Patent Grant
7739696
The present invention generally relates to communicating messages and more particularly to translating messages between message protocols.
Complex systems often comprise multiple data processing devices that input and output message data using any number of messaging protocols. Often, two devices with the need to communicate data to each other cannot do so directly because each communicates using incompatible message protocols. For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for systems and methods for deciphering information from one message protocol and translate the information into another message protocol.
The Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for message translation and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.
In one embodiment, a method for translating messages is provided. The method comprises reading a first sequence of one or more message elements from a first interface, wherein the message elements are structured based on a first protocol; converging on a message mapping node based on the first sequence of one or more message elements, wherein the message mapping node is defined by a protocol metadata schema; performing one or more conversion operations on the first sequence of one or more message elements to construct a second sequence of one or more message elements, wherein the one or more conversion operations are based on the message mapping node; and writing the second sequence of one or more message elements to a second interface.
In another embodiment, a message translation engine is provided. The message translation engine comprises a first interface adapted to input a first sequence of one or more message elements; a second interface adapted to output a second sequence of one or more message elements; a processor coupled to the first physical interface and the second physical interface; and a state driver application executing on the processor, the state driver application adapted to read the first sequence of one or more message elements from the first physical interface, identify a message mapping node of a protocol metadata schema based on the first sequence of one or more message elements, and perform one or more conversion operations on the first sequence of one or more message elements to construct a second sequence of one or more message elements, wherein the one or more conversion operations are based on the message mapping node. The state driver is further adapted to output the second sequence of one or more message elements to the second physical interface.
In yet another embodiment, a computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions for a method for translating messages is provided. The method comprises reading a first sequence of one or more message elements from a first interface, wherein the message elements are structured based on a first protocol; converging on a protocol metadata schema message mapping node based on the first sequence of one or more message elements; performing one or more conversion operations on the first sequence of one or more message elements to construct a second sequence of one or more message elements, wherein the one or more conversion operations are based on the metadata schema message mapping node; and writing the second sequence of one or more message elements to a second interface.
Embodiments of he present invention can be more easily understood and further advantages and uses thereof more readily apparent, when considered in view of the description of the embodiments and the following figures in which:
In accordance with common practice, the various described features are not drawn to scale but are drawn to emphasize features relevant to the present invention. Reference characters denote like elements throughout figures and text.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific illustrative embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
Embodiments of the present invention convert messages formatted with a first protocol, based on message formats defined by XML protocol metadata files, into messages formatted for a second protocol. Metadata is a form of information that describes the structural format of a data stream.
Illustrated in
As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, the structured textural format of XML files are readily interpretable and modifiable by human beings skilled in the art. For this reason, XML files are easily reviewed and edited by skilled human beings. However, XML files are not a format optimized for execution by a computer processor. For this reason, XML files comprising protocol metadata schema 100 are compiled into computer executable code as described herein. In one embodiment, message translation system 200 stores protocol metadata schema 100 in one or more XML protocol metadata files 240 coupled to state driver 230. In one embodiment, state driver 230 reads in the protocol metadata stored in XML protocol metadata files 240 during a startup-initialization phase of message translation system 200. State driver 230 then compiles the metadata into a parser dictionary 250. Parser dictionary 250 comprises a distillation of protocol metadata schema 100 into a format readily executable by message translation system 200, such as, but not limited to, a state machine or lookup table.
In one embodiment, in operation, state driver 230 reads a first protocol A message element from input interface 220. Based on information from parser dictionary 250 about that element, state driver 230 determines the allowable elements that can legitimately follow. Additional elements are sequentially read in from input interface 220 until the sequence of elements converges on a single message mapping node 124 of protocol metadata schema 100. Converging onto that single message mapping node 124 identifies the sequence of messages as a unique protocol A message received by message translation system 200. Additionally, convergence on that particular mapping node 124 identifies the protocol B message to output. To construct the appropriate sequence of protocol B message elements, state driver 230 executes each conversion operation 124 defined by the message mapping node on the received sequence of protocol A message elements. State driver 230 writes the resulting sequential protocol B message elements out to output interface 225.
In one embodiment, parser dictionary 250 is a state machine executed by state driver 230 in real time, which enables state driver 230 to begin constructing a protocol B message from a protocol A message, while the protocol A message is being received. Utilizing a state machine allows state driver 230 to construct protocol B messages significantly faster than if state driver 230 referred directly to XML protocol metadata files 240 for each message translation. As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a number of traditional parser approaches may be leveraged to build a parser dictionary 250 state machine from protocol metadata schema 100. For example, one common parser generator is the Yet Another Compiler Compiler (YACC) which inputs metadata describing the grammar of input messages and then generates C programming language code for a parser.
In one embodiment, in operation, state driver 230 feeds an incoming first sequence of elements into the parser dictionary state machine until the parser dictionary state machine reaches a terminal state. State driver 230 then looks up the message mapping node 122 correlating to the terminal state and executes conversion operations 126 on the first sequence of elements to produce a second sequence of elements forming a protocol B message. State driver 230 then outputs the protocol B message.
As previously mentioned, in one embodiment, state driver 230 recompiles XML protocol metadata files 240 into parser dictionary 250 during a startup-initialization phase of message translation engine 210. This allows system operators to update XML protocol metadata files 240 to reflect modifications in protocol metadata schema 100 without affecting the continuing operation of message translation system 200. When updates to XML protocol metadata files 240 are complete, system operator can then reinitialize message translation engine 210, load and compile the revised XML protocol metadata files 240, and implement the modified protocol metadata schema 100.
In some applications, a message translation engine such as those discussed above is desired to operate within an embedded system having limited computing capacity. For example, a message translation engine may be desired to translate messages to or from a payload software application executing on a spaced based satellite processor having limited computing power and storage capacity. For many embedded systems, compiling a set of XML protocol metadata files into a parser dictionary exceeds the embedded system's computing capacity.
In one embodiment, one or both of protocol A device 610 and protocol B device 620 are embedded within an embedded system such as, but not limited to an orbiting satellite. In that case, in one embodiment, one or more of communications links 650-653 are wireless communications links. In one embodiment, one or both of first message translation engine 630 and second message translation engine 640 are embedded message translation engines as described with respect to
Several means are available to implement the processors discussed with respect to the current invention. These means include, but are not limited to, digital computer systems, programmable controllers, or field programmable gate arrays. Therefore other embodiments of the present invention are program instructions resident on computer readable media which when implemented by such processors, enable the processors to implement embodiments of the present invention. Computer readable media include any form of computer memory, including but not limited to punch cards, magnetic disk or tape, any optical data storage system, flash read only memory (ROM), non-volatile ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable-programmable ROM (E-PROM), random access memory (RAM), or any other form of permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary memory storage system or device. Program instructions include, but are not limited to computer-executable instructions executed by computer system processors and hardware description languages such as Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL).
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
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