System and method for extensible data interface for shared service module

• US 8,286,186 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berry, Charles Franklin, Godoy, Glenn C., Snavely, Amy Jeanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US12/102,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.8, 705/30, 715/234, 719/311
• US Class Current: 719/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A system and associated method for interfacing between caller applications and a shared service module. Upon receiving a request for a transaction, the shared service module creates a separate data structure per request from a caller application and configures a caller identifier to uniquely identify the caller application. The separate data structure per request can be extended by the shared service module with additional attributes that may be used, without impacting the service application data model, in the request to support servicing the request. The shared service module generates a generic service document to return the result after servicing the request to the caller application.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the request;

subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising;

defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;

subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;

subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;

subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said at least one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping; and

subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;

subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;

subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document; and

subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

2. The method of claim 1, said storing comprising:

determining a category of a first service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;

subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;

subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of said at least one container pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level; and

subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table,

wherein said determining the category, said determining the level, said storing and said repeating are performed by the service module.

3. The method of claim 1, said servicing comprising:

performing the transaction requested by the caller application;

subsequent to said performing, retrieving each mapping from the mapping table;

subsequent to said retrieving, reloading each container of said at least one container from the relational table into respective containers of the generic service document according to each retrieved mapping; and

subsequent to said reloading, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said performing, said retrieving, said reloading, and said returning are performed by the service module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said caller application is a member of a group comprising at least one caller application, wherein the service module is shared by each members of said group.

5. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the request;

subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising;

defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;

subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;

subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;

subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said at least one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping; and

subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;

subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;

subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document; and

subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, said storing comprising:

determining a category of a first service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;

subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;

subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of said at least one container pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level; and

subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table,

wherein said determining the category, said determining the level, said storing and said repeating are performed by the service module.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, said servicing comprising:

performing the transaction requested by the caller application;

subsequent to said performing, retrieving each mapping from the mapping table;

subsequent to said retrieving, reloading each container of said at least one container from the relational table into respective containers of the generic service document according to each retrieved mapping; and

subsequent to said reloading, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said performing, said retrieving, said reloading, and said returning are performed by the service module.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said caller application is a member of a group comprising at least one caller application, wherein the service module is shared by each members of said group.

9. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed by the processor implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the transaction;

subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising;

defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;

subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;

subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;

subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said at least one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping; and

subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;

subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;

subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document; and

subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

10. The computer system of claim 9, said storing comprising:

determining a category of a first service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;

subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;

subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of said at least one container pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level; and

subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table,

wherein said determining the category, said determining the level, said storing and said repeating are performed by the service module.

11. The computer system of claim 9, said servicing comprising:

performing the transaction requested by the caller application;

subsequent to said performing, retrieving each mapping from the mapping table;

subsequent to said retrieving, reloading each container of said at least one container from the relational table into respective containers of the generic service document according to each retrieved mapping; and

subsequent to said reloading, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said performing, said retrieving, said reloading, and said returning are performed by the service module.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said caller application is a member of a group comprising at least one caller application, wherein the service module is shared by each members of said group.

13. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the transaction;

subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising;

defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;

subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;

subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;

subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said at least one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping; and

subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;

subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;

subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document; and

subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

14. The process of claim 13, said storing comprising:

determining a category of a first service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;

subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;

subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of said at least one container pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level; and

subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table,

wherein said determining the category, said determining the level, said storing and said repeating are performed by the service module.

15. The process of claim 13, said servicing comprising:

performing the transaction requested by the caller application;

subsequent to said performing, retrieving each mapping from the mapping table;

subsequent to said retrieving, reloading each container of said at least one container from the relational table into respective containers of the generic service document according to each retrieved mapping; and

subsequent to said reloading, returning the generic service document to the caller application,

wherein said performing, said retrieving, said reloading, and said returning are performed by the service module.

16. The process of claim 13, wherein said caller application is a member of a group comprising at least one caller application, wherein the service module is shared by each members of said group.