Real-time XML messaging protocol
View Patent ↗Described are a method and a system for using XML in a real-time message for transmission of data from a source to a destination over a network. The real-time XML message includes a header element and a body element. The header element includes one or more destination elements and one source element, each having a unique identifier and a set of pre-defined and user-defined real-time properties. The body element of the message includes the data to be carried to the destination in plain or encoded XML content. XML addresses are proposed as the identifier of the source and destination, and an XML naming service can look up an XML address from the canonical name of the source and destination. Advantageously, the real-time message can be transported through the network using XML addresses included in the destination and source elements of the message.
1. A system for transmitting a real-time XML message from a source to at least one destination through a network, the real-time XML message having at least one real-time validation element expressing a real-time property of the real-time XML message, the system comprising an XML router configured to:
receive the real-time XML message through a first communications link in the network;
send to the source, responsive to the at least one real-time validation element indicating data within the real-time XML message is invalid, a request for an update to the real-time XML message; and
determine, responsive to the at least one real-time validation element indicating data within the real-time XML message is not invalid, the at least one destination from an XML address associated with a destination element of the real-time XML message; and;
forward the real-time XML message through a second communications link in the network in response thereto.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one other XML router, wherein the XML router is configured to: (i) send, to the at least one other XML router through the first communication link, the request for an update to the real-time XML message, and (ii) forward the real-time XML message to the at least one other XML router through the second communication link.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the XML router is configured to forward the real-time XML message to the destination through the second communications link.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the source and at least one destination are indicated by a respective unique destination identifiers.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the unique destination identifiers comprises an XML address.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the unique destination identifiers comprises a canonical name for determining an XML address by a naming service.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one other XML router, wherein the XML router is configured to forward the real-time XML message to the at least one other XML router through the second communications link.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the XML router is configured to forward the real-time XML message to the destination through the second communications link.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the source, wherein the source is configured to: communicatively couple with the XML router through at least one communication link in the network, and generate and forward toward the XML router any of the real-time XML message and an update to the real-time XML message.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the at least one destination, wherein the at least one destination is configured to: communicatively couple with the XML router through at least one communication link in the network, receive the real-time XML message, and send to the source, responsive to the at least one real-time validation element indicating data within the real-time XML message is invalid, a request for an update to the real-time XML message.
11. A source node configured for transmission of real-time data to at least one destination node over a network, the source node comprising:
a memory for storing data for transmission to the at least one destination node, the memory comprising a data structure including information for forwarding a real-time XML message including:
a header element comprising at least one destination element and a source element, wherein each of the at least one destination and source elements comprise at least one real-time validation element expressing a real-time property of the real-time XML message; and
a body element comprising the data to be transmitted to the at least one destination node, wherein:
the source node is further configured to receive, from any of the at least one destination node and a node of the network communicatively coupled intermediate to the source and the at least one destination nodes, if any, a request for an update to the real-time XML message; and
the request is responsive to the at least one real-time validation element indicating the real-time data within the real-time XML message is invalid.
12. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one real-time validation element of the at least one destination element comprises a status acknowledgment of a prior real-time XML message sent by the at least one destination node and received by the source node.
13. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one real-time validation element of the at least one destination element comprises a time delay indicating the difference between a received time of a prior real-time XML message and a timestamp in the prior real-time XML message.
14. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one real-time validation element of the source element comprises a time until the data in the real-time XML message expires.
15. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one real-time validation element of the source element comprises an acknowledgement flag to indicate whether the at least one destination node should return an acknowledgement upon receipt of the real-time XML message.
16. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the at least one real-time validation element of the source element comprises an acknowledgement time to indicate a duration allocated by the source node for receiving a message acknowledgement from the at least one destination node.
17. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the source node is further configured to transmit the header and body elements in an Internet Protocol (IP) packet.
18. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the source node is further configured to transmit the header and body elements in a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) document.
19. The source node of claim 11 , wherein the data structure of the memory of the source node comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope, and wherein the SOAP envelope comprises the header and body elements.
20. A source node configured for transmission of real-time data to at least one destination node over a network, the source node comprising:
a memory for storing data for transmission to the at least one destination node, the memory comprising a data structure including information for forwarding a real-time XML message including:
a header element comprising: (i) at least one destination element having a unique destination identifier comprising an XML address associated with a respective one of the at least one destination node, and (ii) a source element having a unique source identifier comprising an XML address associated with the source node, wherein each of the at least one destination and source elements comprises at least one real-time validation element expressing a real-time property of the real-time XML message; and
a body element comprising the real-time data to be transmitted to the at least one destination node, wherein:
the source node is further configured to receive, from any of the at least one destination node and a node of the network communicatively coupled intermediate to the source and the at least one destination nodes, if any, a request for an update to the real-time XML message; and
the request is responsive to the at least one real-time validation element indicating the real-time data within the real-time XML message is invalid.
21. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the unique destination identifier comprises a name that can be matched to the XML address associated with the at least one destination node by a naming service.
22. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the unique source identifier comprises a canonical name that can be matched to the XML address associated with the source node by a naming service.
23. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the source element comprises a priority designation to indicate a forwarding priority of the real-time XML message.
24. The source node of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the XML addresses comprises a uniform resource identifier.
25. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the source node is further configured to transmit the header and body elements in an Internet Protocol (IP) packet.
26. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the source node is further configured to transmit the header and body elements in a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) document.
27. The source node of claim 20 , wherein the data structure of the memory of the source node comprises a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope, and wherein the SOAP envelope comprises the header and body elements.