Service-oriented architecture systems and methods

• US 7,801,976 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walton, Tommy W., Hodges, Donna Kay, Menon, Jai P., Rehkopf, Thomas W., Kreiner, Barrett M., Tischer, Steven Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Todd; Gregory G
• Application Number:
  US10/446,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/202, 709/223, 709/239, 709/242, 714/15, 714/20, 714/4, 714/43, 714/47, 712/201, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes capturing service properties in one or more service process profiles, receiving a request for service, and interrogating the request and possible services by reviewing service properties captured in the service process profiles. A computer architecture includes a service manage profile and a service meter profile. A computer infrastructure includes a service component including a service-oriented architecture and a serviceware component including a manager for interpreting the service-oriented architecture.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing service properties in one or more self-describing service process profiles with machine readable metadata;

receiving a request for service, wherein the service request comprises metadata describing software application services;

interrogating metadata, by a computer system processor, associated with the service request and possible services by reviewing service properties captured in the service process profiles, including validating the security and/or credentials of each of the possible services;

making a decision based upon results of interrogating the metadata associated with the service request and the possible services; and

taking action, by the computer system processor, based upon the decision,

wherein at least one of the service process profiles comprises;

a service manage profile including metadata describing at least one of thresholds, resource requirements, service level characteristics and autonomics;

a service meter profile which includes information for determining when to use middleware for billing functions and which can detect an impending Service Level Agreement (SLA) failure by a resource and re-route service to utilize distributed services outside of the resource responsive to a detected impending SLA failure;

a service process profile including metadata describing at least one of process flows, inputs, outputs, preconditions, effects, and service interfaces; and

a service adapt profile including metadata describing at least one of context aware adaptations, client profile, preferences and context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing service properties comprises automatically pre-populating the one or more service process profiles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing service properties comprises storing a disaster recovery snapshot identifying location and status data of software running on a particular network resource at a particular time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising restoring one or more services based on the disaster recovery snapshot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reviewing service properties comprises reviewing compliance with a service level agreement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing service properties in machine readable metadata; and

acting upon the metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein taking action based upon the decision includes providing a requested service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising negotiating for resources necessary to instantiate a service in response to a request.