Metadata-Driven Web Service Generation for Legacy Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software applications built using technologies like Oracle Forms and Oracle Applications Framework face challenges in reusing their business logic as Web services due to their self-contained nature and tight integration with user interface components, requiring significant re-factoring or conversion efforts.
Innovation Solution
A metadata-driven approach that generates artifacts for Web services by customizing metadata from existing software applications, allowing existing logic to be exposed as Web services without modifying the original code, and utilizing an orchestration process to invoke and execute operations within the existing applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing applications are converted to alternative technologies to enable Web service generation, then Web service compatibility is improved, but development resources and time are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the existing application's business logic through metadata representation. Instead of converting the actual application code to a different technology, the system generates metadata that captures the essential business logic and processes, which can then be consumed as Web services. This copying approach maintains the original application intact while enabling Web service functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary layer between the existing application and the Web service interface. This metadata acts as a mediator that translates the application's internal logic into Web service-compatible formats without requiring direct modification of the application code or complete technological conversion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If application code is re-factored into alternative formats for Web service exposure, then code reuse capability is improved, but maintenance complexity is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential business logic from the existing application and represents it separately as metadata. This extraction process isolates the reusable logic from the application's UI-specific code and implementation details, allowing the business logic to be reused as Web services without creating parallel code lines that would complicate maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating parallel code lines through re-factoring, the patent creates a metadata-based representation that serves as a lightweight copy of the business logic. This approach avoids the maintenance burden of synchronizing multiple code versions while still enabling code reuse through the metadata interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing applications are completely converted to alternative technologies, then Web service generation capability is improved, but development effort and resources are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating metadata that represents the application's business logic before any Web service implementation is needed. This metadata is created once from the existing application and can be repeatedly used to generate Web services, eliminating the need for repeated conversion efforts and reducing overall development time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a metadata copy of the application logic that can be reused multiple times for Web service generation. This single copying operation replaces what would otherwise require multiple complete conversion projects, dramatically reducing the cumulative development effort and time investment.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for reusing logic implemented in an existing software application such that the logic can be exposed as a Web service or in any other service-oriented context. In one set of embodiments, a design-time technique is provided that comprises, inter alia, receiving program code for an existing software application, generating metadata based on the program code, and customizing the metadata to align with an intended Web service. Artifacts for the Web service are then generated based on the customized metadata. In another set of embodiments, a run-time technique is provided that comprises, inter alia, receiving a payload representing an invocation of a Web service operation of the generated Web service, processing the payload, and, based on the processing, causing the existing software application to execute an operation in response to the invocation of the Web service operation.