Method and system to collect and communicate problem context in XML-based distributed applications

• US 8,301,720 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurea Software Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Progress Software Corporation
• Inventors: White, Aaron, Murphy, James, Thakker, Anand, Grossman, Franklin C., Ericson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US11/458,296
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709217-219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/237, 709/249, 703/21, 703/22, 719/315, 719/316, 719/328, 714/25, 714/37, 714/38, 714/47
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A system providing a reproducible package of a web service scenario having at least one web service client and at least one web service coupled to said network. A collector extracts a set of message exchanges between the web service client and the web service, and a closure builder captures a service description. A workspace repository coup stores the set of message exchanges and the service description to create the reproducible package of the web service scenario. According to one embodiment, the reproducible packages provide mechanisms to share and replay XML message-based scenarios for distributed applications.

Claims

1. A system providing a reproducible package of a web service scenario, comprising:

at least one web service client device coupled to a network;

a processor, coupled to said network, configured to provide at least one web service;

a collector component, wherein said collector component is configured to extract a set of message exchanges between said web service client device and said web service, wherein said extracted set of messages includes a request message and an associated response message sent between said web service client device and said at least one web service;

a closure builder component, wherein said closure builder component is configured to capture a complete snapshot of a service description at a specified time, said service description including at least one closure; and

a workspace repository component coupled to said collector component and to said closure builder component, wherein said workspace repository component is configured to create and store said reproducible package of the complete and accurate data of said web service scenario, said reproducible package representing a problem context and comprising a set of message exchanges and corresponding service description and allowing for active reproduction at a later time of said web service scenario and said problem context and identification of errors therein,

wherein said set of message exchanges includes said request message and said associated response message sent between said web service client device and said at least one web service.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a web service invocation component coupled to said network and said workspace repository component, wherein said invocation component provides at least one invoked message exchange.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said collector component is selected from at least one of the group consisting of:

network collector component, web service client collector component, and web service collector component.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said service description includes at least one of the group consisting of:

WSDL documents, schema documents, and meta-information.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reproducible package includes at least one of the group consisting of:

WSDL closures, SOAP message exchanges, notes, simulation scripts and playback scripts.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reproducible package is in a portable data format.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said specified time is about approximately a time frame that said collector extracts said set of message exchanges.

8. A computerized method for capturing message-based scenarios for distributed applications, comprising:

establishing communications between at least one web service client and at least one web service;

collecting message exchanges between said web service client and said web service that includes a request message and an associated response message sent between said at least one web service client and said at least one web service;

capturing a complete snapshot of a service description of said distributed applications at a specific time, service description including at least one closure; and

reproducing the complete and accurate data of a web service scenario from said message exchanges and said service description and allowing for active reproduction at a later time of said web service scenario and said problem context and identification of errors therein,

wherein said snapshot includes a set of message exchanges including said request message and said associated response message sent between said web service client and said web service.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing at least one of said message exchanges, said service description and said web service scenario in a workspace repository.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising invoking a user-initiated message exchange and reproducing said web service scenario from said user-initiated message exchange.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising exporting said web service scenario in a portable data format.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising manipulating at least one of said message exchanges and said services description and reproducing a manipulated web service scenario.

13. The method according to claim 8, producing a logically equivalent service description for some portion of said service description.

14. A computerized method for collecting and communicating reproducible web service artifacts, the computerized method comprising:

capturing a set of service description artifacts including at least one closure, wherein the set of service description artifacts includes a complete snapshot of a service description;

collecting a set of message exchange artifacts between a web service client and a web service, wherein said set of message exchange artifacts includes a request artifact and an associated response artifact sent between said web service client and said web service;

creating a workspace representing a problem context and comprising a set of message exchanges and corresponding service description from at least a portion of said set of service description artifacts and at least a portion of said set of messages exchange artifacts, wherein said workspace is a reproducible representation of the complete and accurate data of a web service scenario;

allowing for active reproduction at a later time of said web service scenario and problem context and identification of errors therein; and

sharing said workspace,

wherein said set of message exchanges includes said request artifact and said associated response artifact sent between said web service client device and said web service.

15. The process according to claim 14, wherein said sharing is exporting the workspace as a portable data file.

16. The process according to claim 14, further comprising storing at least one of said service description artifacts and said message exchange artifacts in a relational database.

17. The process according to claim 14, further comprising manipulating said workspace.