Interoperable systems and methods for peer-to-peer service orchestration

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for performing policy-managed, peer-to-peer service orchestration in a manner that supports the formation of self-organizing service networks that enable rich media experiences. In one embodiment, services are distributed across peer-to-peer communicating nodes, and each node provides message routing and orchestration using a message pump and workflow collator. Distributed policy management of service interfaces helps to provide trust and security, supporting commercial exchange of value. Peer-to-peer messaging and workflow collation allow services to be dynamically created from a heterogeneous set of primitive services. The shared resources are services of many different types, using different service interface bindings beyond those typically supported in a web service deployments built on UDDI, SOAP, and WSDL. In a preferred embodiment, a media services framework is provided that enables nodes to find one another, interact, exchange value, and cooperate across tiers of networks from WANs to PANs.

1 . A computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code being operable, when executed by a computer system, to cause the computer system to perform actions comprising:
 receiving a request from a user of the computer system to access a piece of electronic content;   retrieving a license associated with the piece of electronic content, the license comprising a control object, a controller object, a protector object, and a content key object;   retrieving a control program from the control object; and   executing the control program to determine if the request may be granted, wherein executing the control program includes evaluating one or more link objects to determine if one or more conditions expressed by the control program are satisfied, wherein each link object represents a relationship between two entities, and wherein evaluating the one or more link objects includes determining whether a first node object associated with a first entity is reachable from a second node object associated with a second entity.   
   
   
       2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , in which the controller object is configured to securely bind the control object with the content key object. 
   
   
       3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , in which the protector object is configured to securely bind the content key object with the piece of electronic content. 
   
   
       4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 3 , in which the content key object includes an encrypted cryptographic key, the encrypted cryptographic key, when decrypted, being configured for use in decrypting the piece of electronic content. 
   
   
       5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 4 , further comprising program code that, when executed by the computer system, is operable to cause the computer system to derive a decryption key from the one or more link objects, the decryption key being configured for use in decrypting the encrypted cryptographic key. 
   
   
       6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more link objects comprises an encrypted version of a first key, the first key being configured for use in decrypting the encrypted cryptographic key, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises program code that, when executed by the computer system, is operable to cause the computer system to perform actions comprising:
 decrypting the first key using a second key associated with the computer system;   decrypting the encrypted cryptographic key using the first key; and   decrypting the piece of electronic content using the cryptographic key.   
   
   
       7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , in which the first entity comprises a user, and in which the second entity comprises a device capable of rendering electronic content.