Managing virtual business instances within a computer network

• US 7,904,882 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hinks, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Ted T
• Application Number:
  US10/951,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,353 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-108, 717114-123, 717140-144, 717124-129
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for orchestrating a business process in a computer network. A script describing a business process is received from a client machine over the computer network. The script is compiled into executable program instructions. A reference to the script and data to be operated on by the script is received from the client machine over the computer network. The data is processed in accordance with the script. The result of the data processing is returned to the client machine over the computer network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for orchestrating a business process in an integration services network configured to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences among plurality of different services in communication with the integration services network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a business process engine running on a server in the integration services network, a script describing a business process from a client machine in communication with the integration services network, wherein the business process described by the received script pertains to communicating with a subset of the plurality of different services;

receiving, at the business process engine, a reference to the script and data to be operated on by the script from the client over the integration services network;

retrieving, from a policy repository in the integration services network, communication protocol and message format information for the subset of the plurality of services;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoking a first service of the subset of services from such script as a service request, including at least a portion of the data, the first service communicating with the integration services network using a first communication protocol;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoking a second service of the subset of services from such script as a services request, including at least a portion of the data, the second service communicating with the integration services network using a second communication protocol that differs from the first communication protocol;

determining a result of the business process at the business process engine, the result based on the invocation of the first and second services; and

returning the result to the client machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

invoking the first and second services includes obtaining a response from the first and second services.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

aggregating any responses received from the first and second services into an aggregated response; and

transmitting the aggregated response as the returned result of the from the first and second services back to the client machine over the computer network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning an error message to the client machine if one or more of the following conditions occur;

the data has an incorrect format for the script, a compilation error occurs during the compilation of the script, and the reference identifies an invalid script.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the script and the data to be operated on by the script are received in a single message from the client machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is received in a first message from the client machine, further comprising:

storing the compiled script in a business process engine; and

making the compiled script available for multiple invocations with different sets of data received from different client machines.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is expressed in a business process execution language format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the script and the data are received asynchronously from the client machine over a push handler in the computer network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the returned result from the first and second services is transmitted to the client machine asynchronously over a post handler in the computer network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring resources used in the processing of at least a portion of the data during the invoking of the first and second services; and

terminating the invoking of the first and second services if the resource usage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing extension functionality for facilitating the interaction between the client machine, the network, and the different services, the extension functionality including a plurality of;

one or more activities describing actions to be performed during the processing of at least a portion of the data during invoking of the first and second services, one or more expressions for extracting computer network specific information, and one or more correlations for associating instances of scripts with messages that fulfill specific criteria.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing fault catchers operable to identify errors during processing of at least a portion of the data during invoking of the first and second services in accordance with the script of one or more of the following types;

errors encountered during the receipt of a message from a client machine, errors encountered during processing of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during delivery of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during routing of a message inside the computer network, and errors indicating that a message has expired before it was delivered to a service or before a response was received from a service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer network is:

a local area network or a wide area network.

14. A business process engine operable to orchestrate a business process in an integration services network configured to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences among a plurality of different services in communication with the integration services network, wherein the business process engine is operable to:

receive a script describing a business process from a client machine in communication with the integration services computer network, wherein the business process described by the received script pertains to communicating with a subset of the plurality of different services;

receive a reference to the script and data to be operated on by the script from the client machine over the integration services network;

retrieve, from a policy repository in the integration services network, communication protocol and message format information for the subset of the plurality of services;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoking a first service of the subset of services from such script as a service request, including at least a portion of the data, the first service communicating with the integration services network using a first communication protocol;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoke a second service of the subset of services from such script as a plurality of services requests, including at least a portion of the data, the second service communicating with the integration services network using a second communication protocol that differs from the first communication protocol; and

determine a result of the business process at the business process engine, the result based on the invocation of the first and second services; and

return the result to the client machine.

15. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein

the business process engine is operable to process invoking the first and second services includes obtaining a response from the first and/or second services.

16. The business process engine of claim 15, wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

aggregate any responses received from the first and second services into an aggregated response; and

transmit the aggregated response as the returned result of the from the first and second services back to the client machine over the computer network.

17. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

return an error message to the client machine if one or more of the following conditions occur;

the data has an incorrect format for the script, a compilation error occurs during the compilation of the script, and/or the reference identifies an invalid script.

18. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business is operable to receive the script and the data to be operated on by the script in a single message from the client machine.

19. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business is operable to receive the script in a first message from the client machine and wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

store the compiled script in the business process engine; and

make the compiled script available for multiple invocations with different sets of data received from different client machines.

20. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the script is expressed in a business process execution language format.

21. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business is operable to receive the script and the data asynchronously from the client machine over a push handler in the computer network.

22. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business is operable to transmit the returned result from the first and second services to the client machine asynchronously over a post handler in the computer network.

23. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

monitor resources used in the processing of at least a portion of the data during the invoking of the first and second services; and

terminate the invoking of the first and second services if the resource usage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

24. The business process engine of claim 15, wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

provide extension functionality for facilitating the interaction between the client machine, the network, and the different services, the extension functionality including a plurality of;

one or more activities describing actions to be performed during the processing of the at least a portion of the data during invoking of the first and second services, one or more expressions for extracting computer network specific information, and one or more correlations for associating instances of scripts with messages that fulfill specific criteria.

25. The business process engine of claim 15, wherein the business process engine is further operable to:

provide fault catchers operable to identify errors during processing of the data in accordance with the script of one or more of the following types;

errors encountered during the receipt of a message from a client machine, errors encountered during processing of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during delivery of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during routing of a message inside the computer network, and errors indicating that a message has expired before it was delivered to a service or before a response was received from a service.

26. The business process engine of claim 14, wherein the computer network is a local area network or a wide area network.

27. At least one computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, the computer program instructions operable to orchestrate a business process in an integration services network configured to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences among a plurality of different services in communication with the integration services network, the computer program instructions operable to:

receive a script describing a business process from a client machine in communication with the integration services computer network, wherein the business process described by the received script pertains to communicating with a subset of the plurality of different services;

receive a reference to the script and data to be operated on by the script from the client machine over the integration services network;

retrieve, from a policy repository in the integration services network, communication protocol and message format information for the subset of the plurality of services;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoking a first service of the subset of services from such script as a service request, including at least a portion of the data, the first service communicating with the integration services network using a first communication protocol;

based on the reference to the script and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, invoke a second service of the subset of services from such script as a services request, including at least a portion of the data, the second service communicating with the integration services network using a second communication protocol that differs from the first communication protocol; and

determine a result of the business process at the business process engine, the result based on the invocation of the first and second services; and

return the result to the client machine.

28. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions arranged to process invoking the first and second services includes obtaining a response from the first and second services.

29. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions arranged to:

aggregate any responses received from the first and second services into an aggregated response; and

transmit the aggregated response as the returned result of the from the first and second services back to the client machine over the computer network.

30. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions arranged to:

return an error message to the client machine if one or more of the following conditions occur;

the data has an incorrect format for the script, a compilation error occurs during the compilation of the script, or the reference identifies an invalid script.

31. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further arranged to receive the script and the data to be operated on by the script in a single message from the client machine.

32. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further arranged to:

receive the script in a first message from the client machine;

store the compiled script in a business process engine; and

make the compiled script available for multiple invocations with different sets of data received from different client machines.

33. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the script is expressed in a business process execution language format.

34. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further arranged to receive the script and the data asynchronously from the client machine over a push handler in the computer network.

35. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further arranged to transmit the returned result from the first and second services to the client machine asynchronously over a post handler in the computer network.

36. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions to:

monitor resources used in the processing of at least a portion of the data during the invoking of the first and second services; and

terminate the invoking of the first and second services if the resource usage exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

37. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions to:

provide extension functionality for facilitating the interaction between the client machine, the network, and the different services, the extension functionality including a plurality of;

one or more activities describing actions to be performed during the processing of the at least a portion of the data during invoking of the first and second services, one or more expressions for extracting computer network specific information, and one or more correlations for associating instances of scripts with messages that fulfill specific criteria.

38. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions to:

provide fault catchers operable to identify errors during processing of the data in accordance with the script of one or more of the following types;

errors encountered during the receipt of a message from a client machine, errors encountered during processing of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during delivery of a message inside the computer network, errors encountered during routing of a message inside the computer network, and errors indicating that a message has expired before it was delivered to a service or before a response was received from a service.

39. The at least one computer readable storage medium 27, wherein the computer network is:

a local area network or a wide area network.

40. An integration services network configured to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences among a plurality of different services in communication with the integration services network, the integration services network comprising:

a policy repository configured to store communication protocol and message format information for the plurality of services; and

a business process engine, operable to;

receive a message including business process orchestration instructions from a client machine in communication with the integration services network, wherein the business process orchestration instructions pertain to a plurality of different web services;

receive a message including data to be operated on by the business process orchestration instructions from the client machine;

retrieve, from the policy repository, communication protocol and message format information for the subset of the plurality of services;

based on the received message and on the retrieved communication protocol and message format information, orchestrate a business process in accordance with the received business process orchestration instructions, including passing at least portions of the received data to a first service and a second service of the different web services by invoking the first and second web services and obtaining responses from the first and second web services, aggregating the responses received from the first and second web services, and passing the aggregated response to the client machine, the second service communicating with the integration services network using a second communication protocol that differs from the first communication protocol.