Patent ID: 7573901

Claim:
A method for routing messages in a hub-based messaging system, the method comprising: receiving a message at an inbound protocol converter module of a message hub, the message hub using a protocol version n, the message having a message protocol of a protocol version i, wherein 1≦i<n; transforming the message protocol in the inbound protocol converter module from the protocol version i to the protocol version n; processing the message in the message hub according to the protocol version n after the transforming by the inbound protocol converter module; identifying a target link partner to which the message is to be routed from the message hub; determining a protocol version j used by the target link partner, wherein 1≦j<n, the determining comprising consulting a lookup table that comprises entries that each list a potential link partner for the message hub and an associated protocol version used by the potential link partner, the consulting comprising selecting the protocol j used by the target link partner based on the entry for the target link partner, the protocol version n being greater than or equal to all of the associated protocol versions for all of the potential link partners listed in the entries in the lookup table; transforming the message protocol in an outbound protocol converter module of the message hub from the protocol version n to the protocol version j; and routing the message to the target link partner using the protocol version j.