Techniques for providing connections to services in a network environment

• US 7,802,007 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Reese, David Byrne
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/849,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,316 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/238, 709/239, 709/220, 709/221, 709/226, 709/227, 709/230, 709/232, 709/246, 705/8
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/253 using establishment or release of connections between ports

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating consumption of services via a services network are described. Access is provided to a services directory which identifies a plurality of services and at least one connector for facilitating consumption of each of the services via the network. Each connector is operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first network end point associated with the corresponding service and a second network end point associated with a consumer of the service. For each of selected ones of the connectors, information accessible via the services directory is provided regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service. For each of selected ones of the services, access to a connector design process is provided via the services directory. The connector design process is operable to facilitate creation of a new connector for the corresponding service, and to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences.

Claims

1. A services network for providing access to a plurality of services by a plurality of users in communication with the services network and having associated client machines, each of the plurality of users being associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises and including consumers of the plurality of the services, the plurality of services being controlled by a plurality of independent service providers and employing a plurality of interfaces at least some of which are not directly interoperable, the system comprising:

at least one data store having a first directory stored therein which maps an identity corresponding to each of the users to a policy framework which defines access policies relating to the services, the identity for each user identifying the associated enterprise, the at least one data store also having a second directory stored therein which identifies the plurality of services and at least one connector for facilitating consumption of each of the services via the network by consumers associated with a corresponding one of the enterprises, each connector being operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first end point on the network associated with the corresponding service and one or more different end points on the network associated with the corresponding enterprise, wherein at least some of the services have two or more different connectors configured to facilitate consumption of the services by consumers associated with different ones of the enterprises, the different connectors reflecting the different communication protocols and business policies of the different ones of the enterprises; and

at least one computing device which is operable to connect with each of the client machines and each of the interfaces associated with the services, and to selectively facilitate consumption of the services by the consumers associated with the plurality of independent enterprises with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling the consumers associated with different ones of the enterprises to independently access the plurality of services using the services network, the at least one computing device further being operable to provide access to the second directory and, for each of selected ones of the connectors, provide information accessible via the second directory regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service, the selected ones of the connectors including a first connector that includes a first communication protocol by which one or more of the consumers associated with a particular one of the enterprises may communicate with the first connector, the first connector being operable to translate communications between the first communication protocol and a second communication protocol associated with the service corresponding to the first connector.

2. The service network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to, for each of selected ones of the services, provide access to a connector design process via the second directory, the connector design process being operable to facilitate creation of a new connector for the corresponding service, and to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences.

3. The service network of claim 2 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to provide at least one connector template from which the new connector may be created.

4. The services network of claim 2 wherein the new connector is not a SOAP connector, the at least one computing device further being operable to automatically generate a SOAP connector with reference to at least one schema file relating to the service corresponding to the new connector.

5. The services network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to control visibility of each of the connectors in the second directory according to the identities and the policy framework.

6. The services network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to facilitate copying and customization of one of the connectors.

7. The services network of claim 1 wherein each connector comprises at least one of an inbound mapping process and an outbound mapping process for mediating the business policy differences.

8. The services network of claim 7 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process are stored in the at least one data store.

9. The services network of claim 7 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process is stored in an enterprise network associated with the corresponding service.

10. The service network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is further operable to provide connector templates from which new connectors may be constructed.

11. The service network of claim 1, the system comprising

at least one connector publishing process which is operable to communicate with the data store, the connector publishing process allowing one or more connectors to be published to the services directory such that the one or more connectors may be selected for use by one or more of a plurality of users of the services network.

12. A computer-implemented method for enabling consumption of services via a services network, the method comprising:

providing access to a services directory by a plurality of users in communication with the services network using at least one computer having memory and at least one processor, the plurality of users being associated with a plurality of independent enterprises and including consumers of a plurality of services identified in the services directory, the services directory also identifying one or more connectors for each of the services, each connector being operable to facilitate consumption of the corresponding service via the network by consumers associated with a corresponding one of the enterprises, each connector being operable to mediate communication protocol and business policy differences between a first end point on the network associated with the corresponding service and one or more end points on the network associated with the corresponding enterprise, wherein at least some of the services have two or more different connectors configured to facilitate consumption of the services by consumers associated with different ones of the enterprises, the different connectors reflecting the different communication protocols and business policies of the different ones of the enterprises;

for each of selected ones of the connectors, providing information accessible via the services directory regarding how to use the connector to consume the corresponding service; and

for each of selected ones of the services, providing access to a connector design process by selected ones of the users via the services directory, the connector design process being represented by a graphical user interface operable to facilitate creation of a new connector configured to facilitate consumption of a corresponding one of the services by consumers associated with the enterprises corresponding to the selected users, to specify at least one business process for mediating the business policy differences for the enterprises corresponding to the selected users, and to specify a first communication protocol by which one or more consumers associated with the enterprises corresponding to the selected users may communicate with the new connector, the new connector being operable to translate communications between the first communication protocol and a second communication protocol associated with the corresponding service.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling visibility of each of the connectors in the services directory according to an identity associated with each user on the services network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each identity includes any of an enterprise associated with the user, a role within the enterprise associated with the user, and an identifier of a client machine associated with the user.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling visibility of the connectors is also done with reference to a policy framework associated with the network, the policy framework defining access policies relating to the plurality of services.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising configuring the policy framework for a particular one of the services in response to input received from a service provider representative associated with the particular service.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising configuring the policy framework for a user in response to input received from an authorized representative of an enterprise associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the policy framework specifies any of access, authentication, and encryption technologies for each of the services.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the services directory comprises a personalized directory corresponding to and configured by a specific user.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of services are controlled by a plurality of independent service providers and employ a plurality of interfaces at least some of which are not directly interoperable.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising facilitating copying of a previously created connector.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising facilitating customization of the copied connector.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein the information for each selected connector includes at least one of use instructions, authentication information, an address of an interface operable to communicate with the selected connector, a message schema associated with the selected connector, and a web services description language (WSDL) file associated with the service corresponding to the selected connector.

24. The method of claim 12 wherein the connector design process comprises:

specifying a connector name;

specifying a connector address;

specifying a connector type;

specifying a post interface binding; and

specifying the at least one business process.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the connector address is on the services network.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the connector address is on an enterprise network associated with a developer engaged in the connector design process.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the connector type supports one of one-way messaging, two-way messaging, and both one-way and two-way messaging.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the post interface binding corresponds to one of a SOAP interface, an FTP interface, an AS2 interface, a synchronous interface, an asynchronous interface, and a custom interface.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the custom interface is specified by a developer engaged in the connector design process.

30. The method of claim 12 wherein each connector comprises at least one of an inbound mapping process and an outbound mapping process for mediating the business policy differences.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process resides in the services network.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the at least one of the inbound mapping process and the outbound mapping process resides in an enterprise network associated with the corresponding service.

33. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing at least one connector template from which the new connector may be created.

34. The method of claim 12 wherein the new connector is not a SOAP connector, the method further comprising automatically generating a SOAP connector with reference to at least one schema file relating to the service corresponding to the new connector.

35. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

for each of selected ones of the connectors, providing access to a connector publishing process via the services directory, the connector publishing process allowing the connector to be published to the services directory such that the connector may be selected for use by one or more of a plurality of users of the services network.