Integrated resource management system and method

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for communicating between a plurality of disparate hosts and an order processing system includes generating orders at each of the disparate hosts. The orders are transmitted from each of the hosts to a shared message handler using relational database statements. At the shared message handler, the orders are stored in a relational database table structure using relational database statements. The orders are transmitted from the relational database table structure of the shared message handler to the order processing system. Responses to the orders are received from the order processing system at the shared message handler. Each of the responses is associated with a corresponding order. The status of the corresponding orders are updated based on the responses and provided to the disparate hosts.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for communicating between a plurality of disparate hosts and an order processing system, comprising: 
 generating orders at each of a plurality of disparate hosts;    transmitting the orders using relational database statements from each of the hosts to a shared message handler;    at the shared message handler, using relational database statements to store the orders in a relational database table structure;    transmitting the orders from the relational database table structure of the shared message handler to the order processing system;    receiving responses to the orders from the order processing system;    associating each of the responses with a corresponding order;    updating the status of the corresponding orders based on the responses; and    making the status of the orders available to the hosts.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relational database structure is a first relational database structure, further comprising: 
 transmitting the orders using relational database statements from the first relational database table structure of the shared message handler to the order processing system;    receiving responses to the orders from the order processing system;    using relational database statements to store the responses in a second relational database table structure;    processing the responses by performing actions identified by the responses, the actions associating each of the responses with a corresponding order and updating the status of the corresponding orders.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the actions are identified by a third relational database table structure.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the actions include host dependent rules for processing the responses.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein processing the responses comprises parsing each response to identify the corresponding order and the actions.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising storing the status of each order in a third relational database table structure at least until the order is closed.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising maintaining a status history of each order in a third relational database table structure at least until the order is closed.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising opening UNIX socket communication links between the shared message handler and the order processing system for transmission of the orders from the shared message handler to the order processing system and for transmission of the responses from the order processing system to the shared message handler.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hosts is remote from the shared message handler and communicates with the shared message handler via a network, further comprising storing orders generated by the remote host in a queue at the remote host at least until successful transmission of the order to the shared message handler.  
     
     
         10 . A message handler for communicating between a plurality of disparate hosts and an order processing system, comprising: 
 a first relational database table structure operable to store orders received from a plurality of disparate hosts using relational database statements;    a downlink process operable to transmit the orders from the first relational database table structure to the order processing system;    an uplink process operable to receive responses to the orders from the order processing system;    a second relational database table structure operable to store the responses, each response identifying an action to be performed for the response;    a third relational database table structure operable to define actions for responses; and    a response processor operable to process each response in the second relational database table structure by calling the action identified by the response in the third relational database table structure.    
     
     
         11 . The message handler of  claim 10 , wherein the actions include host dependent rules for processing the responses.  
     
     
         12 . The message handler of  claim 10 , wherein processing the responses comprises parsing each response to identify the actions.  
     
     
         13 . The message handler of  claim 10 , wherein processing the responses comprises parsing each response to identify a corresponding order.  
     
     
         14 . The message handler of  claim 10 , further comprising a fourth relational database table structure operable to store the status of each order at least until the order is closed.  
     
     
         15 . The message handler of  claim 10 , further comprising a fourth relational database table structure operable to store a status history of each order of each order at least until the order is closed.  
     
     
         16 . A resource management system, comprising: 
 a plurality of disparate hosts;    an order processing system;    a message handler disposed between the disparate hosts and the order processing system, the message handler comprising: 
 a first relational database table structure operable to store orders received from a plurality of disparate hosts using relational database statements;  
 a downlink process operable to transmit the orders from the first relational database table structure to the order processing system;  
 an uplink process operable to receive responses to the orders from the order processing system;  
 a second relational database table structure operable to store the responses, each response identifying an action to be performed for the response;  
 a third relational database table structure operable to define actions for responses; and  
 a response processor operable to process each response in the second relational database table structure by calling the action identified by the response in the third relational database table structure.  
   
     
     
         17 . The resource management system of  claim 16 , wherein the actions include host dependent rules for processing the responses.  
     
     
         18 . The resource management system of  claim 16 , wherein processing the responses comprises parsing each response to identify the actions and a corresponding order.  
     
     
         19 . The resource management system of  claim 16 , further comprising a fourth relational database table structure operable to store a status and a status history of each order at least until the order is closed.  
     
     
         20 . The resource management system of  claim 16 , wherein the order processing system is a computer-aided dispatch system.