Integration of heterogeneous applications

• US 20040002944A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Szervaczius, Laszlo, Bihari, Pranav, Schmitt, Bernd, Hauser, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• 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 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for integrating heterogeneous applications. A method includes distributing an event from a first application of a first system to a second application of a second system. The event specifies at least one of an object and an operation in the second system. Distributing the event causes the second system to handle the event using the at least one of the object and the operation.

Claims

1. A method for integrating heterogenous applications, the method comprising:

distributing an event from a first application of a first system to a second application of a second system at a front end component, the event specifying at least one of an object and an operation in the second system and, furthermore, causing the second system to handle the event using the at least one of the object and the operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the event comprises:

formatting the event using a protocol shared with the second system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein formatting the event comprises:

formatting the event to a semantic protocol standard shared with the second system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein formatting the event to a semantic protocol standard comprises:

formatting the event to one of an ebXML, an EDI-X12, and a WDSL/UDDI protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the event comprises:

distributing a key that can be mapped to identify data in the second system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the event from the first application comprises:

distributing the event from a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the event to the second application of the second system comprises:

distributing the event to a Web service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the event from the first system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

parsing the received event.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a key of the object from the second system.

12. A computer program product, tangibly stored on machine readable media, for integrating heterogeneous applications, the product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

render a first user interface;

receive user input through the first user interface, the user input specifying at least one of data from a second system and a process from the second system;

identify the specified data or process to a second user interface to cause the second system to access the specified data or process.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

render the first user interface at a front end component.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein:

the second user interface is rendered at the front end component.

15. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

distribute an event to the second interface to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

16. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

distribute a key of the specified data or process to the second user interface.

17. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

format a communication using a protocol shared with the second user interface to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

18. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

receive the specified data or process from the second system.

19. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

receive a result of performing the specified process on the specified data from the second system.

20. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

use a technical protocol shared with the second user interface to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

use one of a name, an attribute name, and an object name to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

22. The product of claim 20, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

use one of an XML string and an XML file to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

23. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

use a semantic protocol shared with the second user interface to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

use one of ebXML, X12, and UDDI to identify the specified data or process to the second user interface.

25. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

identify the specified data or process to a second graphical user interface.

26. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

render a user interface in a browser page at the front end; and

identify the specified data or process to a second user interface in the same browser page.

27. The product of claim 12, wherein the product includes instructions to cause the processor to:

render the first user interface at a front end client.