Patent ID: 8275853

Claim:
A method for selecting a service intermediary in a web service management system, the method being implemented on at least one computer, comprising: receiving, by a web service management system, a service request from a consumer selecting, by a planning module, a service intermediary from a plurality of service intermediaries, the selected service intermediary to forward the service request to a service provider, wherein selecting the service intermediary comprises: collecting and updating runtime performance metrics of the plurality of service intermediaries once the service request is dispatched to a service for invocation; evaluating the runtime performance metrics of the plurality of service intermediaries against a requirement of the consumer; generating mapping information between the consumer's requirement and the runtime performance metrics of the plurality of service intermediaries, wherein generating the mapping information comprises: aggregating the performance metrics by a metrics aggregator; converting, by an ontology adaptor, the aggregated performance metrics into an ontological representation using a knowledge base that serves as a repository for ontological definitions, wherein the ontological representation includes the consumer's requirement in an ontological format; and executing ontological reasoning, by a reasoner, on the ontological representation of the aggregated performance metrics to generate the mapping information; updating the mapping information in a consumer intermediary mapping information database; and selecting the service intermediary based on the mapping information generated between the consumer's requirement and the runtime performance metrics of the plurality of service intermediaries agreed upon between the consumer and the service provider.