Systems and methods enabling interoperability between Network Centric Operation (NCO) environments

• US 7,831,698 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Farr, Donald B, Ung, Kevin Y
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ashraf; Waseem
• Application Number:
  US10/939,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/203, 707/E17.116
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Systems and methods enabling interoperability between different NCO environments generally include receiving data from a first NCO environment by either using a preexisting import proxy, or by creating a subscriber and then using that subscriber as an import proxy when a preexisting import proxy is unavailable. The imported data can be configured if it is not in accordance with instructions received from a subscriber of a second NCO environment. The configured data can then be published to the second NCO environment by either using a preexisting export proxy, or by creating a publisher and then using that publisher as an export proxy when a preexisting export proxy is unavailable.

Claims

1. A method of providing data from one computer application in a network-centric operation (NCO) environment to another computer application in another NCO environment, the method performed by one or more processors and memory, the method comprising:

registering a first application as a publisher for a topic in a first NCO environment providing a first publish service and first subscribe service;

registering a second application as a subscriber for the topic in a second NCO environment providing a second publish service and second subscribe service, the second environment different from the first environment;

providing a first library of different proxies including different import proxies and different export proxies;

providing a second library of different software translators;

using the second application to generate and transmit a data translation template that defines how to filter and transform data such that said data will be understandable by the second application;

selecting from the first library a specific import proxy and a specific export proxy, and connecting each of the specific import proxy and the specific export proxy into a facade of an infrastructure having a plurality of faç

ades configured to interchangeably receive a plurality of predefined import proxies, and a plurality of predefined export proxies;

using the information contained in the data translation template, selecting a plurality of predefined software translators from the second library and connecting the plurality of predefined software translators into the facades, the infrastructure configured to provide for data transfer among proxies and translators received in the facades, the selecting performed based on a plurality of attributes associated with the predefined proxies;

registering the selected import proxy as a subscriber in the first NCO environment to the topic;

registering the selected export proxy as a publisher for the topic in the second NCO environment;

receiving the data, via the selected import proxy, from the first application registered as a publisher in the first NCO environment; and

publishing the data, via the selected export proxy, to the second NCO environment, the publishing performed using the second publish service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the predefined proxies are not selected, the selecting and connecting an import proxy comprising creating a subscriber in the first environment and connecting the created subscriber into one of the facades as an import proxy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the predefined proxies are not selected, the selecting and connecting an export proxy comprising creating a publisher in the second environment and connecting the created publisher into one of the facades as an export proxy.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the subscriber created and used as the import proxy.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising reusing the stored subscriber as an import proxy.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing the publisher created and used as the export proxy.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising reusing the stored publisher as an export proxy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the data includes using software provided by the subscriber to the topic in the second NCO environment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the software provided by the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising reusing the stored software for configuring data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes utilizing a plug-able architecture in connection with the import and export proxies.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the data published by the export proxy to the subscriber to the topic in the second NCO environment.

13. A system for providing data from one computer application in a network-centric operation (NCO) environment to another computer application in another NCO environment, the system comprising one or more processors and memory configured to:

register a first application as a publisher for a topic in a first NCO environment providing a first publish service and first subscribe service;

register a second application as a subscriber for the topic in a second NCO environment providing a second publish service and second subscribe service, the second environment different from the first environment;

providing a first library of different proxies including different import proxies and different export proxies;

providing a second library of different software translators;

using the second application to generate and transmit a data translation template that defines how to filter and transform data such that said data will be understandable by the second application;

select and connect each of an import proxy and an export proxy from the first library into a facade of an infrastructure having a plurality of faç

ades configured to interchangeably receive a plurality of predefined import proxies, and a plurality of predefined export proxies,

from the information contained in the data translation template, selecting and connecting into the facades a plurality of predefined software translators from the second library, the infrastructure configured to provide for data transfer among proxies and translators received in the facades, the selecting performed based on a plurality of attributes associated with the predefined proxies;

the one or more processors and memory further configured to;

register the selected import proxy as a subscriber in the first NCO environment to the topic;

register the selected export proxy as a publisher for the topic in the second NCO environment;

receive the data, via the selected import proxy, from the first application registered as a publisher in the first NCO environment; and

publish the data, via the selected export proxy and via the second publish service, to at least the second application registered as a subscriber in the second NCO environment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system includes a computer executable module enabling plug-able import proxies and export proxies.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the system includes a computer executable module enabling plug-able software operable for configuring data.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the system includes an import proxy and an export proxy for each topic about which data is published to an NCO environment.

17. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon and executable by one or more processors to provide data from one computer application in a network-centric operation (NCO) environment to another computer application in another NCO environment, the instructions executable by the one or more processors to:

register a first application as a publisher for a topic in a first NCO environment providing a first publish service and first subscribe service;

register a second application as a subscriber for the topic in a second NCO environment providing a second publish service and second subscribe service, the second environment different from the first environment;

provide a first library of different proxies including different import proxies and different export proxies;

provide a second library of different software translators;

use the second application to generate and transmit a data translation template that defines how to filter and transform data such that said data will be understandable by the second application;

select and connect each of an import proxy and an export proxy into a facade of an infrastructure having a plurality of faç

ades configured to interchangeably receive a plurality of predefined import proxies, a plurality of predefined export proxies;

select and connect a plurality of predefined software translators from the second library into the facades, the infrastructure configured to provide for data transfer among proxies and translators received in the facades, the selecting performed based on a plurality of attributes associated with the predefined proxies;

register the selected import proxy as a subscriber in the first NCO environment to the topic;

register the selected export proxy as a publisher for the topic in the second NCO environment;

receive the data, via the selected import proxy, from the first application registered as a publisher in the first NCO environment; and

publish the data, via the selected export proxy and via the second publish service, to at least the second application registered as a subscriber in the second NCO environment.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to enable plug-able import proxies and export proxies.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to enable plug-able software operable for configuring data.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to access first library of proxies from which can be selected one or more of the preexisting import and export proxies.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to access the second library of software translators.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to select an import proxy and an export proxy for each topic about which data is published to an NCO environment.