System and method for routing data by a server

• US 8,151,003 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kane, Timothy R., Munson, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US10/067,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20030149791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,710 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/246, 358/403
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for routing data by a server. Specifically, the present invention provides a table-drive method and system for allowing parties to send and receive data in their own data formats and transfer protocols. In routing data from a source to a destination, the present invention does not require transformation of the data to an intermediate format and/or protocol before transformation into the format and protocol of the destination.

Claims

1. A method for routing data by a server, comprising the steps of:

providing an application on the server;

providing a table of formats and protocols on the server, wherein the table is accessible by the application, wherein the table contains a plurality of formats and protocols;

receiving, on the server, data to be routed from a source to a destination, the data having the destination and a transaction type that defines a content of the data;

retrieving, from the table, a format, distinct from the transaction type, of the plurality of formats for transforming the data and a protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the data, the format that is retrieved being based on the destination, the transaction type and the source;

the application transforming the data into the retrieved format, and routing the transformed data to the destination using the retrieved communication protocol,

receiving, on the server, alternate data to be routed from an alternate source to an alternate destination, the alternate data having the alternate destination and an alternate transaction type that defines a content of the alternate data;

retrieving, from the table, a different format of the plurality of formats for transforming the alternate data and a different protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the alternate data, the different format that is retrieved being based on the alternate destination, the alternate transaction type and the alternate source; and

the application transforming the alternate data into the retrieved different format, and routing the transformed alternate data to the alternate destination using the retrieved different communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, provided table further includes sources, destinations and transaction types.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying the source, prior to the retrieving step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the application detecting errors in the retrieved data based upon omissions in the data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking data communication between the source and the destination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a report based upon data communications and detected errors.

7. A method for routing data by a server, comprising the steps of:

providing a communication application on the server;

entering a table of formats, protocols, sources, destinations and transaction types on the server, wherein the table is accessible by the application, wherein the table contains a plurality of formats and protocols;

receiving, on the server, data to be routed from an identified source to a destination, the data having the destination and a transaction type that defines a content of the data;

detecting errors in the data based upon omissions in the data;

retrieving from the table a format, distinct from the transaction type, of the plurality of formats for transforming the data and a protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the data, the format that is retrieved being based on the destination, the transaction type and the source;

the application transforming the data into the retrieved format, and routing the transformed data from the server to the destination using the retrieved communication protocol,

receiving, on the server, alternate data to be routed from an alternate identified source to an alternate destination, the data having the alternate destination and an alternate transaction type that defines a content of the alternate data;

detecting errors in the alternate data based upon omissions in the alternate data;

retrieving from the table a different format of the plurality of formats for transforming the alternate data and a different protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the alternate data, the different format that is retrieved being based on the alternate destination, the alternate transaction type and the alternate source; and

the application transforming the alternate data into the different retrieved format, and routing the transformed alternate data from the server to the alternate destination using the retrieved different communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of tracking data communication from the source to the destination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of generating a report based upon data communications and detected errors.

10. A system for routing data by a server, comprising:

a table system for providing a table having a plurality of formats and protocols;

a data reception system for receiving data from a source to be routed to a destination, the data having a destination and a transaction type that defines a content of the data and for receiving alternate data from an alternate source to be routed to an alternate destination, the data having the alternate destination and an alternate transaction type that defines a content of the alternate data;

a retrieval system for retrieving a format, distinct from the transaction type, of the plurality of formats for transforming the data and a protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the data from the table, the format that is retrieved being based upon the source, the destination and the transaction type and for retrieving a different format of the plurality of formats for transforming the alternate data and a different protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the alternate data from the table, the different format that is retrieved being based upon the alternate source, the alternate destination and the alternate transaction type;

a transformation system for transforming the data into the retrieved format and for transforming the alternate data into the retrieved different format; and

a routing system for routing the transformed data to the destination using the retrieved protocol and for routing the transformed alternate data to the alternate destination using the retrieved different protocol.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the table further includes sources, destinations and transaction types.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the data reception system further identifies the source.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an error detection system for detecting errors in the received data based upon omissions.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a tracking system for tracking data communication between the source and the destination.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a report system for of generating a report based upon data communications and detected errors.

16. A program product stored on a computer readable storage device for routing data by a server, which when executed, comprises:

program code for providing a table having a plurality of formats and protocols;

program code for receiving data from a source to be routed to a destination, the data having a destination and a transaction type that defines a content of the data and for receiving alternate data from an alternate source to be routed to an alternate destination, the data having the alternate destination and an alternate transaction type that defines a content of the alternate data;

program code for retrieving a format, distinct from the transaction type, of the plurality of formats for transforming the data and a protocol of the plurality of formats for communicating the protocol from the table, the format that is retrieved being based upon the source, the destination and the transaction type and for retrieving a different format of the plurality of formats for transforming the alternate data and a different protocol of the plurality of protocols for communicating the alternate data from the table, the format that is retrieved being based upon the alternate source, the alternate destination and the alternate transaction type;

program code for transforming the data into the retrieved format and for transforming the alternate data into the retrieved different format; and

program code for routing the transformed data to the destination using the retrieved protocol and for routing the transformed alternate data to the alternate destination using the retrieved different protocol.

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein the table further includes sources, destinations and transaction types.

18. The program product of claim 16, wherein the program code for receiving data further identifies the source.

19. The program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for detecting errors in the received data based upon omissions.

20. The program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for tracking data communication between the source and the destination.

21. The program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for generating a report based upon data communications and detected errors.