SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING WEB SERVICE COMPOSITIONS

• US 20130227147A1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ponnavaikko, Kovendhan, Morales, Ramss V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5045 Making service definitions prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for connecting services, including web services, using intermediate data exchange objects to create composition services. Data exchange objects may be service independent objects that represent the inputs and/or outputs of various services. The systems and methods may employ data exchange objects to determine whether two services are composable and to implement and execute composite services according to the data exchange objects.

Claims

1. A method, implemented using a computing system, for composing compound services, the method comprising:

creating a first definition of a first service, the first service including a first interface object;

creating a data exchange object that represents the first interface object of the first service;

creating an association between the first interface object of the first service with the data exchange object;

storing the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association; and

providing, to a user, access to the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second definition of a second service, the second service including a second interface object; and

determining whether the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

If the second interface object associates to the data exchange object then indicating, to the user, that the second service is connectable to the first service.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

connecting the second service to the first service, if the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to identify services that are associated with a data exchange object, including data that identifies the first data exchange object; and

identifying the first service in response to the request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to identify s data exchange objects that are associated with a service, including data that identifies the first service; and

identifying the data exchange object in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the association between the first interface object of the first service with the data exchange object comprises:

creating the association when the first interface object of the first service is syntactically compatible with the data exchange object and is semantically compatible with the data interchange object.

8. A system for composing compound services, the system comprising:

a memory containing instructions; and

a processor, operably connected to the memory, that executes the instructions to perform operations comprising;

creating a first definition of a first service, the first service including a first interface object;

creating a data exchange object that represents the first interface object of the first service;

creating an association between the first interface object of the first service with the data exchange object;

storing the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association; and

providing, to a user, access to the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association.

9. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

creating a second definition of a second service, the second service including a second interface object; and

determining whether the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

10. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

If the second interface object associates to the data exchange object then indicating, to the user, that the second service is connectable to the first service.

11. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

connecting the second service to the first service, if the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

12. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request to identify services that are associated with a data exchange object, including data that identifies the first data exchange object; and

identifying the first service in response to the request.

13. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request to identify s data exchange objects that are associated with a service, including data that identifies the first service; and

identifying the data exchange object in response to the request.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein creating the association between the first interface object of the first service with the data exchange object comprises:

creating the association when the first interface object of the first service is syntactically compatible with the data exchange object and is semantically compatible with the data interchange object.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that when executed implement a method comprising:

creating a first definition of a first service, the first service including a first interface object;

creating a data exchange object that represents the first interface object of the first service;

creating an association between the first interface object of the first service with the data exchange object;

storing the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association; and

providing, to a user, access to the first definition, the data exchange object, and the association.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

creating a second definition of a second service, the second service including a second interface object; and

determining whether the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

if the second interface object associates to the data exchange object then indicating, to the user, that the second service is connectable to the first service.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

connecting the second service to the first service, if the second interface object associates to the data exchange object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to identify services that are associated with a data exchange object, including data that identifies the first data exchange object; and

identifying the first service in response to the request.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to identify s data exchange objects that are associated with a service, including data that identifies the first service; and

identifying the data exchange object in response to the request.