Patent ID: 8204849
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for providing a web product interface, comprising: storing a plurality of product profiles in a product profile repository located on a server, wherein the plurality of product profiles provide interfaces at the server to multiple agents that retrieve multiple different datasets from multiple different software products that generate the multiple different datasets in multiple different product formats; receiving, at an interface in the server, a request to retrieve a plurality of the multiple different datasets from a client remote from the server, wherein the request identifies a plurality of the multiple different software products that generate the plurality of the multiple different datasets, and wherein the remote client selects one or more menu items from a menu that the server presents to the remote client to initiate the request and specify one or more particular product profiles among the plurality of product profiles that will be used to generate the plurality of the multiple different datasets; selecting, using the interface at the server, the identified plurality of the multiple different software products in response to the request received from the remote client, wherein the selected plurality of the multiple different software products reside on one or more machines located remotely from the server and the remote client; identifying, at the server, a plurality of the multiple agents associated with the selected plurality of the multiple different software products, wherein the server identifies the plurality of the multiple agents from the plurality of product profiles stored in the product profile repository in the server; requesting, by the server, the plurality of the multiple different datasets from the identified plurality of the multiple agents, wherein the identified plurality of the multiple agents retrieve the requested plurality of the multiple different datasets from the selected plurality of the multiple different software products; receiving, at the server, the requested plurality of the multiple different datasets from the identified plurality of the multiple agents, wherein the server receives the requested plurality of the multiple different datasets in a plurality of the multiple different product formats generated by the selected plurality of the multiple different software products; transforming, at the server, the plurality of the multiple different datasets received from the identified plurality of the multiple agents in the plurality of the multiple different product formats into a unified format compatible with a web browser located on the remote client, wherein the server transforms the plurality of the multiple different datasets into the unified format regardless of the product formats in which the selected plurality of the multiple different software products generate the plurality of the multiple different datasets; and providing the plurality of the multiple different datasets transformed into the unified format from the server to the remote client in response to the request, wherein the web browser located on the remote client outputs the plurality of the multiple different datasets in the unified format, and wherein the plurality of the multiple different datasets are incompatible with the web browser prior to the server transforming the plurality of the multiple different datasets into the unified format.