System and method for integration of streaming and static data

• US 8,281,026 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metafluent LLC
• Original Assignee: Metafluent LLC
• Inventors: Lankford, Peter, MacGaffey, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US12/225,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/231, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

The invention relates to integration of streaming data. The invention provides a means for integrating both high-throughput streaming and static content originating from multiple types and/or instances of data sources into discrete units of data. The invention provides integration of a wide variety of disparate streaming and static data sources as well as deployment of content in multiple protocols, either static or streaming or both. In the preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method and system for the insertion of domain-specific implementations of the JMS (Java Message System) messaging paradigm into a server-based JMS provider infrastructure. A Content Integration Framework provides access to Content Instances. The Content Integration Framework is used by Distribution Adapters that expose content from Content Instances cached in the system using a variety of protocols.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor on a server, causes the processor to integrate streaming and static data, the instructions comprising:

receiving a request at a configurable distribution adapter for data expressed by a content template, wherein the content template is derived from an external metadata description comprising one or more schema, wherein the content template is supplied by one or more types of data sources, and each type of data sources is represented by a type of the one or more schema used in the metadata description;

for each type of schema, accessing a corresponding content adapter;

wherein the distribution adapter creates a content instance by accessing the content template that comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is either static or dynamic, and each dynamic node is indexed with an index;

wherein each content template comprises a plurality of parameters and for each parameter a plurality of substitution points;

for each of the parameters, obtaining values for the parameters and substituting the values into the substitution points, resulting in the content instance of the content template; and

encoding and transmitting the data from the content instance.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the accessing the content template comprises determining if the content template is located in a cache.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the metadata description comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document, and the nodes are referenced by the distribution adapter configuration using an XPath expression.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the content template computes and supplies to the distribution adapter a version of the XPath expression optimized for repeated access by converting the XPath to an index-based path using the indices wherein the converting is only performed once.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein each dynamic node represents dynamic values that require storage in the content instance, and the content instance comprises a set a values for the dynamic nodes and a reference to the content template, and the stored dynamic values can be access by the index associated with dynamic nodes.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the static node represents static values that do not require storage in the content instance.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the distribution adapter supplies values for the parameters specified by the content template, and the content template builds an identifier for the content instance from the value of the parameters and determines if the content instance is cached.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein when the content instance is not cached, the template substitutes the values for the parameters into each substitution point and allocates the content instance, the content adapters populate the content from the data sources into the content instance, and the template caches the resulting content instance.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the content adapter receives a data event from an external source, generates a pre-event and passes the pre-event to a plurality of registered listeners, modifies one or more dynamic nodes in the content instance, generates a post-event and passes the post-event to the plurality of listeners.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a Java Messaging Service (JMS) application and comprises one or more topics, and the distribution adapter comprises a JMS server plug-in.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the content adapter, in response to a first event from a first external data source that modifies a first dynamic node, generates a change to a different dynamic node within a scope of first pre and post-events associated with the change from the first external data source.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising the content template providing a lifecycle support for the content adapter, wherein the lifecycle support comprises initializing the content adapter, allocating required content, maintaining the content by interacting with external systems, and releasing resources when the content is no longer required.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the content template interacts with the content adapter to convey an identity of an end- user and allow the content adapter to deny access to content based on that identity.

14. A computer implemented method for integrating streaming and static data, the method comprising:

receiving a request at a configurable distribution adapter for data expressed by a content template, wherein the content template is derived from an external metadata description comprising one or more schema, wherein the content template is supplied by one or more types of data sources, and each type of data sources is represented by a type of the one or more schema used in the metadata description;

for each type of schema, accessing a corresponding content adapter;

wherein the distribution adapter creates a content instance by accessing the content template that comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is either static or dynamic, and each dynamic node is indexed with an index;

wherein each content template comprises a plurality of parameters and for each parameter a plurality of substitution points;

for each of the parameters, obtaining values for the parameters and substituting the values into the substitution points, resulting in the content instance of the content template; and

encoding and transmitting the data from the content instance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the accessing the content template comprises determining if the content template is located in a cache.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the metadata description comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document, and the nodes are referenced by the distribution adapter configuration using an XPath expression.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the content template computes and supplies to the distribution adapter a version of the XPath expression optimized for repeated access by converting the XPath to an index-based path using the indices wherein the converting is only performed once.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein each dynamic node represents dynamic values that require storage in the content instance, and the content instance comprises a set a values for the dynamic nodes and a reference to the content template, and the stored dynamic values can be access by the index associated with dynamic nodes.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the static node represents static values that do not require storage in the content instance.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the distribution adapter supplies values for the parameters specified by the content template, and the content template builds an identifier for the content instance from the value of the parameters and determines if the content instance is cached.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein when the content instance is not cached, the template substitutes the values for the parameters into each substitution point and allocates the content instance, the content adapters populate the content from the data sources into the content instance, and the template caches the resulting content instance.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the content adapter receives a data event from an external source, generates a pre-event and passes the pre-event to a plurality of registered listeners, modifies one or more dynamic nodes in the content instance, generates a post-event and passes the post-event to the plurality of listeners.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the request is received from a Java Messaging Service (JMS) application and comprises one or more topics, and the distribution adapter comprises a JMS server plug-in.

24. A system for integrating streaming and static data, the system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, and comprising instructions that cause the processor to;

receiving a request at a configurable distribution adapter for data expressed by a content template, wherein the content template is derived from an external metadata description comprising one or more schema, wherein the content template is supplied by one or more types of data sources, and each type of data sources is represented by a type of the one or more schema used in the metadata description;

for each type of schema, accessing a corresponding content adapter;

wherein the distribution adapter creates a content instance by accessing the content template that comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is either static or dynamic, and each dynamic node is indexed with an index;

wherein each content template comprises a plurality of parameters and for each parameter a plurality of substitution points;

for each of the parameters, obtaining values for the parameters and substituting the values into the substitution points, resulting in the content instance of the content template; and

encoding and transmitting the data from the content instance.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the accessing the content template comprises determining if the content template is located in a cache.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the metadata description comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document, and the nodes are referenced by the distribution adapter configuration using an XPath expression.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein each dynamic node represents dynamic values that require storage in the content instance, and the content instance comprises a set a values for the dynamic nodes and a reference to the content template, and the stored dynamic values can be access by the index associated with dynamic nodes.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the distribution adapter supplies values for the parameters specified by the content template, and the content template builds an identifier for the content instance from the value of the parameters and determines if the content instance is cached.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein when the content instance is not cached, the template substitutes the values for the parameters into each substitution point and allocates the content instance, the content adapters populate the content from the data sources into the content instance, and the template caches the resulting content instance.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the content adapter receives a data event from an external source, generates a pre-event and passes the pre-event to a plurality of registered listeners, modifies one or more dynamic nodes in the content instance, generates a post-event and passes the post-event to the plurality of listeners.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the request is received from a Java Messaging Service (JMS) application and comprises one or more topics, and the distribution adapter comprises a JMS server plug-in.