Service composition environment

A computer-readable memory having computer-executable instructions for providing a graphical tool for defining a context, the instructions comprising:

• displaying a work area that is used to define participants;
• routing rules and collaborative context rules for the context;
• wherein the participants include at least two aggregated composite services;
• displaying participants for the context within the work area;
• displaying routing information within the work area;
• wherein the routing information connects the participants;
• and
• displaying the collaborative context rules within the work area;
• wherein the collaborative context rules control the exchange and the routing of messages between the participants in the context;
• wherein the routing information and the collaborative context rules further comprises applying a design pattern to the services;
• wherein the design pattern includes routing rules that define allowed connections between the services;
• wherein when a second defined context is added, the second defined context discovers the existing defined context's context and routing rules and integrates itself with the defined context's context and routing rules such that the second defined context becomes a part of the defined context.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor and a computer-readable medium;
• an operating environment stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor;
• a display;
• and
• an application operating under the control of the operating environment and operative to perform actions, including:
• editing services within a service composition environment to create a virtualized collaboration environment;
• wherein the services within the service composition environment comprise an individual service and at least two aggregated composite services that aggregate at least a composite service with at least another composite service;
• determining when a service is added and when the service is added:
• obtaining metadata relating to the service;
• wherein the metadata includes functional and non-functional policies, governance regulations, management aspects, and programmable binding information that relates to the service;
• editing routing rules;
• wherein the routing rules link each of the services;
• editing a collaborative context that controls the exchange and the routing of messages between the services;
• wherein the routing rules and the collaborative context further comprises applying a design pattern to the services;
• wherein the design pattern includes routing rules that define allowed connections between the services;
• adding and integrating a second virtualized collaboration environment to the virtualized collaboration environment;
• and when added the second virtual collaborative environment discovers the existing virtualized collaboration environment's context and routing rules and integrates itself with the virtualized environment's context and routing rules such that the second virtualized collaboration environment becomes a part of the virtualized collaboration environment;
• generating an XML definition that defines the services, the routing rules;
• properties relating to the services and the collaborative context;
• and the second virtual collaborative environment.