Patent ID: 7590661

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for processing requests to process data on multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), the method comprising: receiving, at a first web service application, a first Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) request for a first service, wherein a first portion of the first SOAP request conforms to a first Web Services specification; based on the first portion of the first SOAP request, the first web service application invoking a first library routine from a shared library, wherein the first library routine implements one or more functions defined by the first Web Services specification; receiving, at the first web service application, first results from the first library routine; the first web service application generating, based on the first results, a first device-specific request that conforms to a communications protocol supported by a MFP; the first web service application transmitting the first device-specific request to the MFP; receiving, at a second web service application, a second SOAP request for a second service, wherein a first portion of the second SOAP request conforms to the first Web Services specification; based on the first portion of the second SOAP request, the second web service application invoking the first library routine from the shared library; receiving, at the second web service application, second results from the first library routine; the second web service application generating, based on the second results, a second device-specific request that conforms to the communications protocol; and the second web service application transmitting the second device-specific request to the MFP.