Legacy applications as web services

• US 9,690,577 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2004
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Akana, Inc. (Perforce Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Akana, Inc. (Perforce Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crew, James R., Pillay, Venkat Raman, Card, Joseph Michael, Rajan, Sundar J., Vitro, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Le
• Application Number:
  US10/775,654
• Time in Patent Office: 4,887 Days
• Field of Search: 715749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/22 Microcontrol or microprogram arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A legacy application may be executed as a Web Service by receiving from a client application a request comprising application input data that includes target legacy program identifying information and a template identifier, loading the specified template, translating the input data into a data format compatible with the application, executing the application and translating the output data for transmission to the client application. The template corresponds to the legacy application and comprises metadata describing the application flow and the required input data and output data for the application.

Claims

1. A computer server comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a request from a client application, the request comprising;

a legacy application program identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of legacy application programs;

a legacy type program identifier comprising an interface plug-in identifier that identifies a dynamic SQL interface plug-in;

input data; and

a template identifier for a template comprising metadata for use when formatting the input data for use by the corresponding legacy application program and when formatting output data received from the legacy application program for use by the client application;

obtain a template based at least in part on the template identifier, wherein the template comprises a header portion and a plurality of data element descriptor portions, each of the one or more data element descriptor portions used for communicating information between the interface plug-in and the corresponding legacy application program;

generate a test harness for automated testing of the template based at least in part on metadata in the template;

format the input data based at least in part on metadata in the template;

invoke the corresponding legacy application program, the invoking comprising sending the formatted legacy application input data to the legacy application program;

receive, from the corresponding legacy application program, output data;

format the output data based at least in part on the metadata; and

transmit a response to the client application, the response comprising the formatted output data.

2. The computer server of claim 1, further comprising a network interface.

3. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the processors utilize the interface plug-in to invoke the corresponding legacy application program.

4. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the processors utilize a common driver to obtain the template.

5. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the request comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request;

or

an MQ request.

6. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the response comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) response;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response;

or

an MQ response.

7. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the interface plug-in and a common driver comprise a single application program.

8. The computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the request comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request; and

the template maps the SOAP request to an interface.

9. The computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the request comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request;

the template maps the SOAP request to an interface; and

the interface comprises a COMMAREA interface.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer servers, a request from a client application, the request comprising;

a legacy application program identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of legacy application programs;

a legacy type program identifier comprising an interface plug-in identifier that identifies a dynamic SQL interface plug-in;

input data; and

a template identifier for a template comprising metadata for use when formatting the input data for use by the corresponding legacy application program for use by the client application;

obtaining, by one or more computer servers, a template based at least in part on the template identifier, wherein the template comprises a header portion and a plurality of data element descriptor portions, each of the one or more data element descriptor portions used for communicating information between the interface plug-in and the corresponding legacy application program;

generating, by one or more computer servers, a test harness for automated testing of the template based at least in part on metadata in the template;

formatting, by one or more computer servers, the input data based at least in part on metadata in the template;

invoking, by one or more computer servers, the corresponding legacy application program, the invoking comprising sending the formatted legacy application input data to the legacy application program;

receiving, by one or more computer servers, from the corresponding legacy application program, output data;

formatting, by one or more computer servers, the output data based at least in part on the metadata; and

transmitting, by one or more computer servers, a response to the client application, the response comprising the formatted output data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network servers comprise a network interface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer servers utilize the interface plug-in to invoke the corresponding legacy application program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer server utilizes a common driver to obtain the template.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the request comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request;

or

an MQ request.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the response comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) response;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response;

or

an MQ response.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the interface plug-in and a common driver comprise a single application program.

17. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a request from a client application, the request comprising;

a legacy application program identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of legacy application programs;

a legacy type program identifier comprising an interface plug-in identifier that identifies a dynamic SQL interface plug-in;

input data; and

a template identifier for a template comprising metadata for use when formatting the input data for use by the corresponding legacy application program and when formatting output data received from the legacy application program for use by the client application;

obtain a template based at least in part on the template identifier, wherein the template comprises a header portion and a plurality of data element descriptor portions, each of the one or more data element descriptor portions used for communicating information between the interface plug-in and the corresponding legacy application program;

generate a test harness for automated testing of the template based at least in part on metadata in the template;

format the input data based at least in part on metadata in the template;

invoke the corresponding legacy application program, the invoking comprising sending the formatted legacy application input data to the legacy application program;

receive, from the corresponding legacy application program, output data;

format the output data based at least in part on the metadata; and

transmit a response to the client application, the response comprising the formatted output data.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein a network interface is utilized.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein the interface plug-in is utilized to invoke the corresponding legacy application program.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein a common driver is utilized to obtain the template.

21. The media of claim 17, wherein the request comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request;

or

an MQ request.

22. The media of claim 17, wherein the response comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) response;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response;

or

an MQ response.

23. The media of claim 17, wherein the interface plug-in and a common driver comprise a single application program.

24. A computer server comprising:

means for receiving a request from a client application, the request comprising;

a legacy application program identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of legacy application programs;

a legacy type program identifier comprising an interface plug-in identifier that identifies a dynamic SQL interface plug-in;

input data; and

a template identifier for a template comprising metadata for use when formatting the input data for use by the corresponding legacy application program and when formatting output data received from the legacy application program for use by the client application;

means for obtaining a template based at least in part on the template identifier, wherein the template comprises a header portion and a plurality of data element descriptor portions, each of the one or more data element descriptor portions used for communicating information between the interface plug-in and the corresponding legacy application program;

means for generating a test harness for automated testing of the template based at least in part on metadata in the template;

means for formatting the input data based at least in part on the metadata in the template;

means for invoking the corresponding legacy application program, the invoking comprising sending the formatting legacy application input data to the legacy application program;

means for receiving, from the corresponding legacy application program, output data;

means for formatting the output data based at least in part on the metadata; and

means for transmitting a response to the client application, the response comprising the formatted output data.

25. The computer server of claim 24, further comprising a network interface.

26. The computer server of claim 24, wherein the interface plug-in is utilized to invoke the corresponding legacy application program.

27. The computer server of claim 24, wherein a common driver is utilized to obtain the template.

28. The computer server of claim 24, wherein the request comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request;

or

an MQ request.

29. The computer server of claim 24, wherein the response comprises:

a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) response;

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response;

or

an MQ response.

30. The computer server of claim 24, wherein the interface plug-in and a common driver comprise a single application program.