Service oriented architecture infrastructure for business process verification and systems integrated testing

Abstract

A service oriented architecture (SOA) infrastructure is provided for business process verification and systems integrated testing. The system includes one or more primary agents each dedicated to detecting a particular business process. The system further includes one or more action agents each configured to provide a verification function for the particular business process. Additionally, the system includes a service manager configured to provide context look-up services for the one or more primary agents to determine which action agent of the one or more action agents is responsible for a particular verification function of the particular business process.

1 . A system comprising:
 one or more primary agents each dedicated to detecting a particular business process;   one or more action agents each configured to provide a verification function for the particular business process; and   a service manager configured to provide context look-up services for the one or more primary agents to determine which action agent of the one or more action agents is responsible for a particular verification function of the particular business process   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is a platform independent framework which provides a reference of the action agent to the primary agent. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more primary agents each monitor and detect the particular business process asynchronously; and   the one or more action agents each verify the particular business process asynchronously.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is configured to aggregate reports in a central repository generated asynchronously by at least one of the service manager, the one or more primary agents and the one or more action agents. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage system that includes a look-up table accessible by the service manager for matching the particular primary agent with a respective action agent, wherein the look up table includes at least a description of functionality of the one or more action agents. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary agents is configured to detect asynchronous execution of a respective business process in order to initialize the verification function. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary agents is implemented using a common interface and attached to a trigger that initiates a business process. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is configured to de-couple the one or more primary agents from the one or more action agents. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is configured to provide an ability to add at least one of a new primary agent, new action agent and new business processes without disrupting an existing test run. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is implemented as a web service, a legacy service or a service virtualization. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary agents invoke the one or more action agent outside of the service manager. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service manager is configured to provide services for inter action agent communication in order to request execution of a subset of the scenario verification. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more action agents are standalone agents configured to execute business process verification on-demand as requested by the one or more primary agents. 
     
     
         14 . A method for verifying business processes comprising providing a platform independent central context look-up service for one or more primary agents to match an action agent which is responsible for a particular verification function of a particular business process detected by the one or more primary agents. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing querying services to the one or more primary agents to determine which action agent can be invoked for a detected business process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining the action agent via a look up table such that the action agent can be invoke for verification of the detected business process,   forwarding a reference of the action agent to a requesting primary agent; and   invoking a second action agent when it is determined that the business process is a complex business process which cannot be completely verified by the action agent which is responsible for the particular verification function.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising storing and consolidating reports generated by at least one of one or more action agents, one or more primary agents and a service manager. 
     
     
         18 . A system for deploying an application for verifying business processes, comprising a computer infrastructure having program code embedded on a readable medium and being operable to match a primary agent with an action agent via a central context look-up service such that the primary agent which detected a start of a business process can invoke the action agent which is responsible for a particular verification function of the business process. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer infrastructure is platform independent and is operable to provide services for inter action agent communication in order to request execution of a subset of scenario verification. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to at least one of:
 determine a second action agent via a look up table for verification of the business process;   invoking the second action agent when it is determined that the business process is a complex business process which cannot be completely verified by the action agent which is responsible for the particular verification function; and   provide an ability to add at least one of a new primary agent, new action agent and new business processes without disrupting an existing test run.