Adaptive gateway for switching transactions and data on unreliable networks using context-based rules

• US 20070005774A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark, Singh, Kamlakar, Singh, Thakur, Garrison, Sara, Manansala, Rosauro
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Application level switching of transactions at a gateway is provided. The gateway is configured to switch the transaction based on the application level content, a current state of a transport environment, and/or dynamic rules for switching transactions. For example, several possible service providers can be selected for the type of transaction, and the gateway can monitor not only the round-trip time through the network(s) to different possible service providers, but also the time required to complete the transaction at the application level and return a response. The application is chosen on the sending side of the network, and application level formatting is done on the sending side as well. The gateway uses modular code and data, and separate instances of processing code to allow dynamic updating. Rules for application service selection can be selectively uploaded to the gateway from a client. The rules for different available application services can be distributed across different gateways.

Claims

1. A method for switching transactions using a gateway situated at an edge of a network, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction at the gateway;

determining application level content for the transaction;

determining application level dynamic context information for a transport environment in which the transaction will be routed through, the transport environment including one or more networks that can route the transaction to one or more transaction processors that can process the transaction; and

switching the transaction to a transaction processor in the one or more transaction processors and a network in the one or more networks based on the dynamic context information and the application level content of the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining client rules from a client that sent the transaction; and

using the client rules to determine a service that can process the transaction based on the dynamic context information, the transaction processor or network being part of the service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining service provider rules; and

using the service provider rules to determine the transaction processor or network in which to switch the transaction based on the dynamic context information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing services on the application level content of the transaction at the application level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the services are performed based on the transaction processor or network determined.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the services comprise formatting the content at the application level into a format required by the determined transaction processor.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the services comprise formatting the content at the application level into a format required by the determined network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic context information for the transport environment comprises the time taken to process previous transactions at the application level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is in a data format that includes a possible number of fields, wherein the application level content is a subset of the possible number of fields, the method further comprising processing only the subset of fields in the transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading rules dynamically into the gateway without affecting switching of transactions on the gateway by using dynamically created instances of code for processing said switching.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the transaction at the gateway without sending the transaction to the transaction processor.

12. A method for switching transactions using a gateway connected to a network, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction at the gateway;

determining an appropriate transaction processor at the application level which can be accessed through said network;

determining the application level formatting required by said appropriate transaction processor;

formatting the transaction in accordance with said application level formatting; and

sending said transaction across said network to said appropriate transaction processor.

13. A method for switching transactions using a gateway situated at an edge of a network, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction at the gateway;

determining application level content for the transaction;

determining an appropriate application level transaction processor across said network based on said application level content; and

sending said transaction across said network to said appropriate application level transaction processor.

14. A method for switching transactions using a gateway on a network, the method comprising:

receiving a set of application level rules at the gateway for application service selection from a client;

storing said set of rules at the gateway;

receiving a transaction at the gateway from said client;

determining application level content for the transaction;

processing said transaction and sending said transaction to a transaction processor based on said set of rules.

15. A method for switching transactions using a gateway on a network, the method comprising:

publishing a service for a service provider such that clients can subscribe to the service;

dynamically updating the gateway with service provider rules for switching transactions for the service to the service provider, wherein the gateway is configured to switch transactions to the service provider for the service after the dynamic updating;

receiving a subscription request for the service from a client;

receiving a transaction from the client; and

determining if the transaction should be switched to the service provider in order for the service to be performed on the transaction, wherein the determination is made by applying dynamic context information for the transaction to the service provider rules.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the transaction should be processed at the gateway and not switching the transaction to the service provider; and

processing the transaction at the gateway.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the service provider rules comprise information on a format for transactions required for the service provider, addresses to send the transaction, or switching preferences to different transaction processors.

18. A system for switching transactions from clients, the system comprising:

a plurality of gateways at edges of a network configured to process transactions at an application level, wherein application level services offered by the plurality of gateways are decentralized in that each gateway stores a set of services offered by the gateway, wherein each gateway comprises;

rules for the set of services that are used to switch transactions for clients connected to the gateway; and

contact information for other gateways in the plurality of gateways, wherein the contact information is used to send rules for a service in the set of services to another gateway to enable that gateway to offer the service or to query for rules for a service in the set of services from another gateway to enable the gateway to offer the service.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein rules for a service are loaded onto a first gateway in the plurality of gateways by a service provider or client, wherein the rules may be distributed to gateways in the plurality of gateways other than the first gateway.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein a first gateway in the plurality of gateways includes a first set of services and a second gateway in the plurality of gateways includes a second set of services, wherein the first set of services includes at least one service not included in the second set of services.

21. A gateway for switching transactions at an edge of a network, the gateway comprising:

a rules database including rules for services provided by service providers;

a context information database including dynamic context information for the network and service providers;

a receiver configured to receive a transaction from a client;

a rules applier configured to apply rules to dynamic context information to determine a service and service provider for the transaction;

a formatter configured to format the transaction at the application level based on the service and service provider determined if formatting is needed for the transaction; and

a sender configured to send the transaction to the service provider.

22. The gateway of claim 21, further comprising a rules loader configured to load rules dynamically into the rules database.

23. The gateway of claim 22, wherein the rules are dynamically loaded without affecting switching of transactions on the gateway.

24. The gateway of claim 22, wherein the rules are dynamically loaded from a client or service provider.

25. The gateway of claim 21, further comprising a gateway transaction processor configured to process the transaction at the gateway without sending the transaction to the service provider.

26. The gateway of claim 21, wherein the dynamic context information comprises a health of the network, availability of the service providers, time taken to process previous transactions at the application level, or a cost of sending the transaction to the service provider.

27. A gateway situated at an edge of a network for switching transactions, comprising:

a port configured to receive a transaction;

a processor configured to determine application level content for the transaction and application level dynamic context information for a transport environment in which the transaction will be routed through, the transport environment including one or more networks that can route the transaction to one or more transaction processors that can process the transaction; and

a switch configured to switch the transaction to a transaction processor in the one or more transaction processors and a network in the one or more networks based on the dynamic context information and the application level content of the transaction.

28. A gateway for switching transactions connected to a network, comprising:

a port configured to receive a transaction;

a processor configured to determine an appropriate transaction processor at the application level which can be accessed through said network and determine the application level formatting required by said appropriate transaction processor;

a formatter configured to format the transaction in accordance with said application level formatting; and

a transmitter configured to send said transaction across said network to said appropriate transaction processor.

29. A gateway for switching transactions on a network, comprising:

a memory for storing a set of application level rules at the gateway for application service selection from a client;

a port configured to receive a transaction at the gateway from said client;

a processor configured to determine application level content for the transaction and process said transaction and send said transaction to a transaction processor based on said set of rules.

30. A gateway for switching transactions on a network, comprising:

a memory for storing a set of application level rules at the gateway for application service selection from a client;

a port configured to receive a transaction at the gateway from said client; and

a processor configured to determine application level content for the transaction and process said transaction based on said set of rules and return said transaction to said client without the need to forward the transaction to a remote transaction processor.