System and method for consolidating middleware functionality

• US 20080127207A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gathman, Jonathan Chester, Bertrand, William Scott, Gulledge, Robert William
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method for marshalling data from multiple middleware applications to an implementation includes receiving first data from a first middleware application, the first data having a first format of multiple available formats. A first path is selected from multiple paths based on the first format, the multiple paths corresponding to the multiple available formats. The first data is converted from the first format to a common format, which is compatible with the implementation, based on the selected first path. The method may further include receiving second data from a second middleware application, the second data have a second format of the multiple available formats; selecting a second path from the multiple paths based on the second format; and converting the second data from the second format to the common format based on the selected second path.

Claims

1. A method for marshalling data from a plurality of middleware applications to an implementation, the method comprising:

receiving first data from a first middleware application, the first data having a first format of a plurality of available formats;

selecting a first path from a plurality of paths based on the first format, the plurality of paths corresponding to the plurality of available formats; and

converting the first data from the first format to a common format based on the selected first path, the common format being compatible with the implementation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second data from a second middleware application, the second data have a second format of the plurality of available formats;

selecting a second path from the plurality of paths based on the second format; and

converting the second data from the second format to the common format based on the selected second path.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the first format comprises one of a text-based format and a binary-based format.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the plurality of middleware applications comprise at least one of a Java Message Service (JMS) application and a Common Object Request Broker Application (CORBA) application.

5. The method according to claim 4, in which the first middleware application comprises the JMS application, and the first format comprises one of an XML format and a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) format.

6. The method according to claim 4, in which the first middleware application comprises the CORBA application, and the first format comprises one of an XDR format and a CDR format.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the common format comprises a Java format.

8. The method according to claim 7, in which the implementation comprises one of a business logic and a delegate.

9. The method according to claim 2, in which the first format comprises a text-based format and the second format comprises a binary-based format.

10. A computer readable medium that stores a program for marshalling data from a plurality of middleware applications to an implementation, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment for receiving first data from a first middleware application, the first data having a first format of a plurality of available formats;

a selecting code segment for selecting a first path from a plurality of paths based on the first format, the plurality of paths corresponding to the plurality of available formats; and

a converting code segment for converting the first data from the first format to a common format based on the selected first path, the common format being compatible with the implementation.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the receiving code segment is further for receiving second data from a second middleware application, the second data have a second format of the plurality of available formats;

wherein the selecting code segment is for further selecting a second path from the plurality of paths based on the second format; and

wherein the converting code segment is for further converting the second data from the second format to the common format based on the selected second path.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, in which the first format comprises one of a text-based format and a binary-based format.

13. The method according to claim 10, in which the plurality of middleware applications comprise at least one of a Java Message Service (JMS) application and a Common Object Request Broker Application (CORBA) application.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which the first middleware application comprises the JMS application, and the first format comprises one of an XML format and a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) format.

15. The method according to claim 13, in which the first middleware application comprises the CORBA application, and the first format comprises one of an XDR format and a CDR format.

16. The method according to claim 10, in which the common format comprises a Java format.

17. The method according to claim 16, in which the implementation comprises one of a business logic and a delegate.

18. The method according to claim 11, in which the first format comprises a text-based format and the second format comprises a binary-based format.

19. A computer readable medium that stores a program for marshalling data from a plurality of middleware applications to an implementation through a predetermined logical framework comprising a plurality of process layers, the computer readable medium comprising:

a determining code segment comprising a first logical layer, the determining code segment determining a first path from a plurality of paths based on a first type of data received from a first middleware application; and

a first marshalling code segment, comprising a second logical layer and corresponding to the first path, the first marshalling code segment determining a first marshalling method for marshalling the first type of data to a common format, the common format being compatible with the implementation.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, in which the determining code segment further determines a second path from the plurality of paths based on a second type of data received from a second middleware application, the computer readable medium further comprising:

a second marshalling code segment, comprising a third logical layer and corresponding to the second path, the second marshalling code segment determining a second marshalling method for marshalling the second type of data to the common format.