This application describes systems and techniques for using a Web-service based business process to interact with a Web browser as if the Web browser were a Web service server. In one exemplary implementation, an interface module with a HTTP server is provided to convert data from the Web browser into an XML document from a Web service server and to convert data from the business process engine in an XML document to a Web service server into a Web page for the Web browser. The business process engine may be programmed in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL) or other suitable business process execution languages. Mechanisms for supporting the back button function in the Web browser are described for interaction between the business process engine and the Web browser.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/511,612 entitled "Web Browser as Web Service Server in Interaction with Business Process Engine" and filed on Oct. 14, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as part of the specification of this application.
A Web services access management system which enables loosely coupled Web services can include a servlet configured to receive incoming request messages to access business logic and a mapping table associating different ones of the request messages with different business logic. Mapping logic can be disposed between the servlet and the business logic and configured to route at least part of the incoming request messages to selected ones of the business logic according to the mapping table. Finally, the system can include a response builder configured to build responses with data produced by the business logic responsive to processing incoming request messages routed by the mapping logic. In this regard, changes to the mapping logic can remain transparent to clients transmitting request messages and the business logic servicing the requests.
