Web services multi-protocol support

• US 7,685,304 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Atreya, Avinash, Kothari, Pankaj
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti; Hussein
• Application Number:
  US11/567,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/228, 709/230, 709/232, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A solution is provided wherein a single service implementation may be exposed to users as two or more different web service protocols. The service then appears to the user to be utilizing a desired protocol even though the service itself is potentially operating under a different protocol. A gateway may be utilized that maintains mappings between the supported protocols. When a user sends a request to a particular service, the gateway may determine whether the request is in the format of the protocol utilized by the underlying web service. If not, the gateway may convert the format to match the correct protocol. An embodiment is also possible where a single endpoint is utilized for multiple services having multiple protocols. This may be coupled with an ability to detect a protocol automatically from request contents, thus seamlessly integrating multiple protocols into a user'"'"'s experience.

Claims

1. A method for multi-protocol web services support, the method comprising:

intercepting, at a gateway, a first request in a first web service protocol destined for a first web service from a first user;

determining if the first web service supports the first web service protocol;

if the first web service does not support the first web service protocol;

accessing a stored mapping at the gateway corresponding to the first web service protocol and to a second web service protocol, wherein the second web service protocol is supported by the first web service, wherein the stored mapping includes a predefined portion and a user-configurable portion, wherein the predefined portion contains mappings between commonly used commands, and wherein the user-configurable portion contains mappings that a user has added on top of, or instead of, the mappings in the predefined portions; and

converting the first request into the second web service protocol using the stored mapping; and

sending the first request to the first web service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first response in the second web service protocol from the first web service;

accessing a stored mapping corresponding to the first web service protocol and to the second web service protocol;

converting the first response into the first web service protocol using the stored mapping; and

sending the first response to the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second web service protocols are protocols selected from the group consisting of:

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Representational State Transfer (REST), and Extensible Markup Language Remote Procedure Call (XML-RPC).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing Uniform Resource Locator (URL) rewriting on requests destined for a URL corresponding to the first web service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request in the second web service protocol for the first web service from a second user; and

sending the second request to the first web service without conversion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request, in a third web service protocol, for a second web service from a second user;

determining of the second web service supports the third web service protocol;

if the second web service does not support the third web service protocol;

accessing a second stored mapping corresponding to the third web service protocol and to a fourth web service protocol, wherein the fourth web service protocol is different than the second web service protocol and is supported by the second web service; and

converting the request into the fourth web service protocol using the second stored mapping; and

sending the second request to the second web service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first web service and the second web service are accessed via a single endpoint.

9. An apparatus for multi-protocol web services support, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to operate software modules comprising;

a first request first protocol receiver;

a first web service protocol determiner coupled to the first request first protocol receiver;

a stored mapping accessor coupled to the first web service protocol determiner and configured to access a stored mapping corresponding to a first web service protocol and to a second web service protocol, wherein the second web service protocol is supported by a first web service, wherein the stored mapping includes a predefined portion and a user-configurable portion, wherein the predefined portion contains mappings between commonly used commands, and wherein the user-configurable portion contains mappings that a user has added on top of, or instead of, the mappings in the predefined portions;

a first request second protocol converter coupled to the stored mapping accessor; and

a first request first web service sender coupled to the first request second protocol converter and to the first web service protocol determiner.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to operate software modules comprising:

a first response second protocol receiver coupled to the stored mapping accessor;

a first response first protocol converter coupled to the stored mapping accessor; and

a first response first user sender coupled to the first response first protocol converter and to the first web service protocol determiner.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a gateway.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is located on the same physical device as a first web service.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) rewriter coupled to the first request first protocol receiver.

14. An apparatus for multi-protocol web services support, the apparatus comprising:

means for intercepting, at a gateway, a first request in a first web service protocol destined for a first web service from a first user;

means for determining if the first web service supports the first web service protocol;

means for if the first web service does not support the first web service protocol;

accessing a stored mapping at the gateway corresponding to the first web service protocol and to a second web service protocol, wherein the second web service protocol is supported by the first web service, wherein the stored mapping includes a predefined portion and a user-configurable portion, wherein the predefined portion contains mappings between commonly used commands, and wherein the user-configurable portion contains mappings that a user has added on top of, or instead of, the mappings in the predefined portions; and

converting the first request into the second web service protocol using the stored mapping; and

means for sending the first request to the first web service.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving a first response in the second web service protocol from the first web service;

means for accessing a stored mapping corresponding to the first web service protocol and to the second web service protocol;

means for converting the first response into the first web service protocol using the stored mapping; and

means for sending the first response to the first user.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first and second web service protocols are protocols selected from the group consisting of:

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Representational State Transfer (REST), and Extensible Markup Language Remote Procedure Call (XML-RPC).

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a gateway.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for performing Uniform Resource Locator (URL) rewriting on requests destined for a URL corresponding to the first web service.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving a second request in the second web service protocol for the first web service from a second user; and

means for sending the second request to the first web service without conversion.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving a second request in a third web service protocol for a second web service from a second user;

means for determining of the second web service supports the third web service protocol;

means for, if the second web service does not support the third web service protocol;

accessing a second stored mapping corresponding to the third web service protocol and to a fourth web service protocol, wherein the fourth web service protocol is different than the second web service protocol and is supported by the second web service; and

converting the request into the fourth web service protocol using the second stored mapping; and

means for sending the second request to the second web service.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first web service and the second web service are accessed via a single endpoint.