Balancing load requests and failovers using a UDDI proxy

1. A method for connecting to a web service, the method comprising: selecting a web service; selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service, the selected server being selected independent of input from a requesting application subsequent to selection of the web service; determining a real address for the selected web service running on the selected server; and connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a web service comprises searching a directory of web services.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said directory of web services is a Universal Description Discovery Integration (UDDI) repository.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a web service comprises providing a public address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service comprises performing a distributed scheduling algorithm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a static algorithm.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a dynamic algorithm.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a preemptive algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service comprises: becoming aware of the status of a primary server of the one or more servers capable of running the selected web service; selecting the primary server when the primary server has a status of functional; and selecting a secondary server of the one or more servers capable of running the selected web service when the primary server has a status of non-functional.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a real address for the selected web service running on the selected server comprises looking up the real address for the selected web service running on the selected server in a directory of web services.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said directory of web services is a UDDI repository.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server comprises: establishing a connection between a requesting party and a proxy; establishing a connection between the proxy and the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address; allowing the requesting party to connect to the selected web service running on the selected server through the established connection between the requesting party and the proxy and the established connection between the proxy and the selected web service running on the selected server.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server comprises: providing a requesting party with the real address for the selected web service running on the selected server, and establishing a connection between the requesting party and the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address.

14. A computer system comprising: a processor; and a computer recording medium including computer executable code executable by the processor for connecting to a web service, the computer executable code comprising: code for selecting a web service; code for selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service, the selected server being selected independent of input from a requesting application subsequent to selection of the web service; code for determining a real address for the selected web service running on the selected server; and code for connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein selecting a web service comprises searching a directory of web services.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein said directory of web services is a Universal Description Discovery Integration (UDDI) repository.

17. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein selecting a web service comprises providing a public address.

18. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service comprises performing a distributed scheduling algorithm.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a static algorithm.

20. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a dynamic algorithm.

21. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the distributed scheduling algorithm is a preemptive algorithm.

22. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the code for selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service comprises: code for becoming aware of the status of a primary server of the one or more servers capable of running the selected web service; code for selecting the primary server when the primary server has a status of functional; and code for selecting a secondary server of the one or more servers capable of running the selected web service when the primary server has a status of non-functional.

23. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the code for determining a real address for the selected web service running on the selected server comprises code for looking up the real address for the selected web service running on the selected server in a directory of web services.

24. The computer system of claim 23 , wherein said directory of web services is a Universal Description Discovery Integration (UDDI) repository.

25. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein said code for connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server comprises: code for establishing a connection between a requesting party and a proxy; code for establishing a connection between the proxy and the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address; code for allowing the requesting party to connect to the selected web service running on the selected server through the established connection between the requesting party and the proxy and the established connection between the proxy and the selected web service running on the selected server.

26. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein said code for connecting to the selected server comprises: code for providing a requesting party with the real address for the selected web service running on the selected server, and code for establishing a connection between the requesting party and the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address.

27. A non-transitory computer recording medium including computer executable code for connecting to a web service, the computer executable code comprising: code for selecting a web service; code for selecting a server among one or more servers capable of running the selected web service, the selected server being selected independent of input from a requesting application subsequent to selection of the web service; code for determining a real address for the selected web service running on the selected server; and code for connecting to the selected web service running on the selected server using the determined real address.