Call-back Service for Rule Engine Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing business rule management systems (BRMSs) face challenges in seamlessly integrating local and external rule engines, leading to complexities in accessing and utilizing external business rules without revealing proprietary logic or requiring additional user intervention.
Innovation Solution
A call-back service is used to orchestrate access by an external rule engine to functions or services provided by a local rule engine, allowing the local rule engine to invoke external rules and expose functions as web services, enabling seamless interaction and data exchange while maintaining confidentiality and reducing integration costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If external rule engines are integrated with local rule engines, then business process flexibility and agility are improved, but system complexity and integration costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A call-back service is introduced as an intermediary component between the local rule engine and external rule engines. This service layer abstracts the complexity of external rule engine integration, allowing the local rule engine to invoke external rules through standardized interfaces without exposing internal logic or requiring direct complex integrations. The call-back service manages the communication protocols, authentication, and data exchange formats, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If local rule engine functions are exposed to external rule engines, then integration capability is improved, but proprietary logic and internal confidentiality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system architecture is segmented into distinct layers: the local rule engine, the call-back service, and external rule engines. Only specific functions are exposed through the call-back service interface, while the internal logic and core processing logic of the local rule engine remain hidden. This segmentation allows selective exposure of functionality - exposing only what is needed for integration while protecting proprietary logic through the abstraction layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The call-back service acts as a mediator that controls what information is shared between the local rule engine and external systems. It provides standardized interfaces for external rule engines to access local functions without seeing the underlying implementation details. The service layer translates external requests into appropriate local rule engine operations while filtering and transforming data to maintain confidentiality of proprietary logic.
3Ease of operation
If comprehensive functions are exposed via call-back service, then external rule engine accessibility is improved, but security risks and integration costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The call-back service provides a universal interface that can invoke multiple types of external rule engines through standardized protocols. Rather than creating separate integration mechanisms for different external systems, the service uses a unified approach that handles various external rule engine types through common authentication, data exchange, and error handling mechanisms, thereby reducing integration costs while maintaining broad accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An enhanced call-back service, in which a local rule engine is caused to be capable of invoking a rule defined at an external rule engine, and a function provided by the local rule engine is exposed as a call-back service. At the call-back service and from the external rule engine, a request to interact with the function is received, and, using the call-back service, an interaction is provided between the external rule engine and the function.