Runtime validation of messages for enhanced web service processing

• US 20050198154A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Xie, Nan, Singh, Vebhhav
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Inbound processing of web service request messages at runtime is enhanced by providing validation of the message structure against corresponding schema, at an intermediary web service server rather than at the web service application (e.g., web service application). Hence, there is minimal delay in responding to the client upon determining an invalid message structure, and unnecessary processing of invalid messages by the web service application is avoided.

Claims

1. A method for processing web service messages, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a message from a client, at an intermediary server that handles communications between said client and a web service application;

determining, by the intermediary server, whether the structure of at least a portion of the message complies with one or more corresponding schema definitions to which the portion of the message is supposed to comply; and

if the structure is determined to comply with the one or more corresponding schema definitions, then passing the message to the web service application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a message includes receiving a message that conforms to Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes comparing a header of the message with a schema definition that is associated with said web service application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes comparing a body of the message with a schema definition that is associated with said web service application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes comparing a message header with a first corresponding schema definition and comparing a message body with a second corresponding schema definition.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

accessing said one or more corresponding schema definitions based on a reference in a description of said web service application, wherein said description is represented in Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

identifying said web service application based on said message from said client; and

identifying said description based on a mapping of web service applications to corresponding descriptions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

identifying an XML element name and an associated namespace from said message from said client; and

accessing said one or more corresponding schema definitions based on said XML element name and said namespace.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

if the structure is determined not to comply with the one or more corresponding schema definitions, then rejecting the message without communicating with said web service application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

transmitting a second message to the client which indicates that a portion of the message does not comply with the one or more corresponding schema definitions to which the portion of the message is supposed to comply.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting the second message is performed in a synchronous manner with respect to receiving the message at the intermediary server.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of determining includes determining whether a first portion of said message complies with a first corresponding schema definition;

and

wherein the step of passing includes passing said message to said web service application for determining whether a second portion of said message complies with a second corresponding schema definition to which said second portion is supposed to comply.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

24. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

25. A system for processing web service messages, comprising:

an application server that hosts one or more web service applications that provide one or more web services; and

an intermediary server that is communicatively coupled to said application server and to one or more client applications via one or more networks, and that validates a structure of a portion of a SOAP request message received from a client application based on a corresponding schema type definition that is referenced in a WSDL service definition associated with a web service application to which said request message is intended, prior to passing any part of said request message to said web service application.

26. A system for processing web service messages, the system comprising:

means for receiving a message from a client, at an intermediary server that handles communications between said client and a web service application;

means for determining, by the intermediary server, whether the structure of at least a portion of the message complies with one or more corresponding schema definitions to which the portion of the message is supposed to comply; and

means for passing the message to the web service application if the structure is determined to comply with the one or more corresponding schema definitions.