MashWeb

Supporting a new breed of SOA inspired Web Mashups

MashWeb is a suite of Web components that supports the integration of SOA concepts such as late binding and distributed orchestration of services within your composed Web applications, so-called Mashups. MashWeb enables software developers to integrate 3rd party services dynamically into their applications during runtime and to distribute them between the client and server side. The distribution of Mashups allows for integration of local resources residing on the users’ devices and a Widget-like offline capability.

MashWeb Features

MashWeb enables three key features towards more flexible and more dynamic Web applications.

The MashWeb API provides abstract access to resources and services within the Web, where appropriate services are dynamically integrated during runtime. For instance, Web developers can create a map and center it on a city of their choice by only one line of Java Script code without specifying which service should provide the map. This late binding of services frees Web developers from the usageof multiple different APIs for the same functionality and offers long tail revenues for providers. The selection of a service can be made dependent on policies, user preferences, or quality of service properties.

MashWeb also provides means for the effect driven automatic creation of Mashups. Here, either a skilled user or a software developer can specify the effects that should be generated, while advanced planning algorithms automatically compose a matching Mashup. The resulting Mashup is returned as a workflow graph that can then be executed in the respective runtime environment. Whereas the user can directly interact with the Mashup, a software developer can use it as a basis for more complex applications.

Based on the underlying workflow notion, the Mashup can be distributed between the server and one or multiple clients, where the clients may share either the whole or parts of a Mashup. The distribution optimizes the processing of Mashups through parallel execution and also allows for the secure processing of private data, since such data can be processed by local services residing on the clients and do not have to be transmitted through the network to the service-side.

MashWeb Components at a Glance

The figure presents an overview of single MashWeb components in a server-side setup, but all components can also be deployed on the user device-side.

LATOR – LAte Binding Engine and Call GeneraTOR
LATOR is the core component for the dynamic integration of services into Mashups. It is accessed by software developers through the MashWeb Java Script API and in turn looks up 3rd party services and APIs from a repository that can be automatically integrated into Mashups.

RUMBA – RUntime for CoMposed WeB Applications

RUMBA supports the server-side execution of service compositions underlying a Mashup. SlimRUMBA is a lightweight runtime for clients written in pure Java Script such that it can be executed within any Web browser.

OSP – Orchestration Synchronization Protocol

The OSP supports the partitioning of Mashups such that parts of it can be executed on the server while other components are residing on the client. The protocol stack supports two key phases: within a negotiation phase, the required services and APIs are assigned to either the server or the client, while the OSP guarantees the coherent execution and state management within the execution phase.

DYNAMITE – DYNAMIc CreaTion Engine for Composed Web Applications

DYNAMITE provides means for the automatic creation of service compositions that underlie the Mashups and that are executed in RUMBA. The service compositions are created based on the effects and outputs that are either requested by a skilled user or a software developer.

ROADS – RepOsitory for semAntically enhanceD Services

ROADS is a repository for lightweight semantic service descriptions that are required by DYNAMITE. Sophisticated tools integrated within the MashWeb Management Console ease their creation and maintenance and reduce the additionally required effort to a minimum.

MashWeb Tools and Interfaces

MashWeb comes along with a rich tool support for developers, content providers, and users.

MashWeb Management Console

The MashWeb Management Console encompasses six different modules for the configuration and tailoring of MashWeb. These modules provide access to service repositories for uploading, editing and deleting service descriptions, support the creation of service mappings for the MashWeb API, and allow the definition and storage of user profiles and composition requests. mappings for the MashWeb API, and allow the definition and storage of user profiles and composition requests.

MashWeb Client

Web applications created with MashWeb do not require any modifications at the client side. SlimRUMBA is transferred as Java Script library during the initialization of the Mashup and runs in every Java Script enabled Web browser. A predefined request pane can be integrated in the Mashup that allows users to request effects to be created, entailing the automatic creation of a respective Mashup. FOKUS also offers a standalone Java client the automatic creation of Mashups that also contains a view of the underlying service composition graph for debugging purposes.

MashWeb Markup Editor

Based on the concepts of HTML, a language extension was developed by FOKUS that enables users to create Mashups in the style of classic Web pages; here, the actual interaction with 3rd party services is abstracted by content types. For instance, a user just needs to include a tag within the HTML page without specifying the actual service provider. For the easy creation of such Mashups, FOKUS has developed a MashWeb Editor that is available as a Web application.

MashWeb Benefits at a Glance

• Abstract access to 3rd party services and APIs through a unified MashWeb Java Script API

• Less development costs

• Integration and recovery of services during runtime

• Context-aware service selection and binding of services

• Distribution of Mashups between client and server

• BONDI ready: Compliant to the work of the OMTP forum