Service Registry for Application Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software applications lack a framework for discovering and sharing services among multiple applications, leading to limited interoperability and unawareness of available services on user terminals.
Innovation Solution
A method for user terminals to delegate service execution by sending requests to a data store that maintains entries of available applications and services, allowing selection and execution of appropriate service-providing applications, either locally or remotely, through a library API and server system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional application framework is used, then applications can execute independently, but applications cannot discover or share services with other applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service registry as an intermediary component that maintains information about available services and their providers. Applications can publish their services to the registry and discover services needed by querying the registry, enabling service sharing without direct application-to-application communication. This resolves the contradiction by providing a mechanism for service discovery while maintaining application independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The service registry serves multiple functions: it acts as a publication platform for service providers, a discovery mechanism for service consumers, and a directory for matching services with requirements. This multi-functional approach enables both service sharing and information availability simultaneously, resolving the technical contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If only one application provides a given service, then service implementation is simple, but service availability and choice are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Applications automatically publish their service capabilities to the service registry without requiring manual configuration or complex service management infrastructure. The registry automatically indexes and makes this information available to other applications, enabling multiple service providers while keeping the system simple and self-configuring.
Solution Approach 2:
The service registry provides feedback to service consumers about available services and their providers. This feedback mechanism enables applications to discover and select from multiple service providers based on the information published in the registry, increasing service options without proportionally increasing management complexity.
3Ease of operation
If applications are installed dynamically, then user flexibility increases, but service discovery becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Applications publish their service capabilities to the registry in advance, before other applications need to discover them. This preliminary publication of service information ensures that even dynamically installed applications are immediately visible to the service discovery mechanism, maintaining information availability regardless of installation timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The service registry acts as an intermediary that decouples the installation timing of applications from their service discoverability. By mediating between service providers and consumers, the registry ensures that service information is always available through the centralized directory, regardless of when applications are dynamically installed or uninstalled.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention are concerned with facilitating service provision between software applications. In embodiments of the invention, a first user terminal includes an application which causes the first user terminal to delegate execution of a first service to a different application. In response to determining that the first service is to be executed on behalf of the first service, a request message is sent to a data store including an identifier of the first service. The data store comprising entries indicating applications held on one or more user terminals, and indicating one or more services that may be executed, on request, by a corresponding application. The first user terminal receives a response message from the data store identifying one or more applications to which execution of the first service may be delegated.