Web Service Aggregation Layer for Cross-Source Data Homogenization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing web services that utilize different schemas complicate data aggregation, requiring substantial programming knowledge to interact with multiple services, as there is no straightforward way to perform operations like 'join' or 'group' across varying data formats.
Innovation Solution
An aggregation layer utilizing XQuery or similar querying languages maps responses from web services into a uniform structure, allowing for the construction of cross-service and cross-service-call data sources in XML or JSON, enabling generic interaction with multiple web services without requiring knowledge of their schemas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple web services with different schemas are utilized, then information diversity and functionality are improved, but data aggregation complexity and programming difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (aggregation service or adapter) that sits between multiple web services with different schemas and the application. This intermediary automatically performs schema mapping, data transformation, and aggregation operations, shielding the application from schema complexity while enabling access to diverse information sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal aggregation framework that can handle multiple web services with different schemas through a common interface. The system provides multi-functional capabilities including schema mapping, data transformation, aggregation operations (join, group), and standardized response formatting, allowing a single system to serve diverse data sources.
2Reliability
If schema-specific programming is required for each web service, then precise data interaction is achieved, but development time and coding effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs schema mapping and data transformation operations in advance, before the application needs to access the data. The aggregation service pre-processes responses from multiple web services, converts them to a unified schema, and prepares aggregated results, so that applications receive ready-to-use data without needing to perform time-consuming schema-specific programming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies or representations of web service data in a unified schema format. Instead of requiring applications to directly interact with multiple different schemas, the system creates standardized data copies that preserve the essential information while conforming to a common structure, enabling efficient access without repeated schema-specific coding.
3Adaptability or versatility
If aggregation functions like join and group are implemented across different schemas, then data integration capability is improved, but implementation difficulty and error potential increase
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation service acts as an intermediary that implements complex aggregation functions (join, group, filter) automatically. It receives data from multiple web services with different schemas, performs the necessary aggregation operations based on configured rules, and returns results in a unified format, eliminating the need for developers to manually implement complex aggregation logic across different schemas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms aggregation operations from complex schema-specific programming tasks into parameter-driven configurations. By allowing users to specify aggregation rules through parameters (join conditions, group keys, filter criteria) rather than writing schema-specific code, the system makes aggregation operations easier to implement and less error-prone while maintaining full functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing information responsive to a request. In an embodiment, a request from a requestor is received. A plurality of eligible information sources that are capable of providing data at least partially responsive to the information request are identified. For each identified information source, a data request according to a schema accepted by the identified information source is prepared and responses from the eligible information sources are received. The responses are homogenized according to a common schema and information from the homogenized responses are provided to the requestor.