DOWNLOADABLE PLUGGABLE SERVICES

• US 20140089915A1
• Filed: 09/22/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Haserodt, Kurt, Walker, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,690,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Downloadable pluggable services and methods of distributing the same are described. The downloadable pluggable services may correspond to communication services that can be downloaded to upgrade a communication system. The downloadable pluggable services may include a number of component parts that can be distributed among various servers in the communication system being upgraded along with instructions that enable the component parts to instruct each server in the communication system to operate in a coordinated fashion so as to provide the downloaded service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a customer to obtain a downloadable pluggable service for a communication system of the customer;

in response to receiving the request, preparing the downloadable pluggable service, wherein preparing the downloadable pluggable service includes obtaining a first and second sub-component that are packaged into a single object, wherein the first sub-component includes instructions for operating a first server of the customer'"'"'s communication system, and wherein the second sub-component includes instructions for operating a second server of the customer'"'"'s communication system; and

transmitting the single object to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloadable pluggable service further includes deployment instructions that provide instructions for installing the first and second subcomponent on the first and second servers of the customer'"'"'s communication system, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing the downloadable pluggable service further comprises preparing a license that identifies an appropriate use of the downloadable pluggable service at the customer'"'"'s communication system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the license indicates that a first user of the customer'"'"'s communication system is allowed to use the downloadable pluggable service and wherein the license does not indicate that a second user of the customer'"'"'s communication system is allowed to use the downloadable pluggable service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the license is included in a license file which is packaged into the downloadable pluggable service as a file in the single object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sub-components are retrieved from a service warehouse.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the service warehouse enables the customer to browse a plurality of downloadable pluggable services and potential sub-components thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server corresponds to an application server and wherein the second server corresponds to at least one of a user portal server and a system manager server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second server each comprise at least one of an application container, an applet container, a web container, and an Application Programming Interface (API).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sub-component and second sub-component are packaged into the single object as at least one of an EAR file and a WAR file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the downloadable pluggable service further includes deployment instructions in the form of at least one of an executable, an EAR file, and a WAR file, wherein the deployment instructions, when executed by an object distributor, cause the first sub-component to be deployed to the first server where it is installed, and wherein the deployment instructions, when executed by the object distributor, cause the second sub-component to be deployed to the second server where it is installed.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

an object generator configured to receive a request from a customer to obtain a downloadable pluggable service for a communication system of the customer and, in response to receiving the request, prepare the downloadable pluggable service, wherein preparing the downloadable pluggable service includes obtaining a first and second sub-component that are packaged into a single object, wherein the first sub-component includes instructions for operating a first server of the customer'"'"'s communication system such that the downloadable pluggable service is performed, and wherein the second sub-component includes instructions for operating a second server of the customer'"'"'s communication system such that the downloadable pluggable service is performed; and

an object delivery interface configured to transmit the single object to the customer via a communication network.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the downloadable pluggable service further includes deployment instructions that provide instructions for installing the first and second subcomponent on the first and second servers of the customer'"'"'s communication system, respectively.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein preparing the downloadable pluggable service further comprises preparing a license that identifies an appropriate use of the downloadable pluggable service at the customer'"'"'s communication system, wherein the license indicates that a first user of the customer'"'"'s communication system is allowed to use the downloadable pluggable service and wherein the license does not indicate that a second user of the customer'"'"'s communication system is allowed to use the downloadable pluggable service.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first and second sub-components are retrieved from a service warehouse, wherein the service warehouse enables the customer to browse a plurality of downloadable pluggable services and potential sub-components thereof via a web interface.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first server corresponds to an application server and wherein the second server corresponds to at least one of a user portal server and a system manager server.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first sub-component and second sub-component are packaged into the single object as at least one of an EAR file and a WAR file.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the downloadable pluggable service further includes deployment instructions in the form of at least one of an executable, an EAR file, and a WAR file, wherein the deployment instructions, when executed by an object distributor, cause the first sub-component to be deployed to the first server where it is installed, and wherein the deployment instructions, when executed by the object distributor, cause the second sub-component to be deployed to the second server where it is installed.

19. A communication system, comprising:

a communication server including a processor and memory, the memory including instructions configured to be executed by the processor, the instructions including;

an object unpacker configured to receive a single object from a service warehouse, the single object comprising a plurality of sub-components that, when distributed among servers in the communication system, cause the communication system to provide a service to users of the communication system, wherein the plurality of sub-components include a first and second sub-component that are packaged into the single object; and

an object distributor configured to distribute the first sub-component and the second sub-component to different servers in the communication system in accordance with deployment instructions contained in the single object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first sub-component and second sub-component are packaged into the single object as at least one of an EAR file and a WAR file.