request to one or more delivery queues; and

transferring the converted version of the request from the delivery queues to one or more asynchronous push interfaces.