Exactly once protocol for message-based collaboration

• US 7,373,424 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rossmanith, Stefan, Hofmann, Christoph, Surma, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack; Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/402,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/230, 709236-238, 707/6, 707/10, 707/104.1, 719/316
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and systems for reliably exchanging a message among collaborating applications are disclosed. The methods and systems utilize a central exchange infrastructure (XI) for executing collaborative business processes among heterogeneous applications. Reliable message transmission is guaranteed by an Exactly Once Protocol (EOP), in which a database associated with the messaging and transport layer (MTL) of an HTTP-compliant server is used for storing a message identifier and comparing the message identifier to previously received message identifiers. If there is no match, the XI facilitates an exchange of message content of application data from a sending application to a receiving application.

Claims

1. A method of reliably transporting a message from a sending application to a receiving application in a collaborative network, the method comprising:

storing the message in a database associated with the sending application, wherein the message includes application data and a message identifier (ID) uniquely identifying the message;

transmitting a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) request to the receiving application, wherein the HTTP request includes the message ID;

determining whether the message ID matches a message ID previously stored in a database associated with the receiving application;

if the message ID does not match the message ID previously stored in the database associated with the receiving application, transmitting the application data from the database associated with the sending application to the database associated with the receiving application; and

sending the message from the sending application to the receiving application using a first cycle including a first messaging and transport layer (MTL) at the sending application, using a second cycle at an integration server, coupled between the sending application and the receiving application, the second cycle including a second messaging and transport layer, and a third cycle including a third messaging and transport layer, each of the first, second, and third messaging and transport layers including a message queue, a physical address resolution, a database for storing the message identifier, and a transport mechanism for the HTTP request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the message ID matches the message ID previously stored in the database associated with the receiving application, transmitting a request to the sending application to not send the application data from the database associated with the sending application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving application is a web application hosted by a server, and wherein the database associated with the sending application is associated with the messaging and transport layer (MTL) of the server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a logical receiving application of the message based on routing rules defined according to a directory of message interface descriptions associated with the message; and

mapping an outbound interface description associated with the sending application to an inbound interface description associated with the receiving application.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a physical address associated with the receiving application; and

sending the HTTP request to the physical address associated with the receiving application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the application data from the database associated with the sending application;

storing the application data in the database associated with the receiving application; and

associating the application data with the message ID transmitted with the HTTP request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising executing the receiving application with the application data from the database associated with the receiving application.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting an HTTP response from the receiving application to the sending application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the HTTP response includes a message transmission status.

10. A method of reliably transporting a message from a sending application in a collaborative network, wherein the message includes application data and a message identifier (ID) uniquely identifying the message, the method comprising:

determining a least one receiving application based on routing rules accessed from a directory and associated with the application data;

transmitting a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) request to the at least one receiving application, wherein the HTTP request includes the message ID;

determining whether the message ID matches a message ID previously stored in a database associated with the receiving; and

sending the message from the sending application to the receiving application using a first cycle including a first messaging and transport layer (MTL) at the sending application, using a second cycle at an integration server, coupled between the sending application and the receiving application, the second cycle including a second messaging and transport layer, and a third cycle including a third messaging and transport layer, each of the first, second, and third messaging and transport layers including a message queue, a physical address resolution, a database for storing the message identifier, and a transport mechanism for the HTTP request.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, if the message ID does not match the message ID previously stored in the database associated with the receiving application, transmitting the application data from the database associated with the sending application to the database associated with the receiving application.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, if the message ID matches the message ID previously stored in the database associated with the receiving application, transmitting a request to the sending application to not send the application data from the database associated with the sending application.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the message in a database associated with the sending application.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a least one receiving application includes:

determining at least one logical receiving application according to the routing rules and based on the application data; and

determining an HTTP address of each of the logical receiving applications.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transforming the message from a format associated with the sending application to a format associated with the receiving application.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the application data; and

storing the application data in a database associated with the receiving application.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising executing the receiving application with the application data accessed from the database associated with the receiving application.

18. A system for reliably transporting a message from a sending application to a receiving application in a collaborative network, comprising:

a sender database associated with the sending application;

a first HTTP transport mechanism coupled to receive the message from the sending application and to store the message in the sender database;

a receiver database associated with the receiving application; and

a second HTTP transport mechanism coupled to receive the message from the first HTTP transport mechanism and to store the message in the receiver database;

wherein the second HTTP transport mechanism includes logic to determine whether a message has been previously received by the receiving application by examining a message identifier uniquely identifying the message, wherein the message is sent from the sending application to the receiving application using a first cycle including a first messaging and transport layer (MTL) at the sending application, using a second cycle at an integration server, coupled between the sending application and the receiving application, the second cycle including a second messaging and transport layer, and a third cycle including a third messaging and transport layer, each of the first, second, and third messaging and transport layers including a message queue, a physical address resolution, a database for storing the message identifier, and a transport mechanism for the HTTP request.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sender database and first HTTP transport mechanism are associated with a first server that hosts the sending application, wherein the receiver database and second HTTP transport mechanism are associated with a second server that hosts the receiving application, and wherein the second server is configured to act as an HTTP client for receiving the message.