Patent ID: 8200749

Claim:
A data processing method comprising: receiving a request for a service interface description of a service from a client at a server, the service being implemented via a first service endpoint at the server, the first service endpoint being associated with a first service endpoint interface description, and a base service, wherein the first service includes features inherited from the base service, the base service having a base service endpoint being associated with a base service endpoint interface description; employing a given set of correlations for determination of service endpoints correlated with the first service endpoint with respect to a state of the service, each of the correlated service endpoints being associated with a service endpoint interface description, wherein the set of correlations includes information about relationships that exist among the correlated service endpoints, and relationships that exist among a plurality of instantiations of a plurality of states for each of the correlated service endpoints, and specifications of how the first service endpoint is correlated with the correlated service endpoint with respect to at least one of the state of the first service endpoint and the states of the one or more correlated service endpoints, providing instructions on which service endpoint interface description is for generating of the service interface description depending on the states of at least one of the first service endpoint and the correlated service endpoints, wherein the set of correlations identify the features that the first service inherited from the base service, wherein the set of correlations include information about features about the first service endpoint inherited from the base service, which corresponds to an object inheritance model; generating the service interface description by aggregating the first service endpoint interface description and the base service endpoint interface description with the service endpoint interface descriptions of the correlated service endpoints; and providing the generated service interface description by the server to the client, wherein a second service endpoint related to a second service having features inherited from the base service, is correlated with the first service endpoint with respect to the service, wherein the set of correlations is adapted to reflect a correlation between the first and second service endpoints, wherein the second service endpoint is associated with a second service endpoint interface description, and wherein a service interface description reflecting the first and second service endpoint interface descriptions is generated in response to deployment or undeployment of the second service endpoint, and wherein the set of correlations identify the features that the second service inherited from the base service.