Method and apparatus for the use of dynamic XML message formats with web services

1 . An automatic method of supplying message-format parameters used for communications between a web service and a source, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

predefining a message conversion system for client application messages between the web service and the source, such that the message conversion system comprises a configuration interface for the format of the client application messages;

converting, with the message conversion system, a client application incoming message for a web service request to the format required by the web service;

forwarding the client's web service request to the web service;

accepting an outgoing message response from the web service; and

converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein predefining a message conversion system 300 further comprises

setting up a metadata storage, the metadata storage comprising

at least one service policy, and

a web service profile, such that the web service profile may be used to provide specific web-service information,

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein predefining a message conversion system further comprises

predefining the format of a client application message between the web service and the source;

predefining a configuration interface for context variables and message-format variables for the client application message;

storing at least one service policy associated with the source, and a service profile associated with the web-service; and

setting up a service proxy.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein predefining the format of a client application message between the source and the web service further comprises

creating WSDL documents which specify the format of a plurality of client application messages between the source and the web service.

5 . The method of claim 5 wherein the client application message further comprises

a SOAP envelope comprising

a plurality of context headers, and

a message body.

6 . The method of claim 3 wherein predefining a configuration interface for context variables and message-format variables for the client application message further comprises

setting up a configuration interface comprising

a plurality of context variables, and

a plurality of interface variables.

7 . The method of claim 3 wherein storing a service policy associated with the source, and a service profile associated with the web-service further comprises

storing the service policy and the service profile in a metadata storage.

8 . The method of claim 3 wherein the service proxy further comprises

a client-specified message format configuration comprising

the service policy, and

a web service configuration comprising the service profile;

a conversion engine; and

an invocation engine.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein converting, with the message conversion system, a client application incoming message for a web service request to the format required by the web service further comprises

converting, with the message conversion system, the client application incoming

message for a web service request to the format required by the web service by

determining the web service to be invoked,

retrieving, from storage, the service profile for the web service to be involed, and

applying specified message format parameters to the client application incoming message.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein converting, with the message conversion system, the client application incoming message for a web service request to the format required by the web service further comprises

receiving a SOAP envelope comprising

a SOAP header comprising a plurality of context headers, and

a SOAP body comprising a message body.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising

applying the correct format to the incoming message by

determining the web service to be invoked,

retrieving, from storage, the service profile for the web service to be invoked,

applying specified message format parameters to the client application incoming message.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source further comprises

converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source by

determining the context parameters of the outgoing message response,

retrieving, from storage, the service policy associated with the source, and

applying specified message format parameters to the outgoing message response.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source further comprises

sending a response to the source.

14 . An automatic method of supplying message-format parameters used for communications between a web service and a source, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

setting up a message conversion system by

predefining the format of a client application message between the web service and the source,

predefining a configuration interface for context variables and message-format variables for the client application message,

storing a service policy associated with the source, and a service profile associated with the web-service, and

setting up a service proxy comprising

a client-specified message format configuration comprising the service policy,

a web service configuration comprising a service profile,

a conversion engine, and

an invocation engine; and

converting, with the message conversion system, the client application incoming message for a web service request to the format required by the web service;

forwarding the client's web service request to the web service;

accepting an outgoing message response from the web service; and

converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source.

15 . An automatic method of supplying message-format parameters used for communications between a web service and a source, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

setting up a message conversion system by

predefining the format of a client application message between the web service and the source,

predefining a configuration interface for context variables and message-format variables for the client application message,

storing a service policy associated with the source, and a service profile associated with the web-service, and

setting up a service proxy comprising

a client-specified message format configuration comprising the service policy,

a web service configuration comprising a service profile,

a conversion engine, and

an invocation engine; and

storing client-specified message format configurations and service policies;

converting, with the message conversion system, the client application incoming message for a web service request to the format required by the web service by

determining the web service to be invoked,

retrieving, from storage, the service profile for the web service to be invoked, and

applying specified message format parameters to the client application incoming message;

forwarding the client's web service request to the web service;

accepting an outgoing message response from the web service; and

converting, with the message conversion system, the outgoing message response to the format required by the source by

determining the context parameters of the outgoing message response,

retrieving, from storage, the service policy associated with the source, and

applying specified message format parameters to the outgoing message response.

16 . An automatic method of supplying message-format parameters used for communications between a web service and a source, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

setting up a message conversion system by

predefining the formats of a plurality of client application messages, the messages comprising

a SOAP envelope comprising

a plurality of context headers, and

a message body,

setting up a configuration interface comprising

a plurality of context variables, and

a plurality of interface variables,

setting up a service proxy, the service proxy comprising

at least one client-specified message format configuration comprising context information,

at least one service policy,

a web service configuration comprising

a web service profile,

at least one conversion engine, and

at least one invocation engine;

storing client-specified message format configurations by

receiving a client-specified message format configuration, and

storing at least one service policy; and

applying the correct format to an incoming message by

receiving the client application incoming message comprising context information,

applying the correct format to the incoming message by

determining the web service to be invoked,

retrieving, from storage, the service profile for the web service to be invoked,

applying specified message format parameters to the client application incoming message,

forwarding the client's web service request to the web service;

accepting an outgoing message response from the web service; and

applying correct format to the outgoing message by

determining context parameters of the outgoing message,

retrieving, from storage, the service policy associated with the source, and

applying specified message format parameters to the outgoing message response, and

sending response to the source.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein predefining the formats of a plurality of a plurality of client application messages further comprises

setting up WSDL documents to define the formats.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein client-specified message format configuration further comprises

context information comprising

a web service indicator,

a user indicator, and

a message body.

19 . The method of claim 16 wherein client-specified message format configuration further comprises

context information selected from the group consisting of SOAP headers, http POST parameters, and http query parameters.

20 . The method of claim 16 wherein setting up a message conversion system further comprises

setting up a metadata storage, the metadata storage comprising

at least one service policy, and

a web service profile, such that the web service profile may be used to provide specific web-service information.

21 . A system for automatically formatting an incoming web service request from a source, executing the request at the web service, and automatically formatting an outgoing message from the web service, the system comprising

at least one web service;

at least one source computer;

a message conversion system, such that the message conversion system is predefined

to format the incoming web service request, and

to format the outgoing message from the web service, and such that the message conversion system

dynamically converts the incoming web service request to a format required by the web service, and

dynamically converts the outgoing message from the web service to a format required by the source; and

network communication between the web service, the message conversion system, and the source computer.

22 . The system of claim 21 wherein

the message conversion system is provided on the web service server.

23 . The system of claim 21 wherein

the message conversion system is provided on a first server; and

the web service is provided on a second server.