JP2002366353A - Middleware system for general framework development - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system which can improve the development efficiency of business application and secure the portability of the business application. SOLUTION: The middleware system for general framework development which provides an operation environment for the business application is provided in the higher order of the business application (on the Internet side). In this middleware system for general framework development, general processing in the business application is stored in a library as general objects, and a META file is referred to acquire a pertinent general object from the library on the basis of a request from the business application, and this general object is started.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to the exchange of electronic data between computers connected to a network.
Alternatively, the present invention relates to a system that provides application services including electronic money and network applications.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art
For example, every business application related to electronic commerce or the like has been created from scratch for every business application every time it is newly developed. Therefore,
There was a problem that the development man-hour was large. Further, in a newly developed business application, it takes a lot of time to test the application, and the probability of occurrence of unexpected failure is high. The business application as described above is an operating system (hereinafter, referred to as an OS).
Was developed in response to. Therefore, if the OS is to be changed, the business application has to be redeveloped with time and expense.

[0003] In some cases, existing business applications are reused, but these are merely diverted at the source level or made into libraries such as DLLs. Such diversion at the source level requires restructuring of the application, and is therefore less independent and portable. In addition, the time required for testing the business application is large. On the other hand, in making a library such as DLL,
Therefore, the portability of the business application between OSs is not ensured.

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a system which can improve the development efficiency of business applications and ensure the portability of business applications.

[0005]

A general-purpose framework development middleware system according to the present invention is positioned above a business application as viewed from a network and provides an operating environment for the business application. A META file having information that constitutes the object model of the above, a library storing general-purpose objects in which general-purpose processing in the business application is an independent module, and the META file based on a request from the business application. And a main body operating section for referring to and acquiring a corresponding general-purpose object from the library and activating the general-purpose object.

In the general-purpose framework development middleware system configured as described above, a general-purpose object stored in a library is activated based on a request from a business application. Thus, general-purpose processing in the business application can be used in other business applications. The business application running on the middleware system has versatility for the operating system.

[0007]

FIG. 1 shows an Internet EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) using a general-purpose framework development middleware system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
e) It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system. In the figure, the client C1 of the ordering side system includes a quotation request application 11, an ordering application 12, a receiving / inspection application 13, and a payment application 14 as client applications. The server S1 of the ordering side system includes the server application 15 and the business object 1
6 and general-purpose framework development middleware 17. General-purpose framework development middleware 17
Is middleware corresponding to various OSs. The business object 16 is an OMG (Object Management)
Group), and is a representation of events that are active in the business world, including at least the business name and its definition, attributes, behavior, relationships, constraints, etc. The business object of the present embodiment is
It is a representation of business operations in a programming language.

On the other hand, the client C2 of the order receiving system
Are the client application and the quote creation application 21 and the order / allocation application 2
2, a shipping processing application 23 and a billing application 24 are provided. Further, the server S2 of the order receiving side system includes a server application 25, a business object 26, and a general-purpose framework development middleware 27, similarly to the ordering side. In the ordering side system and the order receiving side system, the clients C1 and C2 and the corresponding servers S1 and S2, and the servers S1 and S2 can be connected to each other via the Internet.

In the above configuration, the client applications on the ordering side and the order receiving side are provided (distributed) via the Internet from the servers S1 and S2 on the ordering side and the order receiving side, respectively. Therefore, each client C1, C
2 does not need to have software installed, and is available whenever needed. Each client C1, C2 has a corresponding server S1, S2
The interface with the servers S1 and S2 is performed via the Internet by using the client application provided from the Internet 2. For example, when ordering data is output from the client C1 on the ordering side,
This data is transmitted from the ordering client C1 via the Internet to the ordering server application 1.
Passed to 5.

[0010] The general-purpose framework development middleware 17 on the ordering side receives a request from the server application 15, searches for a general-purpose object to be a business object, starts / executes it as necessary, and establishes an interface with the server application 15. I do.
Here, the server application 15 transmits and receives data from the general-purpose framework development middleware 17 to the general-purpose framework development middleware 27 of the server S2 of the order receiving system via the Internet by an interface with the client application.

The client C2 on the order receiving side performs an interface with the server S2 using a client application provided from the server S2 on the order receiving side, and retrieves the data from the server S2. In this way, the client C2 on the order receiving side can confirm the ordering data and can perform operations such as order receiving and allocation of goods. In transmitting and receiving data from the order receiving side system to the ordering side system (for example, payment for billing), the position of transmission and reception is reversed from the above case, but the same processing is performed in terms of contents.

In the above system, general-purpose objects can be shared, and the interface to the objects can be left to the general-purpose framework development middleware 17, 27. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the development cost and provide a highly reliable system. The transmission and reception of data between the servers S1 and S2 are performed by the general-purpose framework development middleware 17, 27.
Since the communication is performed between the applications, the application does not need to specifically recognize the data to be transmitted and received. That is,
The transmission and reception of data performed between the general-purpose framework development middlewares 17 and 27 are abstracted from the viewpoint of the application. Therefore, even if one of the systems is changed, interconnection can be performed, and the client application can freely use the system without being conscious of the locations of the server application and the business partner server.

Each server S in the above system
1 and S2 indicate that both the system user and the provider (ie, A
SP: Application Service Provider). Therefore, for example, it is possible to reduce the development cost by allowing other companies to use their software for a fee. Note that security can be arbitrarily provided by an ASP operator. Further, in the above system, the same system can be added to expand the entire system.

FIG. 2 shows general-purpose framework development middleware 17, 27, business objects 16, 26, and business applications (11 to 15, 21 to 25).
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a hierarchical relationship of FIG. In the figure, the general-purpose framework development middleware 17, 27 is a business application (11 to 15, 21 to 21) viewed from the Internet.
25) It is located higher. The general-purpose framework development middlewares 17 and 27 are used for business applications (11
To 15, 21 to 25). That is, the business application runs on the general-purpose framework development middleware and does not depend on the OS.

FIGS. 3 to 7 are diagrams showing the internal functional configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware 17, 27. As shown in FIG. 3, the general-purpose framework development middleware includes a main body operating unit 71, an initialization function 72, and a definition function 73. The initialization function 72 gives a start / end and reset command to the main body operation unit 71. The definition function 73 gives a META definition to the main body operation unit 71. The definition function 73 gives the initialization function 72 an initialization parameter definition. The main body operating unit 71 is a part that forms the main body of the general-purpose framework development middleware, and includes an interface with an external proxy, a META
Checks and activates objects using files.

As shown in FIG. 4, the data transmitted from the business application is converted into an external proxy format by the main body operating unit 71. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the main body operating unit 71 sends a MET based on a general-purpose object request from the business application.
With reference to the A files 75 and 76, the corresponding general-purpose object is obtained from the general-purpose object library 74 and activated. The META file is a file that holds various types of information constituting an object model for a general-purpose object generated by the general-purpose framework development middleware, and includes a META file 75 for a model (model object) and a part (part object). ) META file 76.

As shown in FIG. 6, when data is received from an external proxy, the main body operating unit 71 activates a business application and transmits data. If there is a general-purpose object request from the business application, the META files 75 and 76
, And obtains the corresponding general-purpose object from the general-purpose object library 74 and starts it.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
Is used when the general-purpose framework development middleware is started, and sets the setting items required for the operation of the general-purpose framework development middleware defined by the definition function 73 (FIG. 8) in the fixed initialization parameter file 77 and the variable Obtained from the initialization parameter file 78.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Performs registration, reference, and editing of initial parameters when the general-purpose framework development middleware is started. The definition function 73 includes various M-types used when the general-purpose framework development middleware generates a general-purpose object.
This function refers to, edits, checks the consistency of the ETA file, and checks the consistency between the various META files and the objects, and is a function for performing the necessary definition for operating the general-purpose framework development middleware.

In the general-purpose framework development middleware system configured as described above, as shown in FIG.
The general-purpose object stored in the general-purpose object library 74 is activated based on a general-purpose object request from a business application. Thus, general-purpose processing in the business application can be used in other business applications. Therefore, the development efficiency of business applications can be improved.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the activation and data transmission of the business application are performed by the main body operating unit 71, so that the business application operates on the middleware system and does not directly depend on the OS. Therefore, the business application has versatility for the OS, and the portability of the business application can be ensured.

In the above embodiment, in FIG.
Servers S1, S2 corresponding to clients C1, C2
And the servers S1 and S2 are connected via the Internet, but these networks are
It may be an intranet or a company LAN.

[0022]

The present invention configured as described above has the following effects. According to the general-purpose framework development middleware system of the present invention, the general-purpose object stored in the library is activated based on a request from the business application, so that general-purpose processing in the business application can be performed in other business applications. Will be available. Therefore, the development efficiency of business applications can be improved. Further, the business application operating on the middleware system has general versatility for the operating system, so that portability of the business application can be ensured. Further, since the transmission and reception of data between the general-purpose framework development middleware systems is abstracted from the viewpoint of the business application, interconnection can be performed even if one of the systems is changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an Internet ED using a general-purpose framework development middleware system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing the composition of an I system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hierarchical relationship among general-purpose framework development middleware, business objects, and business applications in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal functional configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of converting the internal functional configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware into an external proxy format.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing activation of a general-purpose object in the internal functional configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing activation of an application in the internal functional configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an initialization function in an internal function configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a definition function in an internal function configuration of the general-purpose framework development middleware.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11-15, 21-25 Business application 16, 26 Business object 17, 27 General-purpose framework development middleware 71 Main unit operating unit 74 General-purpose object library 75 Model META file 76 Parts META file

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A general-purpose framework development middleware system which is positioned higher than a business application as viewed from a network and provides an operation environment for the business application, wherein the META has information constituting an object model for the general-purpose object. A library that stores a file and a general-purpose object that is a module that performs general-purpose processing in a business application as an independent module; and references the META file based on a request from the business application, A general-purpose framework development middleware system, comprising: