API and business language schema design framework for message exchanges

• US 9,201,711 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ahmed, Zahid N., Cohen, Alon, Kao, Daniel Tsun, Tanaka, Ray, Yue, Gary, Avalani, Bhaven
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing
• Application Number:
  US13/735,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20130125147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]

Abstract

A plurality of application servers hosts a plurality of business applications. A plurality of Application Program Interface (API) servers host a plurality of APIs to provide programmatic access to the plurality of business applications, each of the APIs configured to receive request messages compiled by a remote client application. First and second request messages targeted to first and second APIs have at least one common data component. The first request message includes a first payload specific to the first targeted API and the second request message includes a second payload specific to the second targeted API, the first payload and the second payload each comprise a reusable identified schema definition specific to the targeted API.

Claims

1. A server system in an electronic trading system to facilitate an exchange of messages with a remote client application, the server system including:

a plurality of application servers, including one or more hardware processors, hosting a plurality of business applications; and

a plurality of application program interface servers hosting a plurality of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to provide programmatic access to the plurality of business applications, each of the APIs are configured to receive request messages compiled from the remote client application,

the first and second request messages, respectively target first and second APIs of the plurality of APIs, each API comprises at least one common data component, and

the first request message includes a first payload specific for the first targeted API and the second request message includes a second payload specific for the second targeted API, the first payload and the second payload each comprise a reusable identified schema definition specific to the API that is targeted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one data component is selected from a group comprising a predetermined required level of detail, an error language component and a version identifier.

3. The system of claim 1. wherein each of the plurality of APIs is configured to generate a response message that is sent to the remote client application, responsive to a received request message.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the response message includes an acknowledgement component for acknowledging receipt of the request message, a correlation identifier, a timestamp, error data and version data.

5. A method of facilitating an exchange of messages between a remote client application and a server system, the server system being capable of supporting a plurality of application program interfaces (APIs) that includes a targeted API, the method including:

receiving a plurality of request messages generated by the remote client application, each request message requesting an activity to be performed by the targeted API, with respect to an associated application, and comprising at least one data component that is common to each of the plurality of request messages, and a request component including a reusable identified schema definition specific to the targeted API;

extracting the at least one data component and the request component from the request message; and

performing the activity requested by the request message.

6. The method of claim 5, including performing version and error check operations.

7. The method of claim 5, including generating a response message that is sent from the server system to the remote client application.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the generating of the response message includes generating an acknowledgement, a timestamp, a correlation identifier, error data and version data.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations of facilitating an exchange of messages in a trading system between a remote client application and a server system, the server system being capable of supporting a plurality of application program interfaces, the operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of request messages compiled by the remote client application, each of the plurality of request messages comprising at least one data component that is common to each of the plurality of request messages, and a request component that includes a reusable identified schema definition specific to one of the plurality of application program interfaces, to support the functionality of the requested application program interface;

extracting the at least one data component and the request component from the request message; and

performing the activity requested by the request message.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 9, the operations further comprising performing version and error check operations.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 9, the operations further comprising generating a response message that is to be sent from the server system to the remote client application.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 11, the operations further comprising generating an acknowledgement, a timestamp, a correlation identifier, error data and version data.