Synchronous interface to asynchronous processes

• US 8,260,849 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Shkvarchuk, Taras, Lerner, Alexander, Boulos, Thomas Nabiel
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLeod, Marshall
• Application Number:
  US12/777,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5629 Admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network. A request for information is received from a client machine with a conversion engine. The request is received over a synchronous interface. The request is processed in the conversion engine. The processed request is transmitted over an asynchronous interface from the conversion engine to at least one web service. Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for converting a web service description language file for a synchronous web service into a web service description language file for an asynchronous client machine are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network, the method comprising:

storing, at a host, a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using asynchronous communications, the web service being accessible via the host;

translating, at the host, the first web service description file into a second web service description file describing how to interact with the web service using synchronous communications;

receiving, at the host, a request from the client machine to use synchronous communications between the client machine and the web service; and

providing, to the client machine, the second web service description file.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the second web service description file to the client machine to define interaction with the web service includes providing data for generation of client machine code to interact with the at least one web service.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating communication between the client machine and the web service via one or more conversion engines, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first web service description file, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second web service description file.

4. The integration services network of claim 3, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving a synchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the synchronous request to an asynchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing a directory in a central repository, the directory mapping an identity for each of a plurality of users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the network comprises an integration services network configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among a plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description files.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein translating the first web service description file to the second web service description file includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description file into a types part of the second web service description file,

translating a message part of the first web service description file into a message part of the second web service description file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description file into a port type part of the second web service description file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description file into a bindings part of the second web service description file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description file into a service part of the second web service description file.

9. An integration services network for providing a client machine with access to one or more web services over a network comprising:

an asynchronous communications interface to store a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using asynchronous communications;

a conversion engine configured to translate the first web service description file into a second web service description file, the second web description file describing how to interact with the web service using synchronous communications, the conversion engine situated on one or more computing devices; and

a synchronous communications interface to receive a request from the client machine to use synchronous communications between the client machine and the web service and to provide the second web service description file to the client machine.

10. The integration services network of claim 9, wherein providing the second web service description file to the client machine to define interaction with the web service includes providing data for generation of client machine code to interact with the at least one web service.

11. The integration services network of claim 9, wherein one or more conversion engines are further configured to facilitate communication between the client machine and the web service via the one or more conversion engines, to communicate asynchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first web service description file, and to communicate synchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second web service description file.

12. The integration services network of claim 11, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving a synchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the synchronous request to an asynchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

13. The integration services network of claim 9, the network further comprising:

a directory stored in a central repository comprising one or more computing devices, the directory mapping an identity for each of a plurality of users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services.

14. The integration services network of claim 13, wherein the network is configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among a plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework.

15. The integration services network of claim 13, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description files.

16. The integration services network of claim 9, wherein translating the first web service description file to the second web service description file includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description file into a types part of the second web service description file,

translating a message part of the first web service description file into a message part of the second web service description file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description file into a port type part of the second web service description file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description file into a bindings part of the second web service description file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description file into a service part of the second web service description file.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network, the instructions comprising:

a first instruction to store, at a host, a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using asynchronous communications, the web service being accessible via the host;

a second instruction to translate, at the host, the first web service description file into a second web service description file describing how to interact with the web service using synchronous communications;

a third instruction to receive, at the host, a request from the client machine to use synchronous communications between the client machine and the web service; and

a fourth instruction to provide, to the client machine, the second web service description file.

18. A computer-implemented method for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network, the method comprising:

storing, at a host, a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using synchronous communications, the web service being accessible via the host;

translating, at the host, the first web service description file into a second web service description file describing how to interact with the web service using asynchronous communications;

receiving, at the host, a request from the client machine to use asynchronous communications between the client machine and the web service; and

providing, to the client machine, the second web service description file.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein providing the second web service description file to the client machine to define interaction with the web service includes providing data for generation of client machine code to interact with the at least one web service.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

facilitating communication between the client machine and the web service via one or more conversion engines, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate synchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first web service description file, the one or more conversion engines configured to communicate asynchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second web service description file.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving an asynchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the asynchronous request to a synchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

storing a directory in a central repository, the directory mapping an identity for each of a plurality of users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the network comprises an integration services network configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among a plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description files.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein translating the first web service description file to the second web service description file includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description file into a types part of the second web service description file,

translating a message part of the first web service description file into a message part of the second web service description file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description file into a port type part of the second web service description file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description file into a bindings part of the second web service description file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description file into a service part of the second web service description file.

26. An integration services network for providing a client machine with access to one or more web services over a network comprising:

a synchronous communications interface to store a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using synchronous communications;

a conversion engine to translate the first web service description file into a second web service description file, the second web description file describing how to interact with the web service using asynchronous communications, the conversion engine situated on one or more computing devices; and

an asynchronous communications interface to receive a request from the client machine to use asynchronous communications between the client machine and the web service and to provide the second web service description file to the client machine.

27. The integration services network of claim 26, wherein providing the second web service description file to the client machine to define interaction with the web service includes providing data for generation of client machine code to interact with the at least one web service.

28. The integration services network of claim 26, wherein one or more conversion engines are further configured to facilitate communication between the client machine and the web service via the one or more conversion engines, to communicate synchronously with the first web service in accordance with the first web service description file, and to communicate asynchronously with the first client machine in accordance with the second web service description file.

29. The integration services network of claim 28, wherein facilitating communications between the first client machine and the first web service comprises:

receiving an asynchronous request from the client machine in accordance with the second description, and

converting the asynchronous request to a synchronous message for transmission to the first web service in accordance with the first description.

30. The integration services network of claim 26, the network further comprising:

a directory stored in a central repository comprising one or more computing devices, the directory mapping an identity for each of a plurality of users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to the one or more web services.

31. The integration services network of claim 30, wherein the network is configured to facilitate messaging and mediate policy differences among a plurality of users and the one or more web services according to the policy framework.

32. The integration services network of claim 30, wherein the central repository is configured to store one or more web service description files for one or more of the web services, the central repository storing at least the first and second web service description files.

33. The integration services network of claim 26, wherein translating the first web service description file to the second web service description file includes one or more of the following operations:

translating a types part of the first web service description file into a types part of the second web service description file,

translating a message part of the first web service description file into a message part of the second web service description file,

translating a port type part of the first web service description file into a port type part of the second web service description file,

translating a bindings part of the first web service description file into a bindings part of the second web service description file, and

translating a service part of the first web service description file into a service part of the second web service description file.

34. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for selectively accessing one or more web services from a client machine, the one or more web services and the client machine being accessible over a network, the instructions comprising:

first instructions to store, at a host, a first web service description file describing how to interact with a web service using synchronous communications, the web service being accessible via the host;

second instructions to translate, at the host, the first web service description file into a second web service description file describing how to interact with the web service using asynchronous communications;

third instructions to receive, at the host, a request from the client machine to use asynchronous communications between the client machine and the web service; and

fourth instructions to provide, to the client machine, the second web service description file.