Management of business

Abstract

First business process data obtained from a first trading participant includes a set of transaction messages having a first data format in accordance with a first protocol for conducting business transactions used by the first trading participant. A virtual trading participant receives fictitious business process data from the first trading participant and acknowledging the fictitious business process data and replying to the first trading participant that the fictitious business process data has been acknowledged. Operational characteristics and a connectivity of a currently trading participant connected to a process management platform accessible via an interconnection fabric are tested, by utilizing the virtual trading participant to determine if the data defining individual business processes is in a uniform format understood by a process management platform. The virtual trading participant is utilized to ensure compatibility with an identified version of the uniform format.

1 . A system comprising:
 a storage medium comprising a plurality of data protocols; and   a computer system in communication with the storage medium, wherein the computer system:
 accesses first data having a first data protocol from a trading participant of a business, wherein the first data defines individual business functions required for the first trading participant; 
 determines that the plurality of data protocols includes the first data protocol using a virtual trading participant as a testing recipient for the first data; 
 communicates an acceptance of the first data protocol to the first trading participant; and 
 processes a transaction using the first data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises first transaction messages having a first data format in the first data protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the computer system further processes the transaction by:
 determining, by a process management platform configured to manage a flow of the first transaction messages in the first data and monitor the first transaction messages, a second trading participant to satisfy the first data;   identifying a second data protocol for conducting the transactions used by the second trading participant;   generating second data comprising second transaction messages having a second data format from the first data, wherein the second transaction messages are in accordance with the second data protocol; and   transmitting the second data to the second trading participant, wherein the first and second trading participants conduct the transactions in accordance with their respective protocols for conducting transactions.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the computer system further accesses the first data by:
 obtaining the first data by the process management platform at a process gateway, and wherein the process gateway interfaces with at least one legacy system of one or both of the first trading participant and the second trading participant.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the computer system further:
 broadcasts the first data to the second trading participant, wherein the process management platform is configured to utilize at least one open protocol that defines a business function.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the second data protocol differs from the first data protocol, and wherein the first transaction messages comprise an unencrypted header and encrypted payload data compatible with the first data format, and wherein the computer system further:
 decrypts the encrypted payload data and subsequently re-encrypting the decrypted payload data according to the second data format in accordance with the second data protocol;   determines that information in the header is compatible with the second trading participant;   modifies the header including stripping unneeded information from the header and altering content of the header; and   digitally signs the modified header.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first data conforms to a uniform format understood by the process management platform. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the process management platform is configured to process at least one proprietary transaction definition format. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 accessing, by a computer system in communication with a storage medium storing a plurality of data protocols, first data having a first data protocol from a trading participant of a business, wherein the first data defines individual business functions required for the first trading participant;   determining that the plurality of data protocols includes the first data protocol using a virtual trading participant as a testing recipient for the first data;   communicating an acceptance of the first data protocol to the first trading participant; and   processing transaction using the first data.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first data comprises first transaction messages having a first data format in the first data protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the processing the transaction further comprises:
 determining, by a process management platform configured to manage a flow of the first transaction messages in the first data and monitor the first transaction messages, a second trading participant to satisfy the first data;   identifying a second data protocol for conducting the transactions used by the second trading participant;   generating second data comprising second transaction messages having a second data format from the first data, wherein the second transaction messages are in accordance with the second data protocol; and   transmitting the second data to the second trading participant, wherein the first and second trading participants conduct the transactions in accordance with their respective protocols for conducting transactions.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the accessing the first data further comprises:
 obtaining the first data by the process management platform at a process gateway, and wherein the process gateway interfaces with at least one legacy system of one or both of the first trading participant and the second trading participant.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 broadcasting the first data to the second trading participant, wherein the process management platform is configured to utilize at least one open protocol that defines a business function. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second data protocol differs from the first data protocol, and wherein the first transaction messages comprise an unencrypted header and encrypted payload data compatible with the first data format, and wherein the method further comprises:
 decrypting the encrypted payload data and subsequently re-encrypting the decrypted payload data according to the second data format in accordance with the second data protocol;   determining that information in the header is compatible with the second trading participant;   modifying the header including stripping unneeded information from the header and altering content of the header; and   digitally signing the modified header.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first data conforms to a uniform format understood by the process management platform. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the process management platform is configured to process at least one proprietary transaction definition format. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising a computer and a computer readable storage medium, the storage medium storing program code configured to be executed by the computer to perform a method for managing business functions, the method comprising:
 accessing, by a computer system in communication with a storage medium storing a plurality of data protocols, first data having a first data protocol from a trading participant of a business, wherein the first data defines individual business functions required for the first trading participant;   determining that the plurality of data protocols includes the first data protocol using a virtual trading participant as a testing recipient for the first data;   communicating an acceptance of the first data protocol to the first trading participant; and   processing transaction using the first data.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first data comprises first transaction messages having a first data format in the first data protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the processing the transaction further comprises:
 determining, by a process management platform configured to manage a flow of the first transaction messages in the first data and monitor the first transaction messages, a second trading participant to satisfy the first data;   identifying a second data protocol for conducting the transactions used by the second trading participant;   generating second data comprising second transaction messages having a second data format from the first data, wherein the second transaction messages are in accordance with the second data protocol; and   transmitting the second data to the second trading participant, wherein the first and second trading participants conduct the transactions in accordance with their respective protocols for conducting transactions.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the second data protocol differs from the first data protocol, and wherein the first transaction messages comprise an unencrypted header and encrypted payload data compatible with the first data format, and wherein the method further comprises:
 decrypting the encrypted payload data and subsequently re-encrypting the decrypted payload data according to the second data format in accordance with the second data protocol;   determining that information in the header is compatible with the second trading participant;   modifying the header including stripping unneeded information from the header and altering content of the header; and   digitally signing the modified header.