Specifying on the fly sequential assembly in SOA environments

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory coupled to said CPU;
• a computer-readable, tangible storage device coupled to said CPU, said storage device containing instructions that are carried out by said CPU via said memory to implement a method of defining an interface of a service in a service-oriented architecture environment, said method comprising:
• receiving definitions of atomic tasks of a first operation included in a first service, said first operation being a request or a response;
• assigning unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks;
• receiving a sequence map required to implement said first service, wherein said received sequence map includes
• a sequence of said unique identifiers corresponding to a sequence of said atomic tasks of said first operation;
• receiving, via a palette, a specification of said sequence map using said unique identifiers and an association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• at a runtime of said computer system, invoking said first operation included in said first service;
• responsive to said invoking said first operation and prior to reading said sequence of said unique identifiers, selecting said sequence map based on said association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• at said runtime of said computer system, dynamically and automatically generating a first interface of said first service to define said first service by said reading said sequence of said unique identifiers in said received sequence map and assembling said sequence of said atomic tasks based on said read sequence of said unique identifiers;
• receiving second definitions of second atomic tasks of a second operation included in a second service;
• assigning second unique identifiers corresponding to said second atomic tasks;
• receiving a second sequence map required to implement said second service, wherein said received second sequence map includes a second sequence of said second unique identifiers corresponding to a second sequence of said second atomic tasks of said second operation;
• and
• at said runtime, dynamically and automatically generating a second interface of said second service to define said second service by reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers in said received second sequence map and assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks based on said read second sequence of said second unique identifiers,
• wherein said reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers and said assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks includes re-using at least one unique identifier of said unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks of said first operation, and
• wherein said dynamically and automatically generating said first interface of said first service and said second interface of said second service does not require static models of said first and second operations, and further does not require creating first metadata for said first service and second metadata for said second service.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer-readable, tangible storage device that is not a transitory signal medium, said storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions that are carried out by a processor of a computer system to implement a method of defining an interface of a service in a service-oriented architecture environment, said method comprising:
• receiving definitions of atomic tasks of a first operation included in a first service, said first operation being a request or a response;
• assigning unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks;
• receiving a sequence map required to implement said first service, wherein said received sequence map includes
• a sequence of said unique identifiers corresponding to a sequence of said atomic tasks of said first operation;
• receiving, via a palette, a specification of said sequence map using said unique identifiers and an association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• at a runtime of said computer system, invoking said first operation included in said first service;
• responsive to said invoking said first operation and prior to reading said sequence of said unique identifiers, selecting said sequence map based on said association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• at said a runtime of said computer system, dynamically and automatically generating a first interface of said first service to define said first service by said reading said sequence of said unique identifiers in said received sequence map and said assembling said sequence of said atomic tasks based on said read sequence of said unique identifiers;
• receiving second definitions of second atomic tasks of a second operation included in a second service;
• assigning second unique identifiers corresponding to said second atomic tasks;
• receiving a second sequence map required to implement said second service, wherein said received second sequence map includes a second sequence of said second unique identifiers corresponding to a second sequence of said second atomic tasks of said second operation;
• and
• at said runtime dynamically and automatically generating a second interface of said second service to define said second service by reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers in said received second sequence map and assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks based on said read second sequence of said second unique identifiers,
• wherein said reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers and said assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks includes re-using at least one unique identifier of said unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks of said first operation, and
• wherein said dynamically and automatically generating said first interface of said first service and said second interface of said second service does not require static models of said first and second operations, and further does not require creating first metadata for said first service and second metadata for said second service.

A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computer comprising a processor, wherein said processor carries out instructions contained in said code causing said computer to perform a method of defining an interface of a service in a service-oriented architecture environment, wherein said method comprises:

• said computer receiving definitions of atomic tasks of a first operation included in a first service, said first operation being a request or a response;
• said computer assigning unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks;
• said computer receiving a sequence map required to implement said first service, wherein said received sequence map includes
• a sequence of said unique identifiers corresponding to a sequence of said atomic tasks of said first operation;
• said computer receiving, via a palette, a specification of said sequence map using said unique identifiers and an association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• said computer at a runtime invoking said first operation included in said first service;
• responsive to said invoking said first operation and prior to reading said sequence of said unique identifiers, said computer selecting said sequence map based on said association of said sequence map with said first operation;
• said computer at said runtime dynamically and automatically generating a first interface of said first service to define said first service by said reading said sequence of said unique identifiers in said received sequence map and assembling said sequence of said atomic tasks based on said read sequence of said unique identifiers;
• said computer receiving second definitions of second atomic tasks of a second operation included in a second service;
• said computer assigning second unique identifiers corresponding to said second atomic tasks;
• said computer receiving a second sequence map required to implement said second service, wherein said received second sequence map includes a second sequence of said second unique identifiers corresponding to a second sequence of said second atomic tasks of said second operation;
• and
• said computer at said runtime dynamically and automatically generating a second interface of said second service to define said second service by reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers in said received second sequence map and assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks based on said read second sequence of said second unique identifiers,
• wherein said reading said second sequence of said second unique identifiers and said assembling said second sequence of said second atomic tasks includes re-using at least one unique identifier of said unique identifiers corresponding to said atomic tasks of said first operation, and
• wherein said dynamically and automatically generating said first interface of said first service and said second interface of said second service does not require static models of said first and second operations, and further does not require creating first metadata for said first service and second metadata for said second service.