Methods, systems, and software for providing service integration framework

• US 7,574,511 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp., Gerson Lehrman Group
• Original Assignee: Merrill Lynch & Co. Incorporated
• Inventors: Bauer, Albert, Bass, Rodney, Gurrala, Shashidhar, Mazboudi, Wissam D., Pujol, Guy, Lawal, Gafar, Dashfield, Carl, Nair, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/799,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/29, 709/206, 709/248, 709/222, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the subject invention comprises a system for implementing computer network services and applications, comprising a front-end component comprising one or more applications; a back-end component comprising one or more services; and an abstraction layer component operable to communicate with the front-end and back-end components. In another preferred embodiment, the subject invention comprises a system for linking applications and services, comprising: a vendor connectivity component; a business integration component; a security component; a utility component; and a back end connectivity component.

Claims

1. A system for implementing computer network services and applications, comprising:

a front-end component comprising more than one software application stored in a first processor;

a back-end component comprising one or more software services stored in a second processor; and

an abstraction layer component that communicates with each of said more than one software application in said front-end component and each of said one or more software services in said back-end component, wherein;

said abstraction layer component provides standardization of back end services such that each of said more than one software application in said front-end component accesses each of said one or more software services in said back-end component by communicating through said abstraction layer component, and

said abstraction layer component provides built-in identity management that accepts a single sign on from a user and uses said single sign on to identify said user to each of said one or more software services and each of said more than one software application.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component is operable to provide de-coupling of services provided by said back-end component.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component is operable to provide de-coupling of said more than one application in said front-end component.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component is operable to provide system wide error reporting.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a business integration component.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a vendor connectivity component.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a security component.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a utility component.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a back end connectivity component.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component uses application templates to provide standardization of business services.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component is operable to provide one or more standardized interfaces to back end services.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component is operable to provide one or more standardized interfaces to external consumers and providers.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein said abstraction layer component comprises a single deployment platform.

14. A system for linking more than one software application in a front-end component and one or more software services in a back-end component, comprising:

a vendor connectivity component stored on a first processor;

a business integration component stored on a second processor;

an abstraction layer component comprising a security component, wherein said security component provides identity management that accepts a single sign on from a user and uses said single sign on to identify said user to each of said more than one software application and each of said one or more software services;

a utility component; and

a back end connectivity component, wherein said back end connectivity component enables each of said more than one software application in said front-end component to access each of said one or more software services in said back-end component by communicating through one standardized application program interface.

15. A system as in claim 14, wherein said vendor connectivity component is operable to standardize exposure of said applications to said services.

16. A system as in claim 14, wherein said vendor connectivity component is operable to provide a consistent abstraction between a user interface and a middle tier.

17. A system as in claim 14, wherein said vendor connectivity component is operable to use standardized headers to provide substantially seamless system management integration between a caller and said applications.

18. A system as in claim 14, wherein said vendor connectivity component is operable to provide automatically generated service entry points.

19. A system as in claim 14, wherein said vendor connectivity component is operable to provide service location and activation capabilities using one or more standard interfaces.

20. A system as in claim 19, wherein said one or more standard interfaces comprise a Universal Discovery Description and Integration interface.

21. A system as in claim 14, wherein said business integration component is operable to provide call context information.

22. A system as in claim 14, wherein said business integration component is operable to provide identity context information.

23. A system as in claim 14, wherein said business integration component is operable to provide application context information.

24. A system as in claim 14, wherein said security component is operable to provide distributed security.

25. A system as in claim 14, wherein said utility component is operable to enable said applications to access utilities using a standardized application program interface.

26. A system as in claim 14, wherein said utility component is operable to provide centralized end-to-end system management with an ability to correlate information across a plurality of parameters.

27. A system as in claim 14, wherein said utility component is operable to enable auditing at system boundaries to manage service level agreements and method level metering.

28. A system as in claim 14, wherein said back end connectivity component is operable to provide access to back end data sources without changing a back end system.

29. A system as in claim 14, wherein said back end connectivity component is operable to enable de-coupling of said applications from said services.