System and method for exchanging information among exchange applications

Abstract

In a system and method for processing messages in a gateway, a gateway message is received at the gateway, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a unique message identifier block, a target block identifying where the gateway message is going, and a history block providing a log of what has happened to the gateway message. Each block in the gateway message header is processed by the gateway in accordance with a message type, the processing including determining a target application for receiving the payload. The payload is provided to the determined target application. Each block includes one or more values.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing messages in a gateway, comprising:
 receiving a gateway message, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a unique message identifier block, a target block identifying where the gateway message is going, and a history block providing a log of what has happened to the gateway message;   processing each block in the gateway message header in accordance with a message type, the processing including determining a target application for receiving the payload; and   providing the payload to the target application,   wherein each block includes one or more values.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  1 , wherein the gateway message header includes an attachment block providing a location of an attachment, the method further comprising providing the location of the attachment to the target application. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , the method further comprising
 receiving a request from the target application to provide to the target application a copy of the attachment stored in a data store in a gateway.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , the method further comprising
 receiving a request from the target application to move the attachment stored in a data store in a first gateway to a data store in a second gateway.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , the method further comprising
 receiving a request from the target application to provide read access to the attachment stored in a data store in a gateway.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload is part of a collection, and
 wherein the gateway message header further includes a collection block including collection identifier block indicating to which collection the application payload belongs and a collection type block.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the collection type is a group, the group having an indication of a beginning of the group. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the collection type is a set, the set having an indication of a beginning and an end of the set. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the collection type is a sequence, the sequence having an indication of a beginning and an end of the sequence and an indication of an order of the sequence. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6  further comprising executing a process on the gateway message, wherein the process is selected from a plurality of processes based on the collection type block. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing includes identifying a process from a plurality of processes to process the gateway message. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the identified process includes a sequence of procedures, the sequence of procedures including a procedure for processing each block in the message header. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising adding a procedure to the sequence of procedures in the identified process that meets requirements of a defined programming interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising changing a procedure in the sequence of procedures in the identified process that meets requirements of a defined programming interface. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein a procedure in the sequence of procedures in the identified process includes a declarative collection of business rules. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing information in the gateway message to either the gateway or an out queue based on information in the gateway message, the out queue providing the information in the gateway message to a target application. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the gateway message is provided to the gateway or the out queue based on the target block in the gateway message header. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising sending information in the gateway message to a target application based on information in the gateway message using a messaging mechanism. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein processing the gateway message includes decrypting at least a portion of the gateway message that has been digitally signed or encrypted. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the portion of the gateway message that is decrypted is determined according to the message type of the gateway message. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the gateway message header includes a security block that identifies what portion of the gateway message was digitally signed or encrypted. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 identifying a payload type from the gateway message;   determining if the payload is structured based on the payload type;   applying a mapper to transform payload from a normative XML formatted payload into a non-normative XML formatted payload if the payload is structured; and   applying a formatter to transform the payload from the non-normative XML formatted payload into a structured format of the payload.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the applied formatter is selected from a plurality of formatters based on the payload type. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the applied mapper is selected from a plurality of mappers based on the payload type. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the normative XML formatted payload has a structure and an associated set of rules that are expected by the gateway. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the formatter transforms each element of the non-normative XML formatted payload into an element of the payload in the structured format. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising validating at least the non-normative XML formatted payload or the normative XML formatted payload based on an XML schema associated with the non-normatively XML format or normative XML format, respectively. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the XML schema includes at least one cross-field syntax rule, the validating including validation of the at least one cross-field syntax rule. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the gateway message includes a key block in the gateway message header, the key block identifying fields in the gateway message that are persisted in a data store. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising persisting the gateway message in the data store, the persisting including extracting values from the identified fields in the key block and storing the identified fields in the data store so that the identified fields are searchable. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload includes financial transaction data. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload includes medical or patient data. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload includes security and access control data. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload includes compliance and regulatory data. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the payload includes communication protocols and network data. 
     
     
         36 . A gateway for processing messages, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory, coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a plurality of instructions executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions configured to:
 receive a gateway message, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a unique message identifier block, a target block identifying where the gateway message is going, and a history block providing a log of what has happened to the gateway message; 
 process each block in the gateway message header in accordance with a message type, the processing including determining a target application for receiving the payload; and 
 provide the payload to the target application, 
   wherein each block includes one or more values.   
     
     
         37 . The gateway according to  claim 36 , the memory further comprising instructions configured to:
 identify a payload type from the gateway message;   determine if the payload is structured based on the payload type;   apply a mapper to transform payload from a normative XML formatted payload into a non-normative XML formatted payload if the payload is structured; and   apply a formatter to transform the payload from the non-normative XML formatted payload into a structured format of the payload.   
     
     
         38 . A gateway for processing messages, comprising:
 a first abstract queue configured to receive a gateway message, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a unique message identifier block, a target block identifying where the gateway message is going, and a history block providing a log of what has happened to the gateway message;   at least one processing unit configured to process each block in the gateway message header in accordance with a message type, the processing including determining a target application for receiving the payload; and   a second abstract queue configured to receive the payload from the at least one processing unit and to provide the payload to the target application,   wherein each block includes one or more values.   
     
     
         39 . The gateway according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one processing unit further comprises:
 a mapper to transform the payload from a normative XML formatted payload into a non-normative XML formatted payload if the payload is structured; and   a formatter to transform the payload from the non-normative XML formatted payload into a structured format of the payload.