User Interface Communication

• US 20110320521A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Steiner, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to receive a first service request for data from a user application executing on at least one first machine and, in response to the receiving, synchronously transmit a service request identification to the user application in reply to the first service request, as well as dispatching the first service request as an additional request to an application layer executing on at least one second machine. Further activities may include notifying the user application that a second response, including the data, is available for consumption (after receiving a response to the additional request), receiving a second service request from the user application, along with the service request identification, and synchronously transmitting the second response to the user application in reply to the second service request. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing node comprising a data reception module to receive a first service request for data from a user application executing on at least one first machine; and

a communications module to communicate with the data reception module, the communications module to synchronously transmit a first response including a service request identification to the user application in reply to the first service request and to dispatch the first service request as an additional request to an application layer executing on at least one second machine, to receive a response to the additional request, to notify the user application that a second response including the data is available for consumption, to receive a second service request from the user application, along with the service request identification, and to synchronously transmit the second response to the user application in reply to the second service request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display module to display a user interface comprising a portion of the data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first service request and the second service request are stateless service requests, and wherein the additional request is an asynchronous request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

multiple processors, wherein the processing node comprises a first one of the multiple processors, wherein the communications module comprises a software module to be executed by a second one of the multiple processors, and wherein the processing node comprises one of a server or a client.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a persistent storage medium to store the data.

6. A system, comprising:

a first processing node comprising a data reception module to receive a first service request for data from a user application executing on at least one first machine; and

a second processing node comprising a communications module to communicate with the data reception module, the communications module to synchronously transmit a first response including a service request identification to the user application in reply to the first service request and to dispatch the first service request as an additional request to an application layer executing on at least one second machine, to receive a response to the additional request, to notify the user application that a second response including the data is available for consumption, to receive a second service request from the user application, along with the service request identification, and to synchronously transmit the second response to the user application in reply to the second service request.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a storage node to store the second response as multiple portions, each of the portions to be provided by a separate backend system.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface device coupled to the first processing node to receive data to be incorporated into the first service request.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one backend system to generate the second response and to transmit the second response to the application layer.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a first service request for data from a user application executing on at least one first machine;

in response to the receiving, synchronously transmitting a service request identification to the user application in reply to the first service request, and dispatching the first service request as an additional request to an application layer executing on at least one second machine;

after receiving a response to the additional request, notifying the user application that a second response, including the data, is available for consumption;

receiving a second service request from the user application, along with the service request identification; and

synchronously transmitting the second response to the user application in reply to the second service request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user application comprises a graphical user interface displayed within a browser.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein dispatching the first service request further comprises:

dispatching multiple queries associated with the service request identification.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the notifying further comprises:

notifying the user application that at least one of multiple responses to the additional request is available for consumption.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the second service request:

receiving the second service request multiple times to provide corresponding multiple responses to the user application.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a synchronous-to-asynchronous conversion component uniquely associated with the user application operates to intercept and convert the first service request into the additional request.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the component forms part of the user application.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in reply to the dispatching, receiving the service request identification from the application layer.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

polling the application layer to determine when the second response is available for consumption by the user application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the polling further comprises:

polling the application layer using the service request identification.

20. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, result in operations comprising:

receiving a first service request for data from a user application executing on at least one first machine;

in response to the receiving, synchronously transmitting a service request identification to the user application in reply to the first service request, and dispatching the first service request as an additional request to an application layer executing on at least one second machine;

after receiving a response to the additional request, notifying the user application that a second response, including the data, is available for consumption;

receiving a second service request from the user application, along with the service request identification; and

synchronously transmitting the second response to the user application in reply to the second service request.

21. The article of claim 20, containing executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, result in the processor performing:

receiving the first service request as a request formatted according to the HyperText Transport Protocol.

22. The article of claim 20, containing executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, result in the processor performing:

storing the second response in a temporary data store in conjunction with the service request identification.