Patent ID: 7971187

Claim:
A physical computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising: providing a first service of a plurality of services wherein each of the services is autonomous and configured to perform a distinct function in an information technology (“IT”) infrastructure, and wherein the plurality of services is a stack in the IT infrastructure; receiving configuration information from a loader based on a first code portion of a plurality of code portions in a package, wherein the first code portion is directed to the first service, and wherein at least one other code portion is directed to at least one other of the plurality of services, and wherein the package is distinct from the stack and the loader, and wherein the package includes a declarative encoding of a business or IT process; further configuring the first service according to the configuration information, wherein the further configuring comprises searching, in the package, for references directed to the at least one other of the plurality of services, and wherein the first service comprises a linking framework configured to integrate the stack with systems outside the stack; and interoperating, in response to the further configuring, with the at least one other of the plurality of services according to the configuration information and the declarative encoding of the business or IT process.