Patent ID: 8738779

Claim:
A method for a context-based service lookup, the method comprising: receiving from a service instance having a scope, at least one service instance data set having a hierarchical state structure on a processor, with each state of each hierarchy level contained in a respective higher-level state of a hierarchy; receiving from a service consumer having a situation, at least one service consumer data set having said hierarchical state structure on the processor, wherein said service instance data set comprises an amount of state levels independent from an amount of levels contained in said service consumer data set; comparing each service consumer data set with each service instance data set by performing comparisons of respective state values of states of a same level of hierarchy within the processor; aggregating the results of the comparisons within the processor; determining, depending on the aggregate results, if said situation of said service consumer matches said scope of said service instance within the processor; after said determining if said situation of said service consumer matches said scope of said service instance, outputting an aggregate variable that comprises a fail value, wherein said at least one service consumer data set comprises a plurality of allocated state values; and assigning a match value to a compare variable, if said respective state values of states of the same level in the hierarchy of said service consumer data set and a state value of said service instance data set have a wild card value, said wild card value comprising a value that stands for all possible values of said respective state values of states.