APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING MESSAGES SENT BETWEEN SERVICES

• US 20080016242A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Octavian Udrea
• Inventors: Douglas, Jason, Panec, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 using a stored programme control

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for managing services within a computer network. In one embodiment, a message interchange network for exchanging application-level messages between services, which are located outside the message interchange network, is provided. At the message interchange network, a plurality of application-level messages, which each specify which one or more receiving services are to receive the each application-level message, are received. Each received application-level message is forward towards the one or more receiving services. Correlation information regarding each application-level message that is received into message interchange network is retained. The application-level messages are sent between pairs of the services, and the retained correlation information for each application-level message pertains to each application-level message and any other application-level messages related to the each application-level message. A query can then be received, at the message interchange network from a first service, to search the retained correlation information for specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information. A response to the query, which includes the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information, is sent to the first service.

Claims

1. A method for correlating services within a computer network, the method comprising:

providing a message interchange network for exchanging application-level messages between a plurality of services that are located outside the message interchange network;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a plurality of application-level messages that each specify which one or more receiving services are to receive the each application-level message and forwarding each received application-level message towards the one or more receiving services;

retaining correlation information regarding each application-level message received into message interchange network, wherein the application-level messages are being sent between pairs of the services, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message pertans to each application-level message and any other application-level messages related to the each application-level message;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a query from a first service to search the retained correlation information for a specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information; and

sending, to the first service, a response to the query that includes the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising registering, at the message interchange network, each service so that each registered service is specified as being accessible by one or more specific services.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message further includes an indication as to whether the each application-level message has completed transmission.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the session information for each session includes a Session Identifier (ID) uniquely identifying the each session and the session information for each session further includes an indication as to whether the each session is complete and a reason for the session not being complete if the each session fails to complete.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the query for the retained correlation information is regarding a particular session or call and wherein the specific portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service are related to the particular session or call of the query.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first service is authorized to make the query and only sending the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service when it is determined that the first service is authorized.

7. A computer system operable to correlate services within a computer network the computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for;

providing a message interchange network for exchanging application-level messages between a plurality of services that are located outside the message interchange network;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a plurality of application-level messages that each specify which one or more receiving services are to receive the each application-level message and forwarding each received application-level message towards the one or more receiving services;

retaining correlation information regarding each application-level message received into message interchange network, wherein the application-level messages are being sent between pairs of the services, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message pertains to each application-level message and any other application-level messages related to the each application-level message;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a query from a first service to search the retained correlation information for a specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information; and

sending, to the first service, a response to the query that includes the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are further adapted for registering, at the message interchange network, each service so that each registered service is specified as being accessible by one or more specific services.

9. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message further includes an indication as to whether the each application-level message has completed transmission.

10. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein the session information for each session includes a Session Identifier (ID) uniquely identifying the each session and the session information for each session further includes an indication as to whether the each session is complete and a reason for the session not being complete if the each session fails to complete.

11. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein the query for the retained correlation information is regarding a particular session or call and wherein the specific portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service are related to the particular session or call of the query.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are further adapted for determining whether the first service is authorized to make the query and only sending the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service when it is determined that the first service is authorized.

13. A computer program product for correlating services within a computer network, the computer program product comprising:

at least one computer readable medium;

computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable medium configured for;

providing a message interchange network for exchanging application-level messages between a plurality of services that are located outside the message interchange network;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a plurality of application-level messages that each specify which one or more receiving services are to receive the each application-level message and forwarding each received application-level message towards the one or more receiving services;

retaining correlation information regarding each application-level message received into message interchange network, wherein the application-level messages are being sent between pairs of the services, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message pertans to each application-level message and any other application-level messages related to the each application-level message;

receiving, at the message interchange network, a query from a first service to search the retained correlation information for a specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information; and

sending, to the first service, a response to the query that includes the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, the computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable medium being further configured for registering, at the message interchange network, each service so that each registered service is specified as being accessible by one or more specific services.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the retained correlation information for each application-level message further includes an indication as to whether the each application-level message has completed transmission.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the session information for each session includes a Session Identifier (ID) uniquely identifying the each session and the session information for each session further includes an indication as to whether the each session is complete and a reason for the session not being complete if the each session fails to complete.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the query for the retained correlation information is regarding a particular session or call and wherein the specific portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service are related to the particular session or call of the query.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, the computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable medium being further configured for determining whether the first service is authorized to make the query and only sending the specific one or more portions of the retained correlation information that are sent to the first service when it is determined that the first service is authorized.