Unified Interface for Networked Web Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of integrating various API standards and the resource-intensive process of setting up infrastructure to support APIs deter smaller developers and open-source developers from offering APIs, creating a need for a unified interface to networked web services.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for a unified interface to networked web services, which provides a function-as-a-service (FaaS) platform that abstracts away infrastructure challenges, enables streamlined access to computational services, and simplifies the development and deployment of web services through a unified interface, supporting command line, web, and other interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple API standards are supported, then service functionality is improved, but integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a unified interface layer that acts as an intermediary between consumers and multiple API standards. This interface abstracts away the complexity of different API standards (REST, SOAP, GraphQL, etc.) while maintaining support for multiple service functionalities, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and integration complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The unified interface is designed to support multiple API standards and service types through a single standardized interface. This multi-functional approach allows the same interface to handle diverse service functionalities without requiring separate integration logic for each API standard, thus improving adaptability while controlling complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If infrastructure is customized for each API, then API functionality is improved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the infrastructure requirements for multiple API standards into a single unified interface implementation. Instead of maintaining separate infrastructure for each API standard, the system combines them into one shared interface that serves all API types, thereby reducing overall resource consumption while maintaining full API functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The unified interface is designed as a universal infrastructure that can handle multiple API standards through a single implementation. This multi-functional infrastructure reduces the total quantity of resources needed compared to having separate customized infrastructure for each API, thus resolving the contradiction between API functionality and resource consumption
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple API standards are implemented, then service capability is improved, but time to integrate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified interface acts as a mediator that eliminates the need for developers to learn and implement multiple API standards. By providing a single standardized interface that handles all API standards internally, the system maintains diverse service capabilities while dramatically reducing the time required for integration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complexity of multiple API standards from the integration process and consolidates it into the unified interface layer. This extraction allows consumers to integrate services quickly using a simple standard interface, while the complex multi-standard support is handled internally by the extracted unified interface
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for a function-as-a-service platform that includes creating a set of distinct webservices within a webservice hosting platform, which involves receiving a webservice resource definition, processing the webservice resource definition, and instantiating a webservice of the webservice resource definition within the webservice hosting platform; and invoking a webservice instantiated in the webservice hosting platform for a client device, which involves: receiving a webservice function call request, executing the webservice function call request on a webservice instance, and responding to the webservice function call request with a result of the webservice.