SYSTEMS, METHODS, APPARATUSES, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR FACILITATING INTEGRATION OF THIRD PARTY TECHNOLOGY WITH A DATABASE

• US 20130007773A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steven Scott Guilford
• Original Assignee: Steven Scott Guilford
• Inventors: Guilford, Steven Scott
• Application Number:
  US13/170,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007773A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for facilitating integration of third party technology with a database. A method may include enqueueing, in a message queue selected from one or more message queues implemented in a database, a message including an indication of a function of a third party technology application programming interface corresponding to a call from a user application. The method may further include dequeueing the message from the selected message queue. The method may additionally include causing, based at least in part on the indication included in the dequeued message, the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enqueueing, in a message queue selected from one or more message queues implemented in a database, a message including an indication of a function of a third party technology application programming interface corresponding to a call from a user application;

dequeueing, by a processor, the message from the selected message queue; and

causing, based at least in part on the indication included in the dequeued message, the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call from the user application comprises a call of a procedure or function provided by a database-interface application programming interface configured to interface with both the user application and the database, the method further comprising:

causing receipt by the database-interface application programming interface of the call of the procedure or function by the user application;

determining, based at least in part on the procedure or function called by the user application, corresponding information to include in the message, the determined corresponding information to include in the message comprising the indication of the function of the third party technology application programming interface; and

prior to enqueueing the message, formatting the message to include the determined corresponding information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the database-interface application programming interface is stored in the database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the database-interface application programming interface is at least partially implemented using Programming Language/Structured Query Language (PL/SQL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

dequeueing the message from the selected message queue comprises causing, by the processor, a server-interface program configured to interface with both the database and the third party technology application programming interface to dequeue the message; and

causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called comprises causing the server-interface program to call the function of the third party technology application programming interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call of the procedure or function by the user application includes an indication of a parameter for the function of the third party technology application programming interface, the method further comprising:

prior to enqueueing the message, formatting the message to include a value corresponding to the parameter; and

prior to causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called, formatting, based at least in part on the value included in the message, a call to the third party technology application programming interface including the parameter,

wherein causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called comprises using the formatted call to call the function of the third party technology application programming interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining state information for at least one interaction with the third party technology application programming interface generated in response to one or more calls from the user application; and

managing interactions between the user application and the third party technology application programming interface via the one or more message queues based at least in part on the state information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the function of the receiving information from the third party technology being called, receiving information from the third party technology application programming interface;

enqueueing a second message in a message queue selected from the one or more message queues, the second message including an indication of the information received from the third party technology application programming interface;

dequeueing the second message; and

informing the user application of the information received from the third party technology application programming interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises an Oracle database, and wherein Oracle Streams is used to implement the one or more message queues.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus to at least perform:

enqueueing, in a message queue selected from one or more message queues implemented in a database, a message including an indication of a function of a third party technology application programming interface corresponding to a call from a user application;

dequeueing the message from the selected message queue; and

causing, based at least in part on the indication included in the dequeued message, the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the call from the user application comprises a call of a procedure or function provided by a database-interface application programming interface configured to interface with both the user application and the database, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to further perform:

causing receipt by the database-interface application programming interface of the call of the procedure or function by the user application;

determining, based at least in part on the procedure or function called by the user application, corresponding information to include in the message, the determined corresponding information to include in the message comprising the indication of the function of the third party technology application programming interface; and

prior to enqueueing the message, formatting the message to include the determined corresponding information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the database-interface application programming interface is stored in the database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the database-interface application programming interface is at least partially implemented using Programming Language/Structured Query Language (PL/SQL).

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

dequeueing the message from the selected message queue comprises causing a server-interface program configured to interface with both the database and the third party technology application programming interface to dequeue the message; and

causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called comprises causing the server-interface program to call the function of the third party technology application programming interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the call of the procedure or function by the user application includes an indication of a parameter for the function of the third party technology application programming interface, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to further perform:

prior to enqueueing the message, formatting the message to include a value corresponding to the parameter; and

prior to causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called, formatting, based at least in part on the value included in the message, a call to the third party technology application programming interface including the parameter,

wherein causing the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called comprises using the formatted call to call the function of the third party technology application programming interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to further perform:

maintaining state information for at least one interaction with the third party technology application programming interface generated in response to one or more calls from the user application; and

managing interactions between the user application and the third party technology application programming interface via the one or more message queues based at least in part on the state information.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to further perform:

responsive to the function of the receiving information from the third party technology being called, receiving information from the third party technology application programming interface;

enqueueing a second message in a message queue selected from the one or more message queues, the second message including an indication of the information received from the third party technology application programming interface;

dequeueing the second message; and

informing the user application of the information received from the third party technology application programming interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the database comprises an Oracle database, and wherein Oracle Streams is used to implement the one or more message queues.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least perform:

enqueueing, in a message queue selected from one or more message queues implemented in a database, a message including an indication of a function of a third party technology application programming interface corresponding to a call from a user application;

dequeueing the message from the selected message queue; and

causing, based at least in part on the indication included in the dequeued message, the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured to enqueue, in a message queue selected from one or more message queues implemented in a database, a message including an indication of a function of a third party technology application programming interface corresponding to a call from a user application;

program instructions configured to dequeue the message from the selected message queue; and

program instructions configured to cause, based at least in part on the indication included in the dequeued message, the function of the third party technology application programming interface to be called.