Error detection in web services systems
First Claim
1. A method for detecting communications errors between a plurality of communicating computing systems in a web services system, comprising:
- receiving a first BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a first computing system, wherein the first BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments;
receiving a second BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a second computing system, wherein the second BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments;
automatically generating a single process model by combining each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes; and
checking the single process model for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first and second computing systems, wherein checking the single process model for communications errors comprises determining the conformance of each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes with their associated BPEL-executable processes and wherein a communications error determined to be caused by a lack of conformance indicates that changes to an associated BPEL-executable process are not necessary.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for automatically generating an accurate model of communications processes between disparate computing systems that may be analyzed in an efficient manner for error detection in web services systems. Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL) descriptions are automatically generated for the BPEL-based executable processes utilized by each communicating computing system in a given web services system. The BPEL abstract process descriptions for each communicating computing system are translated into a combined process model according to a suitable modeling language. The process model is tested by a model checking software application. Communications errors between the disparate computing systems are detected by automatically testing the combined process model according to a variety of potential communications scenarios.
44 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for detecting communications errors between a plurality of communicating computing systems in a web services system, comprising:
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receiving a first BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a first computing system, wherein the first BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; receiving a second BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a second computing system, wherein the second BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; automatically generating a single process model by combining each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes; and checking the single process model for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first and second computing systems, wherein checking the single process model for communications errors comprises determining the conformance of each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes with their associated BPEL-executable processes and wherein a communications error determined to be caused by a lack of conformance indicates that changes to an associated BPEL-executable process are not necessary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a web services system having two or more communicating computing systems, a method for detecting communications errors between the two or more communicating computing systems, comprising:
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receiving a BPEL abstract process description of potential communications between a first computing system and a second computing system, wherein the BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; translating the BPEL abstract process description into a process model according to a modeling language; and checking the BPEL abstract process description for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first computing system and the second computing system, wherein checking the BPEL abstract process description comprises analyzing the translated BPEL process model with the model checking application for the communications errors, wherein analyzing the translated BPEL process model comprises determining the conformance of the BPEL abstract process description with an associated BPEL-executable process and wherein a communications error determined to be caused by a lack of conformance indicates that changes to the associated BPEL-executable process are not necessary. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. In a web services system having two or more communicating computing systems, a system for detecting communications errors between the two or more communicating computing systems, comprising:
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a BPEL abstract process description operative to describe communications between a first computing system and a second computing system, wherein the BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; and a model checking application operative to check the BPEL abstract process description for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first computing system and the second computing system, wherein checking the BPEL abstract process description for communications errors comprises determining the conformance of the BPEL abstract process description with an associated BPEL-executable process and wherein a communications error determined to be caused by a lack of conformance indicates that changes to the associated BPEL-executable process are not necessary. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for detecting communications errors between a plurality of communicating computing systems in a web services system, comprising:
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receiving a first BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a first computing system, wherein the first BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; receiving a second BPEL abstract process for communications to and from a second computing system, wherein the second BPEL abstract process is generated using one or more opaque assignments; automatically generating a single process model by combining each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes, wherein generating a single process model by combining each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes includes translating the first and second BPEL abstract processes into a single process model according to a modeling language; checking the single process model for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first and second computing systems, wherein checking the single process model for communications errors occurring during one or more communications between the first and second computing systems further comprises passing the translated single process model to a model checking application and determining the conformance of each of the first and second BPEL abstract processes with their associated BPEL-executable processes, and wherein a communications error determined to be caused by a lack of conformance indicates that changes to an associated BPEL-executable process are not necessary; and generating an error report containing any determined communications errors that occur during communications between the first and second computing systems in order to identify communications scenarios in which communications failures occur, wherein a communications scenario comprises determining whether a plurality of messages received in reverse order causes a communications failure between the first and second computing systems.
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Specification