Adapting between coupled and decoupled provider interfaces

• US 8,266,189 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wagner, Timothy A., Anderson, Zachary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, ANTENEH B
• Application Number:
  US12/131,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Adapters are provided to convert a decoupled provider interface to a coupled provider interface and/or to convert a coupled provider interface to a decoupled provider interface. A decoupled provider may indirectly expose a data model by providing one or more of a sequence of unchanging views of data via snapshots and snapshot update events. A coupled provider may directly expose a dynamic data model or view and model update events. A decoupled consumer of data may consume data that is provided in snapshots and snapshot update events while a coupled consumer may consume data in the form of a dynamic data model and model update events.

Claims

1. A system for adapting a provider interface comprising:

a binder implemented by a processing unit that is coupled to a plurality of providers and a consumer, at least one of the plurality of providers having a provider interface of a first type, and at least another one of the plurality of providers having a provider interface of a second type,

the consumer requesting a particular provider from the plurality of providers and a provider interface of a first type via a request, the request being configured to identify the particular provider and the provider interface of the first type, the binder being configured to receive the request,

the binder further configured to;

determine whether the particular provider exists,

create the particular provider in response to determining that the particular provider does not exist,

determine whether the particular provider exposes the provider interface of the first type or a second type in response to determining that the particular provider exists,

provide the particular provider to the consumer in response to determining that the particular provider exposes the provider interface of the first type,

in response to determining that the particular provider exposes the provider interface of the second type, create an adapter that converts the provider interface of the second type to the provider interface of the first type, and

provide an object to the consumer, the object supporting the provider interface of the first type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular provider is a decoupled provider and indirectly exposes a data model by providing at least one unchanging view of data via a snapshot and at least one snapshot update event to the consumer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one snapshot update event comprises a previous snapshot, an updated snapshot and a delta comprising a difference between the previous snapshot and the updated snapshot.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular provider is a coupled provider and directly exposes a dynamic data model and provides model update events.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer is a coupled consumer and consumes a dynamic data model and model update events or wherein the consumer is a decoupled consumer and consumes snapshots and snapshot update events.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the provider interface of the first type is a coupled provider interface and the provider interface of the second type is a decoupled provider interface and the adapter converts the decoupled provider interface to a coupled provider interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the provider interface of the first type is a decoupled provider interface and the provider interface of the second type is a coupled provider interface and the adapter converts the coupled provider interface to a decoupled provider interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the consumer is a decoupled consumer and the adapter converts the coupled provider interface to the decoupled provider interface by registering with the provider for model update events and in response to receiving a model update event, creates a snapshot that exposes data through a cache to the consumer, wherein requested data is returned from the cache and wherein in response to the adapter receiving a new model update event, the adapter creates a new snapshot and provides a snapshot update event to the consumer.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the consumer is a coupled consumer and the adapter converts the decoupled provider interface to the coupled provider interface by registering with the provider to receive snapshot update events and pointing to a latest snapshot as a dynamic data model and translating a delta of a snapshot update event to a model update event and sending the model update event to the coupled consumer.

10. A method for adapting provider interfaces comprising:

receiving a request from a consumer for data from a provider selected from a plurality of providers,

wherein the request;

identifies the provider or identifies a context associated with the provider and

identifies a provider interface of a first type for the consumer, the provider interface of the first type comprising;

a provider interface that indirectly exposes a data model using snapshots and provides snapshot update events or

a provider interface that directly exposes a dynamic data model and provides model update events;

determining whether the provider exists,

creating the provider in response to determining that the particular provider does not exist,

determining whether the provider exposes the provider interface of the first type or a second type in response to determining that the provider exists,

providing the provider to the consumer in response to determining that the provider exposes the provider interface of the first type,

in response to determining that the provider exposes the provider interface of the second type, creating an adapter that converts the provider interface of the second type to the provider interface of the first type, and

providing an object to the consumer, the object supporting the provider interface of the first type.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the provider associated with the context in the request.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the object provided to the consumer is the adapter, and wherein the adapter:

converts a coupled provider interface to a decoupled provider interface by registering with the provider for model update events and in response to receiving a model update event, creating a snapshot that exposes data through a cache to the consumer, wherein requested data is returned from the cache and wherein in response to receiving a new model update event, the adapter creates a new snapshot and provides a snapshot update event to the consumer or

converts a decoupled provider interface to a coupled provider interface by registering with the provider to receive snapshot update events and pointing to a latest snapshot and translating a delta to a model update event and sending the model update event to the coupled consumer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the snapshot update events are consolidated and processed.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program code recorded thereon for adapting provider interfaces, the computer program code comprising:

a first program code configured to receive a request from a consumer that identifies a first type of provider interface for data from a provider, the provider exposing a second type of provider interface,

wherein the first type of provider interface indirectly exposes a data model via snapshots and provides snapshot update events or directly exposes a dynamic data model and provides model update events, and

wherein the second type of provider interface indirectly exposes a data model via snapshots and provides snapshot update events or directly exposes a dynamic data model and provides model update events;

a second program code configured to determine whether the provider exists;

a third program code configured to create the provider in response to determining that the particular provider does not exist;

a fourth program code configured to determine whether the provider exposes the provider interface of the first type or a second type in response to determining that the provider exists;

a fifth program code configured to provide the provider to the consumer in response to determining that the provider exposes the provider interface of the first type;

a sixth program code configured to, in response to determining that the provider exposes the provider interface of the second type, create an adapter that converts the provider interface of the second type to the provider interface of the first type; and

a seventh program code configured to provide an object to the consumer, the object supporting the first type of provider interface.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

an eighth program code configured to convert the second type of provider interface to the first type of provider interface by

registering with the provider for model update events and in response to receiving a model update event,

creating a snapshot that exposes data through a cache to the consumer, wherein requested data is returned from the cache,

wherein in response to receiving a new model update event, creating a new snapshot and

providing a snapshot update event to the consumer or

convert the second type of provider interface to the first type of provider interface by registering with the provider to receive snapshot update events,

pointing to a latest snapshot,

translating a delta to a model update event and

sending the model update event to the coupled consumer.