Systems and methods for providing centralized management of heterogeneous distributed enterprise application integration objects

• US 7,383,355 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Waldorf, Jerry A., Demetriades, Alexander, Srihari, Rangaswamy, Nalbandian, Gevik H., Berkman, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATES, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US09/703,888
• Time in Patent Office: 2,771 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/201, 709/202, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/313, 709/314, 709/315, 709/246, 709/249, 719/311, 719/313
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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

In the distributed enterprise application integration system, modularized components located on multiple hosts are centrally managed so as to facilitate communication among application programs. Collaboration services traditionally associated with a central server, such as, for example, message queues, message publishers/subscribers, and message processes, are instead distributed to multiple hosts and monitored by a central registry service. This system allow configuration management to be performed in a central location using a top-level approach, while implementation and execution tasks are distributed and delegated to various components that communicate with the applications.

Claims

1. An application collaboration system, comprising:

a central registry for maintaining configuration information for various components in the system, the configuration information comprising a first set of configuration information and a second set of configuration information; and

a first interface and a second interface, the first interface configured to communicate with a first application, and the second interface configured to communicate with a second application, wherein the first and second applications are not capable of communicating directly with each other, wherein the first and second interfaces are coupled to each other and to the central registry via a communications medium for enabling communication therebetween, wherein the first interface is operable to receive the first set of configuration information from the central registry and implement the first set of configuration information to operate in accordance therewith, wherein the second interface is operable to receive the second set of configuration information from the central registry and implement the second set of configuration information to operate in accordance therewith, and wherein the first interface and the second interface are operable to communicate with each other, without using the central registry as an intermediary, to enable information to be exchanged between the first and the second applications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface is operable to send an update request to the central registry for a first set of updated configuration information, receive the first set of updated configuration information from the central registry, and implement the first set of updated configuration information to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it operates.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the first application.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the first application.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the first application.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it performs load balancing.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to implement a different set of business logic.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the second interface is operable to send an update request to the central registry for a second set of updated configuration information, receive the second set of updated configuration information from the central registry, and implement the second set of updated configuration to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it operates.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the second application.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the second application.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the second application.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it performs load balancing.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to implement a different set of business logic.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the central registry comprises a user interface for enabling a user to change the first set of configuration information into the first set of updated configuration information, and to change the second set of configuration information into the second set of updated configuration information.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the central registry is operable to send an alert to the first interface indicating that the first set of configuration information has been changed, and send a first set of updated configuration information to the first interface, and wherein the first interface is operable to receive the first set of updated configuration information from the central registry, and implement the first set of updated configuration information to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it operates.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the first application.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the first application.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the first application.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it performs load balancing.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to implement a different set of business logic.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the central registry is further operable to send an alert to the second interface indicating that the second set of configuration information has been changed, and send a second set of updated configuration information to the second interface, and wherein the second interface is operable to receive the second set of updated configuration information from the central registry, and implement the second set of updated configuration information to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it operates.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the second application.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the second application.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the second application.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it performs load balancing.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to implement a different set of business logic.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the central registry comprises a user interface for enabling a user to change the first set of configuration information into the first set of updated configuration information, and to change the second set of configuration information into the second set of updated configuration information.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the central registry is operable to store the configuration information in both a first registry and a redundant registry, and wherein the central registry is operable to use the redundant registry if the first registry is unavailable.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises a first interface module for interfacing with the first application, and a first interface queue for storing information that is received from or sent to the first application, and wherein the second interface comprises a second interface module for interfacing with the second application, a second interface queue for storing information that is received from or sent to the second application, and a third interface module for processing information stored in the first and second interface queues to enable information to be exchanged between the first and the second applications.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the first interface module is operable to receive, process, and store a first set of information from the first application into the first interface queue, wherein the third interface module is operable to extract and process the first set of information from the first interface queue and store a second set of information into the second interface queue, and wherein the second interface module is operable to extract and process the second set of information from the second interface queue, and interact with the second application to enable information to be exchanged between the first application and the second application.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the second interface module is operable to receive, process, and store a first set of information from the second application into the second interface queue, wherein the third interface module is operable to extract and process the first set of information from the second interface queue and store a second set of information into the first interface queue, and wherein the first interface module is operable to extract and process the second set of information from the first interface queue, and interact with the first application to enable information to be exchanged between the second application and the first application.

32. In a system comprising a central registry for maintaining configuration information for various components in the system, a first interface coupled to communicate with a first application, and a second interface coupled to communicate with a second application, a method for enabling the first and second applications to exchange information, comprising:

receiving, by the first interface, a first set of configuration information from the central registry;

implementing, by the first interface, the first set of configuration information to cause the first interface to operate in accordance therewith;

receiving, by the second interface, a second set of configuration information from the central registry;

implementing, by the second interface, the second set of configuration information to cause the second interface to operate in accordance therewith; and

communicating, by the first and second interfaces, with each other to enable information to be exchanged between the first and the second applications, wherein the first and second interfaces communicate with each other without using the central registry as an intermediary.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending, by the first interface, an update request to the central registry for a first set of updated configuration information;

receiving, by the first interface, the first set of updated configuration information from the central registry; and

implementing, by the first interface, the first set of updated configuration information to cause the first interface to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it operates.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the first application.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the first application.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the first application.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

sending, by the second interface, an update request to the central registry for a second set of updated configuration information;

receiving, by the second interface, the second set of updated configuration information from the central registry; and

implementing, by the second interface, the second set of updated configuration information to cause the second interface to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it operates.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the second application.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the second application.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the second application.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending, by the central registry, an alert to the first interface indicating that the first set of configuration information has been changed;

sending, by the central registry, a first set of updated configuration information to the first interface;

receiving, by the first interface, the first set of updated configuration information from the central registry; and

implementing, by the first interface, the first set of updated configuration information to cause the first interface to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it operates.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the first application.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the first application.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein implementing the first set of updated configuration information causes the first interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the first application.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

sending, by the central registry, an alert to the second interface indicating that the second set of configuration information has been changed;

sending, by the central registry, a second set of updated configuration information to the second interface;

receiving, by the second interface, the second set of updated configuration information from the central registry; and

implementing, by the second interface, the second set of updated configuration information to cause the second interface to operate in accordance therewith, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it operates.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it processes information that is sent to or received from the second application.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it translates information received from the second application.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein implementing the second set of updated configuration information causes the second interface to change the manner in which it reformats information received from the second application.