Native format tunneling

• US 8,205,007 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Surma, Peter, Dahl, Andreas, Rossmanith, Stefan, Hofmann, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, HIEU T
• Application Number:
  US12/725,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20100180047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 709/236, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and techniques are disclosed for transmitting a message through an application integration system without having to convert the message from a format that native to both a sending application and a receiving application. A computer-implemented method for transmitting a message from a sending application through an application integration system can include determining a receiving application of the message, and determining a file format used by the receiving application. If the file format used by the receiving application is substantially identical to a file format used by the sending application, the method can include wrapping the message in a markup language file envelope according to a markup language used by the application integration system. The message can then be routed in the markup language file envelope to the receiving application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at an exchange infrastructure providing collaborative processing among internal components and external components of an enterprise that is implemented on one or more processors a poll from a first application using a first file format to determine, by an application integration system, an identity of a second application and that the second application uses the first file format, the application integration system comprising a routing module and a mapping module, the routing module determining the identity of the second application, the mapping module determining an application format used by the second application, the first file format differing from and being incompatible with an open standard language supported by the exchange infrastructure;

transmitting, by the exchange infrastructure, data to the first application indicating the identity of the second application and that the second application uses the first file format;

receiving, at the exchange infrastructure, a message from the first application;

generating, at the exchange infrastructure upon determining that the second application uses the first file format, a markup language file envelope comprising content of the message unchanged and a header in the open standard language, the header comprising routing information for the message, the content remaining in the first file format without being converted or mapped to the open standard language;

routing the markup language file envelope through the exchange infrastructure via one or more pipeline services for delivery to the second application; and

wherein the open standard language is one of extensible markup language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), or Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the message at the exchange infrastructure from the first application, which is implemented on other one or more processors than the exchange infrastructure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the exchange infrastructure, the first file format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the exchange infrastructure, that a second message received by the exchange infrastructure from a third application that uses a third file format is to be routed between the third application and a fourth application that uses a fourth file format that differs from and is incompatible with the third file format, one or both of the third file format and the fourth file format differing from and being incompatible with the open standard language; and

converting, at the exchange infrastructure, the second message into a converted second message in the open standard language; and

routing the converted second message through the exchange infrastructure for delivery to the fourth application.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

converting the converted second message from the open standard language to the fourth file format at the exchange infrastructure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first provider comprises an external software component that communicates with the exchange infrastructure over a network and the first file format comprises a proprietary file format, the method further comprising generating a proxy by the exchange infrastructure to implement an interface for the external software component locally within the exchange infrastructure using the open standard language.

7. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when implemented by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving at an exchange infrastructure providing collaborative processing among internal components and external components of an enterprise that is implemented on one or more processors a poll from a first application using a first file format to determine, by an application integration system, an identity of a second application and that the second application uses the first file format, the application integration system comprising a routing module and a mapping module, the routing module determining the identity of the second application, the mapping module determining an application format used by the second application, the first file format differing from and being incompatible with an open standard language supported by the exchange infrastructure;

transmitting, by the exchange infrastructure, data to the first application indicating the identity of the second application and that the second application uses the first file format;

receiving, at the exchange infrastructure, a message from the first application;

generating, at the exchange infrastructure upon determining that the second application uses the first file format, a markup language file envelope comprising the content of message unchanged and a header in the open standard language, the header comprising routing information for the message, the content remaining in the first file format without being converted or mapped to the open standard language;

routing the markup language file envelope through the exchange infrastructure via one or more pipeline services for delivery to the second application; and

wherein the open standard language is one of extensible markup language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), or Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

8. The article of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the message at the exchange infrastructure from the first application, which is implemented on other one or more processors than the exchange infrastructure.

9. The article of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the exchange infrastructure, the first file format.

10. The article of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, at the exchange infrastructure, that a second message received by the exchange infrastructure from a third application that uses a third file format is to be routed between the third application and a fourth application that uses a fourth file format that differs from and is incompatible with the third file format, one or both of the third file format and the fourth file format differing from and being incompatible with the open standard language; and

converting, at the exchange infrastructure, the second message into a converted second message in the open standard language; and

routing the converted second message through the exchange infrastructure for delivery to the fourth application.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

converting the converted second message from the open standard language to the fourth file format at the exchange infrastructure.

12. The article of claim 7, wherein the first provider comprises an external software component that communicates with the exchange infrastructure over a network and the first file format comprises a proprietary file format, the method further comprising generating a proxy by the exchange infrastructure to implement an interface for the external software component locally within the exchange infrastructure using the open standard language.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the at least one or more processors storing instructions that, when implemented by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving at an exchange infrastructure providing collaborative processing among internal components and external components of an enterprise that is implemented on one or more processors a poll from a first application using a first file format to determine, by an application integration system, an identity of a second application and that the second application uses the first file format, the application integration system comprising a routing module and a mapping module, the routing module determining the identity of the second application, the mapping module determining an application format used by the second application, the first file format differing from and being incompatible with an open standard language supported by the exchange infrastructure;

transmitting, by the exchange infrastructure, data to the first application indicating the identity of the second application and that the second application uses the first file format;

receiving, at the exchange infrastructure, a message from the first application;

generating, at the exchange infrastructure upon determining that the second application uses the first file format, a markup language file envelope comprising content of the message unchanged and a header in the open standard language, the header comprising routing information for the message, the content remaining in the first file format without being converted or mapped to the open standard language; and

routing the markup language file envelope through the exchange infrastructure via one or more pipeline services for delivery to the second application;

wherein the open standard language is one of extensible markup language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), or Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the message at the exchange infrastructure from the first application, which is implemented on other one or more processors than the exchange infrastructure.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, at the exchange infrastructure, that a second message received by the exchange infrastructure from a third application that uses a third file format is to be routed between the third application and a fourth application that uses a fourth file format that differs from and is incompatible with the third file format, one or both of the third file format and the fourth file format differing from and being incompatible with the open standard language; and

converting, at the exchange infrastructure, the second message into a converted second message in the open standard language; and

routing the converted second message through the exchange infrastructure for delivery to the fourth application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

converting the converted second message from the open standard language to the fourth file format at the exchange infrastructure.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first provider comprises an external software component that communicates with the exchange infrastructure over a network and the first file format comprises a proprietary file format, the method further comprising generating a proxy by the exchange infrastructure to implement an interface for the external software component locally within the exchange infrastructure using the open standard language.