Pipeline architecture for use with net-centric application program architectures

• US 20060064573A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Rolfs, Damon Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A robust toolkit provides facilities that can be assembled in a modular manner to specify the fundamental architecture of a net-centric application. A bootstrapping process assembles various facilities within the architecture. A configuration facility defines an API for getting properties that can be defined in any number of different types of sources. A factory de-couples how a resource is produced from where the resource is used. A selector framework applies standard query language to contexts other than querying a database. A pipeline architecture defines a model view controller-like framework for a processing pipeline. Selectors are used to specify when certain portions of a Web conversation should be made available to a user. An authorization facility associates permissions with a user to specify which portions of an application a user is authorized to use.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A pipeline architecture for defining a model view controller-like framework in a message oriented middleware-type context, the pipeline architecture comprising:

a plurality of activities for specifying how a pipeline processing component should handle a particular type of message or message sub-element;

at least one activity plan for assembling a plurality of the plurality of activities together to define how a received message should be processed; and

a selector framework for defining at least one logical expression that specifies at least one condition under which at least one activity should be applied to at least one message and/or at least one message sub-element.

39. The pipeline architecture of claim 38 wherein the at least one activity plan includes a plurality of sections selected from the group consisting of:

a redelivered message section, a message processing section, a message element section, an output section, a message error handling section, and a message element error handling section.

40. The pipeline architecture of claim 38 wherein the selector framework provides a mechanism for specifying a plurality of identifiers of different types that may be used within a plurality of selector expressions thereby making the selector framework customizable to a plurality of contexts.

41. The pipeline architecture of claim 40 wherein the at least one logical expression is expressed using standard query language.

42. A method of defining a model view controller-like framework in a message oriented middleware-type context, the method comprising:

receiving a message with destination code included in a message oriented middleware application;

retrieving an activity plan that includes a plurality of activities, wherein the activity plan is associated with the message oriented middleware application; and

selectively executing activities included in the activity plan to process the received message based on a logical expression represented in the received message;

selectively executing activities in the activity plan to develop an output message based on the results of the processing of the received message with the logical expression; and

generating the output message for receipt by an application.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the logical expression comprises a plurality of logical expressions and selectively executing activities included in the activity plan to process the received message based on a logical expression represented in the received message comprises executing activities related to the received message as a whole at a message level, and executing activities related to individual elements included in the received message at a message element level based on the identification of the respective activities with the logical expressions.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein selectively executing activities comprises executing application specific activities based on the logical expression, and in view of the state of the application.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein selectively executing activities comprises filtering the activities in the activity plan with the logical expression to identify those activities that are to be applied to the received message.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein selectively executing activities comprises applying the logical expression to the activities in the activity plan based on the received message to determine the activities to be applied to the received message.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein applying the logical expression to the activities in the activity plan comprises determining whether activities should be applied to the entire received message or to an element included in the received message based on the logical expression.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein selectively executing activities comprises evaluating identifiers within the logical expression that are defined in one of a plurality of context specific ways.

49. The method of claim 42, wherein selectively executing activities comprises performing tasks within an application with the activities via an activity interface to the application.

50. A pipeline architecture for defining a model view controller-like framework in a message oriented middleware-type context, the pipeline architecture comprising:

a computer;

an application operable on the computer;

a message oriented middleware application operable on the computer, the message oriented middleware application configured to receive an incoming message;

an activity plan operable on the computer with the message oriented middleware, wherein the activity plan includes a plurality of activities that are selectively useable to process the incoming message;

a selector facility engine included in the message oriented middleware, the selector facility engine configured to evaluate at least one of a state of the application or a logical expression that is represented with the incoming message, or combinations thereof; and

an activity selector included in the message oriented middleware to execute activities in the activity plan that are selected by the selector facility engine for execution.

51. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 further comprising an activity interface that is an executable activity operable to interface with the application and perform a task within the application.

52. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the logical expression comprises an identifier, and the selector facility engine is operable to evaluate the identifier in a predefined context specific way.

53. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the incoming message includes a plurality of message elements, and the logical expression is operable to determine the selected activities that are applied to the entire incoming message, and the selected activities that are applied to individual elements included in the incoming message.

54. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the message oriented middleware application is configurable to allow one system to publish data to a work queue in communication with the computer, and allow a second system in communication with the computer to subscribe to messages that are generated based on the published data, wherein the messages are processed by the message oriented middleware application and output from the message oriented middleware application for receipt by the second system.

55. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the activity plan includes activities directed to a plurality of different processing components that are selectively assembled in response to the incoming message, wherein the processing components include a message processing component, an output message production component, an error handling component, and a message redelivery component.

56. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the activity plan comprises a message section that includes activities that are selectively executable on the incoming message as a whole, and a message element section that includes activities that are selectively executable on elements included in the incoming message.

57. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the activity plan comprises an error handling section that includes activities that are selectively executable on the incoming message as a whole, or on elements included in the incoming message, or combinations thereof.

58. The pipeline architecture of claim 50 wherein the activity plan comprises an output section that includes activities that are selectively executable to produce an output message in response to processing of the incoming message.