Patent ID: 7509422

Claim:
At least one computer-readable storage medium, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, executable by one or more computer processors, for performing a method, the method comprising: sending by a client application a first message, that includes an identifier, to a referral service, wherein the referral service translates the identifier to identify a locater service to create a re-direct message; receiving at the client application the re-direct message, sent from the referral service, that includes a location of a locater service, the location of the locater service being based at least in part on the identifier included in the first message; sending by the client application a second message to the locater service to invoke the location of the locater service provided in the re-direct message; receiving at the client application a list of locations based at least in part on the identifier and at least one attribute associated with the client application responsible for sending the first message, each location corresponding to and describing a web service that is available; receiving at the client application an error message if one of the locations for one of the web services has been changed; and resending by the client application the first message to receive an updated list of locations if the error message is received.