API and business language schema design framework for message exchanges

• US 7,818,759 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Avalani, Bhaven, Yue, Gary, Tanaka, Ray, Cohen, Alon, Kao, Daniel, Ahmed, Zahid
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, QING YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/997,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/320, 719/328, 719/330, 705/1, 709/201
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]

Abstract

A server system facilitates an exchange of messages with a remote client application. The server system includes a plurality of application servers hosting a plurality of applications. A plurality of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) provides programmatic access to the plurality of applications, each of the APIs being configured to receive request messages compiled by the remote client application. First and second request messages, respectively addressed to first and second APIs of the plurality of APIs by a remote client application, each comprise at least one common data component. Further, the first request message includes a first payload specific to the first API, and the second request message includes a payload specific to the second API.

Claims

1. A server system to facilitate an exchange of messages in an electronic trading system with a plurality of remote client applications, the server system comprising:

a plurality of application servers;

a plurality of API servers;

wherein each of the plurality of application servers and API servers includes a processor coupled to a memory;

a plurality of server applications hosted on the plurality of application servers; and

a plurality of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) hosted on the plurality of API servers, the plurality of APIs configured to provide programmatic access of the plurality of server applications to the plurality of remote client applications, each of the API servers being configured to;

receive request messages compiled by at least one of said plurality of remote client applications, each request message compiled by combining an abstract message portion with an API-specific message portion, wherein the abstract message portion is created by an abstract message payload and the API-specific message portion is created by an extended message payload and an identified XML schema definition specific to a targeted API of the plurality of APIs;

parse and extract the abstract message payload and the extended message payload from said request messages; and

perform activity requested in the abstract message payload and the extended message payload, said activity performed by calling at least one of said plurality of server applications;

wherein each of the plurality of APIs is configured to communicate with a server application and each of the plurality of server applications is configured to communicate with said remote client applications through more than one of said plurality of APIs.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the abstract message payload comprises at least one data component selected from a group comprising a predetermined required level of detail, an error language component and a version identifier.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the APIs is configured to generate a response message to a remote client application of the plurality of remote client applications, responsive to a received request message.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the response message comprises an acknowledgement component for acknowledging receipt of the request message, a correlation identifier, a timestamp, error data and version data.

5. A method of facilitating an exchange of messages between a plurality of remote client applications and a server system, the server system comprising a plurality of server applications, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of request messages generated by the plurality of remote client applications in a plurality of Application programming interfaces (APIs), each request message received by a targeted API of a plurality of APIs, each request message requesting an activity to be performed and is compiled by combining an abstract message portion with an API-specific message portion, wherein the abstract message portion is created by an abstract message payload and the API-specific message portion is created by an extended message payload and an identified XML schema definition specific to the targeted API of the plurality of APIs;

parsing and extracting the abstract message payload and the extended message payload from the request message in the targeted API; and

performing the activity requested in the abstract message payload and the extended message payload by calling one or more function calls in one or more of said plurality of server applications from the targeted API;

wherein each of the plurality of APIs is configured to communicate with a server application and each of the plurality of server applications is configured to communicate with said remote client applications through more than one of said plurality of APIs.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, said method further comprising:

performing version and error check operations in the targeted API.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, including generating a response message that is to be sent to a remote client application of the plurality of remote client applications.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the generating of the response message includes generating an acknowledgement, a timestamp, a correlation identifier, error data and version data.

9. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method of facilitating an exchange of messages in a trading system between a plurality of remote client applications and a server system, the server system comprising a plurality of server applications, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of request messages compiled by the plurality of remote client applications in a plurality of Application programming interfaces (APIs), each request message requesting an activity to be performed and is compiled by combining an abstract message portion with an API-specific message portion, wherein the abstract message portion is created by an abstract message payload and the API-specific message portion is created by an extended message payload and an identified XML schema definition specific to the targeted API of the plurality of APIs;

parsing and extracting the abstract message payload and the extended message payload from the request message in the targeted API; and

performing the activity requested in the abstract message payload and the extended message payload by calling one or more function calls in one or more of said plurality of sever applications from the targeted API;

wherein each of the plurality of APIs is configured to communicate with a server application and each of the plurality of server applications is configured to communicate with said remote client applications through more than one of said plurality of APIs.