Capturing information accessed, updated and created by services and using the same for validation of consistency

1. A computer implemented method for extending a service model, the service model including specification of at least one exposed interface, wherein the exposed interface comprises a published interface defining at least the input parameters passed to the service, the output parameters from the service, the operations that can be called, and how to invoke these operations; the method comprising the steps of:

receiving specification of information consumed by a service implementation of the service model, the information consumed comprising information that is accessed, updated, deleted and/or created by a service, the information being information that is or needs to be utilized by the service implementation without being passed through the exposed interface; and

automatically generating an extended service model using a computer processor, the extended service model including specification of the exposed interface and specification of the information consumed by the service implementation; wherein the information consumed by the service implementation includes at least one of consumption type, non-functional annotation of the information consumed and specification of information sources; the non-functional annotation comprising a quality criterion for the information consumed by the service implementation, and the non-functional annotation also comprising a timing criterion for the information consumed specifying when the information consumed is required by the service implementation.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving specification of the information consumed by the service implementation includes:

receiving the service implementation of the service model; and automatically determining the information consumed by the service implementation by examination of the service implementation.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein automatically determining the information consumed by the service implementation includes analyzing code in the service implementation for information transfers outside the exposed interface.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving specification of the information consumed by the service implementation includes providing a user interface to input of the information consumed by the service implementation from a human modeler.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the specification of the information consumed by the service implementation of the service model includes identification of at least one information source supplying the information consumed.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one information inconsistency in the service model if the information consumed by the service model does not match at least one available information source for processing by the service implementation.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 , wherein identifying at least one information inconsistency in the service model is performed before substantial source code for the service implementation is written.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically allocating an information source for processing by the service implementation of the service model based, at least in part, on the information consumed by the service implementation.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the specification of the information consumed by the service implementation of the service model includes a consumption type, the consumption type specifying at least one of a creating the information consumed operation, a reading the information consumed operation, an updating the information consumed operation, and a deleting the information consumed operation performed by the service implementation.

10. A computer program product embodied in non-transitory computer usable memory comprising:

computer readable program codes coupled to the computer usable medium for extending a service model, the service model including specification of at least one exposed interface, the exposed interface comprising a published interface defining at least the input parameters passed to the service, the output parameters from the service, the operations that can be called, and how to invoke these operations, and at least one endpoint for the exposed interface, the computer readable program codes configured to cause the program to:

receive specification of information consumed by a service implementation of the service model, the information consumed comprising information that is accessed, updated, deleted and/or created by a service; the information consumed being information that is or needs to be utilized by the service implementation without being passed through the exposed interface; and

automatically generate an extended service model, the extended service model including specification of the exposed interface and specification of the information consumed by the service implementation; the information consumed by the service implementation including at least one of consumption type, non-functional annotation of the information consumed and specification of information sources; the non-functional annotation comprising a quality criterion for the information consumed by the service implementation, and the non-functional annotation also comprising a timing criterion for the information consumed specifying when the information consumed is required by the service implementation.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the program code configured to receive specification of the information consumed by the service implementation includes program code configured to: receive the service implementation of the service model; and automatically determine the information consumed by the service implementation by examination of the service implementation.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program code configured to automatically determine the information consumed by the service implementation includes program code configured to analyze code in the service implementation for information transfers outside the exposed interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the program code configured to receive specification of the information consumed by the service implementation includes the program code configured to provide a user interface to input of the information consumed by the service implementation from a human modeler.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the specification of the information consumed by the service implementation of the service model includes identification of at least one information source supplying the information consumed.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising program code configured to identify at least one information inconsistency in the service model if the information consumed by the service model does not match at least one available information source for processing by the service implementation.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein identification of at least one information inconsistency in the service model is performed before substantial source code for the service implementation is written.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising program code configured to automatically allocate an information source for processing by the service implementation of the service model based, at least in part, on the information consumed by the service implementation.

18. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the specification of the information consumed by the service implementation of the service model includes a consumption type, the consumption type specifying at least one of a creating the information consumed operation, a reading the information consumed operation, an updating the information consumed operation, and a deleting the information consumed operation performed by the service implementation.