Generic data exchange method using hierarchical routing

1. A process comprising:

retrieving a list of one or more candidate objects with which an origin object can communicate using a standard command language, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate objects uses a command language different than the standard command language, and wherein retrieving the list comprises:

assembling at an origin object a request package including routing commands and commands for a remote service object in the standard command language, and

transmitting the request package from the origin object to the remote service object;

querying the schema of one or more target objects selected from among the one or more candidate objects; and

using the standard command language to transmit to the one or more target objects commands and/or data consistent with the schemas of the target objects.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein transmitting the request package comprises:

transmitting the request package from the origin object to a local service object;

transmitting the request package through one or more communication objects in a communication path between the local service object and the remote service object; and

delivering the request package from the last communication object in the communication path to the remote service object.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein querying the schema of the specific target object comprises:

assembling at the origin object a request package including routing commands and schema query commands in the standard command language;

transmitting the request package from the origin object to the one or more target objects; and

receiving a response package that sets forth the schemas of the one or more target objects.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein transmitting the request package comprises:

transmitting the request package to a local service object;

transmitting the request package through one or more communication objects in a communication route between the local service object and the remote service object;

delivering the request package from the last communication object in the communication path to the remote service object; and

delivering the request package from the remote service object to the one or more target objects.

5. The process of claim 4 , further comprising:

assembling a response package including responses from each of the one or more target objects to which commands were directed in the request package, the response package including a header and a payload; and

transmitting the response package to the origin object.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein transmitting the response package to the origin object comprises:

transmitting the response package to the remote service object;

transmitting the response package through one or more communication objects in a communication path between the remote service object and the local service object;

delivering the response package from the last communication object in the communication path to the local service object; and

delivering the response package from the local service object to the origin object.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein transmitting the response package comprises:

encoding the payload after the remote service object; and

decoding the payload before the local service object.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the header is extensible markup language (XML) data and the payload is XML data, binary data or scalable vector graphics (SVG) data.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

an origin object running on the processor, the origin object including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

retrieve a list of one or more candidate objects with which the origin object can communicate using a standard command language, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate objects uses a command language different than the standard command language;

assemble a request package including routing commands and commands for a remote service object in the standard command language;

transmit the request package from the origin object to a remote service object running on an additional processor;

query the schema of one or more target objects selected from among the one or more candidate objects; and

use the standard command language to transmit to the one or more target objects commands and/or data consistent with the schemas of the target objects.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instructions to transmit the request package comprise instructions to:

transmit the request package from the origin object to a local service object running on the processor;

transmit the request package through one or more communication objects in a communication path between the local service object and the remote service object; and

deliver the request package from the last communication object in the communication path to the remote service object.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the instructions for querying the schema of the specific target object comprise instructions to:

assemble a request package including routing commands and schema query commands in the standard command language;

transmit the request package from the origin object to the one or more target objects; and

receive a response package that sets forth the schemas of the one or more target objects.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the instructions to transmit the request package comprise instructions to:

transmit the request package to a local service object running on the processor;

transmit the request package through one or more communication objects in a communication route between the local service object and a remote service object running on an additional processor;

deliver the request package from the last communication object in the communication path to the remote service object; and

deliver the request package from the remote service object to the one or more target objects.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the remote service object includes instructions to cause the additional processor to:

assemble a response package including responses from each of the one or more target objects to which commands were directed in the request package, the response package including a header and a payload; and

transmit the response package to the origin object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the instructions to transmit the response package to the origin object comprise instructions to cause the additional processor to:

transmit the response package to the remote service object;

transmit the request package through one or more communication objects in a communication path between the remote service object and the local service object;

deliver the request package from the last communication object in the communication path to the local service object; and

deliver the request package from the local service object to the origin object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the instructions to transmit the request package comprise instructions to:

encode the payload after the remote service object; and

decode the payload before the local service object.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the header is extensible markup language (XML) data and the payload is XML data, binary data or scalable vector graphics (SVG) data.