Unified web service discovery

• US 9,247,008 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanan, Ranjith, Liang, Rui, Srinivasan, Srivatsa
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US12/726,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A uniform approach for web service discovery is provided through common auto-discovery logic for cloud-based or enterprise-based deployments for a specific web service. Appropriate credentials may be applied employing a uniform method using an appropriate authentication scheme for on-premise, fully hosted, or partially hosted auto-discovered web services. A common interface may be implemented even if the protocols for discovery differ from service to service or between cloud-based deployment and enterprise-based deployment for the same service. Web service locations auto-discovered through different protocols may be cached for subsequent use.

Claims

1. A method to be executed in a computing device to provide unified web service discovery, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with a user;

determining an identity associated with the user based on the received information, wherein the received information includes one or more of;

a telephone number, a personal identification number, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) identifier, and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI);

receiving one or more sub-identities directly from the user;

processing the identity through a derivation algorithm to identify the one or more sub-identities, wherein the derivation algorithm decrypts the identity to derive the one or more sub-identities;

determining a web service associated with the identity based on a user demand;

discovering information associated with a provider of the web service, wherein the information includes a location of the provider and an operation supported by the provider for the web service;

providing the discovered information associated with the provider of the web service as metadata bindings to at least one consuming application associated with the user;

enabling the at least one consuming application to select an authentication scheme based on an availability of a compatible identity associated with the user; and

providing the authentication scheme to the at least one consuming application through a framework.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the discovered information associated with the provider of the web service as metadata to the at least one consuming application associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein distinct discovery mechanisms are employed for different web services based on a type of the provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sub-identities are determined employing at least one from a set of:

a look-up operation and an inference from user credentials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the web service is discovered based on one of:

a predefined period and a random interval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein discovery results are cached to optimize system resource usage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one from a set of:

a schedule of discovery for the web service, whether the discovery results are cached, and discovery mechanisms are determined based on each of the one or more sub-identities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the provider includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the provider, and one of:

a Domain Name System Server (DNS SRV) lookup, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option 43, and in-band provisioning from a system registrar is employed to discover the location.

9. A unified communication system that employs unified web service discovery, the unified communication system comprising:

a server configured to;

manage communications between internal and external resources of the unified communication system and client applications;

a client device executing a client application, wherein the client application is configured to;

provide a user credential to a discovery engine; and

the discovery engine configured to;

determine at least one identity associated with the user based on the user credential, wherein the user credential includes one or more of;

a telephone number, a personal identification number, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) identifier, and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI);

process the at least one identity through a derivation algorithm to identify one or more sub-identities, wherein the derivation algorithm decrypts the at least one identity to derive the one or more sub-identities;

discover web service parameters for web services associated with the at least one identity based on a user demand and by employing one or more discovery mechanisms in a unified manner;

generate metadata bindings based on the discovered web service parameters;

enable one of;

the client application, a consuming application executed on the server, and a consuming application executed on the client device to select an authentication scheme based on an availability of a compatible identity associated with the user; and

provide the metadata bindings to one of;

the client application, the consuming application executed on the server, and the consuming application executed on the client device.

10. The unified communication system of claim 9, wherein the web service parameters include:

locations of web service providers, authentication types supported by the web service providers, and operations supported by the web service providers.

11. The unified communication system of claim 9, wherein the web services are provided by at least one from a set of:

the server, another server within the unified communication system, and a system external to the unified communication system.

12. The unified communication system of claim 9, wherein the user credential includes one of:

a login, a username/password combination, a certificate, and an email address.

13. The unified communication system of claim 9, wherein a discovery schedule is determined based on each identity, and the discovered parameters are stored in one of a volatile memory and a persistent storage including one of:

a system registry, a file, and a credential manager Application Programming Interface (API).

14. The unified communication system of claim 9, wherein the unified communication system is one of:

enterprise-based, cloud-based, and a combination of enterprise-based and cloud-based.

15. A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon to provide unified web service discovery, the instructions comprising:

receiving a user credential in a system;

determining a plurality of identities associated with the user based on the credential, wherein the user credential includes one or more of;

a telephone number, a personal identification number, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) identifier, and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI);

receiving one or more sub-identities directly from the user;

processing the identities through a derivation algorithm to identify the one or more sub-identities, wherein the derivation algorithm decrypts the identities to derive the one or more sub-identities;

determining a plurality of web services associated with the identities based on a user demand;

discovering information associated with providers associated with the plurality of web services, wherein the information includes a location of the providers and operations supported by the providers employing one or more discovery mechanisms in a unified manner;

providing the discovered information associated with the providers of the plurality of web services as metadata bindings to at least one consuming application associated with the user;

enabling the at least one consuming application to select an authentication scheme based on an availability of a compatible identity associated with the user; and

providing the metadata bindings to the at least one consuming application through a framework.

16. The computer-readable memory device of claim 15, further comprising:

repeating the discovery following one of;

a random period, a predefined period, and the user demand based on the plurality of web services to be discovered; and

caching results of the discovery based on one of;

one of the identities and the plurality of web services to be discovered.

17. The computer-readable memory device of claim 15, wherein the discovery is performed employing at least one of a standardized mechanism and a proprietary mechanism.

18. The computer-readable memory device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of web services includes at least one from a set of:

a search service, a document sharing service, and a data sharing service.