SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGEMENT FOR BROKERED SERVICE DELIVERY

• US 20110295645A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Barros, Alistair P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A broker consumer gateway may interface with a service consumer of a computing device consuming at least one service of at least one service provider, including receiving requests for forms, providing the forms, and receiving submitted forms. A service delivery manager may deliver the at least one service. The service delivery manager may include a consumer session manager that creates at least one consumer session to execute at least a portion of the at least one service, a consumer instance manager that creates at least one instance of the at least one service, and a service coordinator configured to coordinate the delivery of the at least one service, based on a coordination model characterizing the at least one service in which the forms are associated with service states of the at least one service and in which transitions between the service states are executed based on the submitted forms.

Claims

1. A computer system including instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer system comprising:

a broker consumer gateway configured to cause at least one processor to interface with a service consumer of a computing device consuming at least one service of at least one service provider, including receiving requests for forms, providing the forms, and receiving submitted forms; and

a service delivery manager configured to cause the at least one processor to deliver the at least one service, the service delivery manager including

a consumer session manager configured to cause the at least one processor to create at least one consumer session during which to execute at least a portion of the at least one service,

a consumer instance manager configured to cause the at least one processor to create at least one instance of the at least one service within the at least one consumer session, the at least one instance being associated with a user of the at least one service, and

a service coordinator configured to cause the at least one processor to coordinate the delivery of the at least one service from the at least one service provider within the consumer session and the consumer instance, based on a coordination model characterizing the at least one service in which the forms are associated with service states of the at least one service and in which transitions between the service states are executed based on the submitted forms.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service delivery manager is configured to cause the at least one processor to persist a current state of the coordination model within the at least one instance and the at least one consumer session, in response to a termination of the at least one consumer session by the user.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a forms mediator configured to cause the at least one processor to format the forms based on a delivery channel associated with the service consumer, during the delivery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service comprises at least two services within a service group, the system comprising a service group manager configured to cause the at least one processor to identify synchronization states within the coordination model at which it is allowable for the service delivery manager to alter a group level attribute of the service group during the delivery.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the group level attribute includes an authentication level associated with the service group and the user.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the system includes a payment manager configured to execute payment collection for at least a portion of the delivery, and wherein the group level attribute includes the payment executed in association with a synchronization state of the synchronization states.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the group level attribute includes a composition of the at least two services within the service group, and wherein the service group manager is configured to add or remove a service from the service group at a synchronization state of the synchronization states.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising a service regulator configured to cause the at least one processor to map a service interface of the at least one service into a description of the states and transitions between the states.

9. The system of claim 1 comprising a service regulator configured to cause the at least one processor to associate the states with corresponding form templates for instantiation thereof into the forms.

10. A computer-implemented method including executing instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium

interfacing with a service consumer of a computing device consuming at least one service of at least one service provider to thereby execute a delivery of the service to the service consumer, including receiving requests for forms, providing the forms, and receiving submitted forms;

creating at least one consumer session during which to execute at least a portion of the at least one service,

creating at least one instance of the at least one service within the at least one consumer session, the at least one instance being associated with a user of the at least one service, and

coordinating the delivery of the at least one service from the at least one service provider and within the consumer session and the consumer instance, based on a coordination model characterizing the at least one service in which the forms are associated with service states of the at least one service and in which transitions between the service states are executed based on the submitted forms.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the coordinating comprises:

detecting a termination of the at least one consumer session; and

persisting a current state of the coordination model within the at least one instance and the at least one consumer session, in response to the termination.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the coordinating comprises:

receiving a form request for a form associated with a current state of the coordination model;

obtaining a form template for the requested form; and

formatting the requested form based on a delivery channel associated with the service consumer, during the delivery.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising

mapping a service interface of the at least one service into a description of the states and transitions between the states.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one service comprises at least two services within a service group, and wherein the coordinating the delivery includes identifying synchronization states within the coordination model at which it is allowable to alter a group level attribute of the service group during the delivery.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the group level attribute includes an authentication level associated with the service group and the user.

16. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer-readable storage medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause at least one data processing apparatus to:

interface with a service consumer of a computing device consuming at least one service of at least one service provider to thereby execute a delivery of the service to the service consumer, including receiving requests for forms, providing the forms, and receiving submitted forms;

create at least one consumer session during which to execute at least a portion of the at least one service,

create at least one instance of the at least one service within the at least one consumer session, the at least one instance being associated with a user of the at least one service, and

coordinate the delivery of the at least one service from the at least one service provider and within the consumer session and the consumer instance, based on a coordination model characterizing the at least one service in which the forms are associated with service states of the at least one service and in which transitions between the service states are executed based on the submitted forms.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the executable code causes the at least one data processing apparatus to coordinate the delivery including:

detecting a termination of the at least one consumer session; and

persisting a current state of the coordination model within the at least one instance and the at least one consumer session, in response to the termination.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the executable code causes the at least one data processing apparatus to coordinate the delivery including:

receiving a form request for a form associated with a current state of the coordination model;

obtaining a form template for the requested form; and

formatting the requested form based on a delivery channel associated with the service consumer, during the delivery.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the executable code causes the at least one data processing apparatus to:

map a service interface of the at least one service into a description of the states and transitions between the states.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one service comprises at least two services within a service group, and wherein the coordination model includes synchronization states at which it is allowable to alter a group level attribute of the service group during the delivery.