Computer system and method for providing services to users of communication systems using service entities, interface entities, and a service bus

• US 6,625,274 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Broadsoft Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadsoft Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Jeffrey L., Hoffpauir, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/418,130
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201-1-2, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 379/229, 379/230, 709/223, 709/224, 709/312, 709/313, 709/318, 709/520
• US Class Current: 379/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5048 Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques

Abstract

A system for providing services includes service entities, interface entities, and a service bus. Each service entity produces and receives events and includes at least one of a reusable macro function, an application programming interface function, and a management interface function. Each service is implemented with at least one service entity. Each interface entity produces and receives events and is coupled to a communication system and communicates with the communication system using a communication protocol. The service bus couples the interface entities and the service entities and passes events between the interface entities and service entities.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing services having a computer-readable medium embodying software to operate a computer, comprising:

a plurality of software-implemented service entities, each service entity comprising at least one of a reusable macro function, an application programming interface function, and a management interface function, each service entity producing and receiving events, each service entity corresponding to a user subscription to a service;

a plurality of software-implemented interface entities, each interface entity coupled to a communication system and communicating with the communication system using a communication protocol, each interface entity producing and receiving events; and

a software-implemented service bus coupling the interface entities and the service entities, the service bus passing events between the interface entities and the service entities and between the service entities.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the service bus comprises a software-implemented service registry listing the services provided by the system.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein the service bus comprises a software-implemented service registry listing users authorized to access the computer system.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein the service bus comprises a software-implemented service registry listing relationships between the service entities and users authorized to access the computer system.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least one management interface function of a service entity provides for at least one of provisioning, monitoring, and modification of the service entity.

6. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a library storing at least one of a reusable macro function, an application programming interface function, and a management interface function used by a service entity.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the service bus is distributed across a network.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein the service entities are distributed across a network.

9. A method for operating a computer system for providing services having a computer-readable medium embodying software to operate a computer, the software comprising a plurality of software-implemented service entities, a plurality of software-implemented interface entities, and a software-implemented service bus, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first service entity coupled to the service bus and a first interface entity coupled to the service bus;

passing a first event from the first interface entity to the first service entity via the service bus; and

passing a second event via the service bus from the first service entity to one of the first interface entity, a second interface entity coupled to the service bus, and a second service entity coupled to the service bus.

10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of passing a third event from the second service entity to the second interface entity via the service bus.

11. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of passing a fourth event from the second service entity to the first service entity via the service bus.

12. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the step of passing a fifth event from the first service entity to the first interface entity via the service bus.

13. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of passing a six event from the second service entity to a third service entity via the service bus.

14. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of determining an order of response to pass a seventh event from an interface entity or a service entity if at least two entities are to receive the third event.

15. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a user to access the system;

verifying the user is authorized to access the system by using a service registry;

determining the services to which the user has subscribed;

dynamically installing onto the service bus the service entities corresponding to the subscribed services; and

dynamically installing onto the service bus the interface entities required by the dynamically installed service entities and not being coupled to the service bus.

16. A method as in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

dynamically uninstalling from the service bus the service entities corresponding to the subscribed services; and

dynamically uninstalling from the service bus the interface entities not being used by the service entities coupled to the service bus.

17. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of dynamically installing onto the service bus a service entity or an interface entity with the plurality of service entities or the plurality of interface entities, respectively.

18. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of detecting an error in a service entity or an interface entity and resetting the service entity or the interface entity having the detected error.

19. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an incorrect event received from the service bus in a service entity or an interface entity;

sending an error message to the service bus from the service entity or the interface entity detecting the incorrect received event;

logging the error message;

sending a reset message to the service entity or the interface entity detecting the incorrect received event from the service bus; and

resetting the service entity or the interface entity detecting the incorrect received event.

20. A computer system for performing the method of claim 9.

21. A computer-readable medium comprising software for performing the method of claim 9.