Message Exchanger

• US 20060235983A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Atkinson, Robert George, Layman, Andrew J., Nielsen, Henrik F., Thatte, Satish R., Kakivaya, Gopal Krishna R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

Using a message exchanger (“message exchanger”), data messages are exchanged between entities in a decentralized, distributed, potentially heterogeneous, network environment. The message exchanger employs XML (extensible Markup Language). To accomplish this, the entities on both ends of the message exchange understand, identify, and parse the message format. The message exchanger defines such a mechanism. Data messages are broken down into two portions—one portion (the body) is intended from an ultimate destination and the other portion (the header) is intended for intermediate destination and/or the ultimate destination. The body may be defined so that it must be understood by the ultimate destination. The header may be defined so that it must be understood or changed. Regardless, the data in the body is delivered intact to the ultimate destination. The message exchanger defines a message envelope exchange format in XML over a transport protocol, such as HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol). This format allows for the execution of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) over XML, but it can be used for any message exchange over a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

exchanging a message having a data structure between entities on a network;

the message'"'"'s data structure having;

an actor attribute specifying the identity of an intermediate entity between the entities on the network; and

a mandatory attribute indicting that an explicit request for the intermediate entity to perform a task in the data structure must be understood and processed by the intermediate entity.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message'"'"'s data structure is within a header element of the message.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the message also comprises a body data structure separate from the header element and intended for a destination entity of the entities on the network.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising generating the header element prior to exchanging the message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of exchanging comprises transmitting the message'"'"'s data structure from an origin entity of the entities to a destination entity of the entities via the intermediary entity.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing the task at the intermediary entity.

7. A method comprising:

receiving at an entity on a network a message having a data structure with an actor attribute specifying the identity of the entity and a mandatory attribute indicating that an explicit request for the entity to perform a task in the message'"'"'s data structure must be performed by the entity; and

performing, at the entity, the task in the message'"'"'s data structure.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising transmitting the message to a destination entity responsive to performing the task.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, responsive to performing the task, responding to an origin entity from which the message was received.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising, prior to responding to the origin entity, determining that the message'"'"'s data structure indicates that responding to the origin entity is required.

11. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, responsive to receiving and prior to performing:

parsing the message based on an indication of the message'"'"'s format in one or more tags of the message.

12. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising determining that the entity is specified by the actor attribute.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising determining that the message'"'"'s data structure comprises the mandatory attribute and understanding the mandatory attribute prior to performing the task.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method comprising:

receiving at an entity on a network a message having a data structure with an actor attribute specifying the identity of the entity and a mandatory attribute indicating that an explicit request for the entity to perform a task in the message'"'"'s data structure must be performed by the entity; and

performing, at the entity, the task in the message'"'"'s data structure.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, further comprising transmitting the message to a destination entity responsive to performing the task.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, further comprising, responsive to performing the task, responding to an origin entity from which the message was received.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising, prior to responding to the origin entity, determining that the message'"'"'s data structure indicates that responding to the origin entity is required.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, further comprising, responsive to receiving and prior to performing:

parsing the message based on an indication of the message'"'"'s format in one or more tags of the message.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, further comprising determining that the entity is specified by the actor attribute.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising determining that the message'"'"'s data structure comprises the mandatory attribute and understanding the mandatory attribute prior to performing the task.