Service oriented architecture enterprise service bus with universal ports

• US 8,364,745 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roshen, Waseem A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US12/625,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A universal ESB port for connecting applications to an enterprise service bus (ESB). The universal ESB port receives a message from an application requesting a service. The universal ESB port is capable of receiving and processing messages in any messaging format and any communication protocol. The universal ESB port determines, from the message, a communication protocol of the source application. The message is processed to extract a body of the message, and the message body is examined to determine a messaging format of the source application. The message is converted from the messaging format of the source application to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus to form a common formatted message. The common formatted message is then sent to the main body of the enterprise service bus.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling communications between applications connected to an enterprise service bus via a plurality of ports, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a source application in a set of applications connected to the enterprise service bus, a message requesting a service from another application in the set of applications, wherein each application in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via a unique port in the plurality of ports, and wherein each application uses a different combination of messaging format and communication protocol;

determining whether the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port;

responsive to a determination that the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port, performing a set of sub-processes using the message comprising;

determining, using the message received, a communication protocol of the source application;

processing the message to extract a body of the message;

examining the body to determine the messaging format of the source application;

converting the message from the messaging format of the source application to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus to form a common formatted message; and

sending the common formatted message to a main body of the enterprise service bus.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the applications in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via a port type of the universal enterprise service bus port.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one application in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via the universal enterprise service bus port, and wherein at least one other application in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via a port type comprising a particular messaging format and communication protocol.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of sub-processes is performed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining and examining in the set of sub-processes are performed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application, and wherein the processing and converting in the set of sub-processes are performed by the enterprise service bus.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the processing in the set of sub-processes is performed by an appropriate communication protocol processor in a set of communication protocol processors and the converting in the set of sub-processes is performed by an appropriate message format processor in a set of messaging format processors, and wherein the set of communication protocol processors and the set of messaging format processors are shared by other universal enterprise service bus ports in the enterprise service bus.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining in the set of sub-processes is performed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application, and wherein the processing, examining, and converting in the set of sub-processes are performed by the enterprise service bus.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the processing in the set of sub-processes is performed by an appropriate communication protocol processor in a set of communication protocol processors, the converting in the set of sub- processes is performed by an appropriate message format processor in a set of messaging format processors, and the examining in the set of sub-processes is performed by a messaging format detector, and wherein the set of communication protocol processors, the set of messaging format processors, and the messaging format detector are shared by other universal enterprise service bus ports in the enterprise service bus.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the universal enterprise service bus port is capable of receiving and processing messages in a plurality of differing supported messaging formats and a plurality of differing supported communication protocols.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication protocol of the source application further comprises:

examining a header of the message to identify the communication protocol in use by the source application.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein processing the message further comprises:

responsive to a determination of the communication protocol of the source application identifying a determined communication protocol, providing the message to an appropriate protocol processor in a set of protocol processors that is dedicated to handling messages using the determined communication protocol; and

extracting the body of the message using the appropriate protocol processor.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein converting the message further comprises:

responsive to a determination of the messaging format of the source application identifying a determined messaging format, providing the message to an appropriate messaging format processor in a set of messaging format processors that is dedicated to handling messages in the determined messaging format; and

converting the message to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus using the appropriate messaging format processor.

13. A computer program product for enabling communications between applications connected to an enterprise service bus via a plurality of ports, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the computer readable program code for execution by a computer, comprising;

computer readable program code for receiving, from a source application in a set of applications connected to the enterprise service bus, a message requesting a service from another application in the set of applications, wherein each application in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via a unique port, and wherein each application uses a different combination of messaging format and communication protocol;

computer readable program code for determining whether the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port;

computer readable program code responsive to a determination that the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port for performing a set of sub-processes using the message comprising;

computer readable program code for determining, using the message, a communication protocol of the source application;

computer readable program code for processing the message to extract a body of the message;

computer readable program code for examining the body to determine the messaging format of the source application;

computer readable program code for converting the message from the messaging format of the source application to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus to form a common formatted message; and

computer readable program code for sending the common formatted message to a main body of the enterprise service bus.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code for the set of sub-processes is executed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code for determining and the computer readable program code for examining is executed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application, wherein the computer readable program code for processing is executed by an appropriate communication protocol processor in a set of communication protocol processors in the enterprise service bus, wherein the computer readable program code for converting is executed by an appropriate message format processor in a set of messaging format processors in the enterprise service bus, and wherein the set of communication protocol processors and the set of messaging format processors are shared by other universal enterprise service bus ports in the enterprise service bus.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code for determining is executed by the universal enterprise service bus port associated with the source application, wherein the computer readable program code for processing is executed by an appropriate communication protocol processor in a set of communication protocol processors in the enterprise service bus, wherein the computer readable program code for examining is executed by a messaging format detector in the enterprise service bus, wherein the computer readable program code for converting is executed by an appropriate message format processor in a set of messaging format processors in the enterprise service bus, and wherein the set of communication protocol processors, the set of messaging format processors, and the messaging format detector are shared by other universal enterprise service bus ports in the enterprise service bus.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the universal enterprise service bus port is capable of receiving and processing messages in a plurality of differing supported messaging format and a plurality of differing supported communication protocols.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code for processing the message further comprises:

computer readable program code for providing, in response to a determination of the communication protocol of the source application identifying a determined communication protocol, the message to an appropriate protocol processor in a set of protocol processors that is dedicated to handling messages using the determined communication protocol; and

computer readable program code for extracting the body of the message using the appropriate protocol processor.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code for converting the message further comprises:

computer readable program code for providing, in response to a determination of the messaging format of the source application identifying a determined message format, the message to an appropriate messaging format processor in a set of messaging format processors that is dedicated to handling messages in the determined messaging format; and

computer readable program code for converting the message to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus using the appropriate messaging format processor.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a communication fabric;

a memory connected to the communication fabric, wherein the memory contains computer readable program code for execution stored therein;

an enterprise service bus, wherein the enterprise service bus comprises a plurality of ports providing an interface to the enterprise service bus;

a processor unit, connected to the communication fabric, wherein the processor unit executes the computer readable program code, to direct the apparatus to;

receive, from a source application in a set of applications connected to the enterprise service bus, a message requesting a service from another application in the set of applications, wherein each application in the set of applications is connected to the enterprise service bus via a unique port in the plurality of ports, and wherein each application uses a different combination of messaging format and communication protocol;

determine whether the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port;

responsive to a determination that the unique port is a universal enterprise service bus port, perform a set of sub-processes using the message comprising;

determine, using the message received, a communication protocol of the source application;

process the message to extract a body of the message;

examine the body to determine the messaging format of the source application;

convert the message from the messaging format of the source application to a common messaging format understandable by the enterprise service bus to form a common formatted message; and

send the common formatted message to a main body of the enterprise service bus.