Techniques for preventing information loss in a business to business message in an enterprise computer system

• US 6,687,848 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Najmi, Farrukh S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duncan, Marc M
• Application Number:
  US09/704,165
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 715/508, 715/507, 714/747, 714/746, 714/4, 714/2, 714/819, 709/206, 709/207, 705/28, 705/29, 705/22, 705/1, 705/500
• US Class Current: 714/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• 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

Abstract

A method of maintaining informational integrity of a business to business (B2B) message in a distributed e-business environment is described. A sent message is stored a selected portion of which is flagged. A corresponding response message is then compared to the stored sent message. Based upon the comparing, when the response message matches the stored sent message, if a portion of the response message corresponding to the flagged portion is determined to be substantially missing, then the missing portion of the response message is replaced.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining informational integrity of a business to business (B2B ) message in a distributed e-business environment, comprising:

(a) reviewing a sent message;

(b) determining if there is a first portion of the message to be stored;

(c) storing the first portion of the sent message;

(d) reviewing a response message;

(e) determining if the response message matches the stored first portion;

(f) comparing the response message to the stored first portion;

(g) determining if a second portion of the response message is missing based upon the comparing (f); and

(h) forming a restored response message.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the forming a restored response message (h) comprises:

(i) replacing the missing second portion of the response message with that part of the stored first portion corresponding to the missing second portion.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

(j) delivering the restored response message.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the B2B message is sent by a first partner and received by a second partner, wherein the first partner and the second partner are coupled to the distributed e-business environment.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the distributed e-business environment is a J2EE computing system.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the comparing is based upon a subscription rule.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the subscription rule is managed by a subscription manager.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the subscription manager is coupled to a workflow manager arranged to perform (a)-(i).

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the workflow manager is coupled to a delivery manager arranged to perform (j).

10. An apparatus arranged to maintain informational integrity of a business to business (B2B ) message in a distributed e-business environment, comprising:

a first processor for determining if there is a first portion of the message to be stored;

a first buffer coupled to the processor for storing the first portion of the sent message;

a second buffer for storing a response message;

a second processor coupled to the second buffer for reviewing the response message and determining if the response message matches the stored first portion;

a comparator coupled to the first and the second buffer for comparing the response message to the stored first portion; and

a third processor for determining if a second portion of the response message is missing based upon the comparing for forming a restored response message.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a workflow manager.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the workflow manager is coupled to a subscription manager arranged to store a subscription rule used by the comparator.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the workflow manager is coupled to a delivery manager arranged to deliver the restored response message.