Search method and search broker

• US 7,590,709 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Katsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta; Muktesh G
• Application Number:
  US10/784,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 707/E17.109, 707/104.1, 719/310
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The search method comprises a first step of receiving a service inquiry request; a second step of making an inquiry about policy information of a client 100 who requested service and obtaining the policy information of the client 100 from a policy database 103; a third step of sending a request to search for a server matching the service sought after by the request and obtaining information showing the server matching the service from a registry 109; a fourth step of extracting a server meeting the policy information of the client obtained in the second step out of servers related to the information obtained in the third step; and a fifth step of transmitting information showing the server extracted in the fourth step to the source of the request to search for service.

Claims

1. A search system implemented on a computer network having a plurality of computer processor for distributed processing of web services, comprising:

a portal server for serving as a portal of a composite service requested by a client;

a group of service servers for providing more than two element services organized in a hierarchical structure for providing the composite service;

a search broker for searching for a service server providing an element service, the search broker being connected with the client via the portal server and connected with the group of service servers;

a policy database for holding policy information about service contents requested by the client;

a policy management server for searching for policy information in the policy database connected with the policy management server in response to a request by the search broker;

a registry management server for holding contents of element services provided by the service servers, the registry management server being connected with a registry database, wherein

the search broker searches for a service server that provides an element service in accordance with a search request by the portal server or a service server among the group of service servers, and inquires policy information from policy management server,

the policy management server extracts the policy information from the policy database and sends the extracted policy information to the search broker, and

the search broker inquires from the registry management server information regarding the service server that provides an element service in accordance with the search request, extracts from the registry database the information regarding the service server that provides an element service in accordance with the search request, and sends to the search broker the information regarding the service server that provides an element service in accordance with the search request,

wherein the portal server receives a request of the composite service from the client, requests the search broker to search for a service server matching with an element service in a first stage structuring the composite service, obtains information about the service server matching with the element service in the first stage structuring the requested composite service from the search broker, and

requests the element service from the service server matching with the element service in the first stage structuring the requested composite service, and the service server matching with the element service in the first stage provides the element service in the first stage,

wherein each service server which provides an element service requests a search for a service server matching with an element service in a next stage structuring the requested composite service to the search broker, obtains information about the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service from the search broker, and requests the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service to the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service, and

the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service carries out the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service and sends a result of the element service in the next stage to the service server which requested the element service in the next stage, and

wherein the service server matching with the element service in the first stage sends a result of the composite service to the portal server.

2. A search system according to claim 1,

wherein the search broker includes an additional information database storing additional information related to a service provided by the service server,

wherein the search broker obtains additional information of the service server matching with the requested service from the additional information database, and

wherein the search broker extracts the service server matching with the policy information of the client among service servers relating to the information, in reference with the additional information of the service server.

4. A search system according to claim 1,

wherein the portal includes a portal server policy database for storing information for selecting a service server in a lower layer,

wherein the service server includes a server policy database for storing information for selecting a server in the lower layer,

wherein the portal server extracts a service server conforming to policy information of the portal server policy database among the obtained service servers matching with the requested service, and requests the service for the extracted service server, and

wherein the service server extracted by the portal server extracts a service server conforming to the policy information server policy database among service servers obtained as matching with the requested service, and requests the server extracted by the service server extracted by the portal server to provide the requested service.

5. A search system according to claim 1,

wherein the portal server includes a portal server policy database for storing information for selecting a service server in a lower layer,

wherein the portal server receives from the service server which requested the service a result of the service and information for evaluating the service, and

wherein on the basis of information for evaluating the service, evaluation by the client of the service provided by the server is reflected in the portal server policy database.

7. A search system according to claim 1,

wherein the server includes a server policy database for storing information for selecting a server in a lower layer, and sending information for evaluating the server with a result of service of which request is received in the third or fourth step to a source of the service request, and

wherein on the basis of information for evaluating the service, among evaluations of service of the server carried out by the client, the evaluation of the service of the server in the lower layer is reflected to the server policy database.

8. A search system according to claim 5, wherein on the basis of a result of evaluation between a reliability value set for the client and a predetermined reference value, the server determines whether to automatically reflect the evaluation of the service in the portal server policy database or to inquire from an operator if the evaluation of the server'"'"'s service will be reflected in the portal server policy database.

9. A search system according to claim 1, wherein the service server matching with the element service in the next stage

requests a search for a service server matching with an element service in a subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service to the search broker,

obtains information about the service server matching with the element service in the subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service from the search broker, and

requests the element service in the subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service to the service server matching with the element service in the subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service, and

the service server matching with the element service in the subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service carries out the element service in the subsequent stage structuring the requested composite service and sends a result of the element service in the subsequent stage to the service server matching with the element service in the next stage.

3. A search system implemented on a computer network having a plurality of computer processor for distributed processing of web services, comprising:

a portal server for serving as a portal of a composite service requested by a client;

a group of service servers for providing more than two element services organized in a hierarchical structure for providing the composite service;

a search broker for searching for a service server providing an element service, the search broker being connected with the client via the portal server and connected with the group of service servers;

a policy database for holding policy information about service contents requested by the client;

a policy management server for searching for policy information in the policy database connected with the policy management server in response to a request by the search broker;

a registry management server for holding contents of element service provided by the service servers, the registry management server being connected with a registry database,

wherein the portal server receives a request of the composite service from the client,

wherein the portal server requests the search broker to search for a server matching with an element service in a first stage structuring the requested composite service,

wherein the portal server obtains information about the service server matching with element service in the first stage structuring the requested composite service from the search broker, and requests the element service from the service server matching with the element service in the first stage structuring the requested composite service; and

the service server matching with element service in the first stage structuring the requested composite service,

wherein each service server which provides an element service requests a search of a service server matching with an element service in a next stage structuring the requested element service to the search broker, obtains information about the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service from the search broker, and requests the element service to the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service,

wherein the service server matching with the element service in the next stage structuring the requested composite service carries out the element service in the next stage and sends a result of the element service in the next stage to the service server which requested the element service in the next stage, and

wherein the service server matching with the element service in the first stage sends a result of the composite service to the portal server.

6. A search system according to claim 3,

wherein on the basis of a result of comparison between reliability being set for the client and a predetermined standard value, the portal server determines whether to automatically reflect the evaluation of the service servers'"'"'s service in the portal server policy database or to inquire from an operator if the evaluation of the service server+s service will be reflected in the portal server policy database.