Patent ID: 7801976

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: capturing service properties in one or more self-describing service process profiles with machine readable metadata; receiving a request for service, wherein the service request comprises metadata describing software application services; interrogating metadata, by a computer system processor, associated with the service request and possible services by reviewing service properties captured in the service process profiles, including validating the security and/or credentials of each of the possible services; making a decision based upon results of interrogating the metadata associated with the service request and the possible services; and taking action, by the computer system processor, based upon the decision, wherein at least one of the service process profiles comprises: a service manage profile including metadata describing at least one of thresholds, resource requirements, service level characteristics and autonomics; a service meter profile which includes information for determining when to use middleware for billing functions and which can detect an impending Service Level Agreement (SLA) failure by a resource and re-route service to utilize distributed services outside of the resource responsive to a detected impending SLA failure; a service process profile including metadata describing at least one of process flows, inputs, outputs, preconditions, effects, and service interfaces; and a service adapt profile including metadata describing at least one of context aware adaptations, client profile, preferences and context.