Abstract: A method and system for client applications to invoke the services of server applications. A business service system allows a user of a client application to specify the provider of a business service and to specify the communications protocols and transport mechanisms to be used when invoking such business services. The business service system provides a business service proxy that is invoked by client applications when using a business service. The business service proxy uses a mapping of web service to business service to send a request to the server application, which implements the business service in an appropriate format and using an appropriate transport mechanism. The mapping may be customized to point to a different implementation of the business service. The mapping may point to a business service that executes remotely from or locally to the client application.

Abstract: Techniques to track and publish changes to object instances. For an “outbound process” to publish object instances, a list of object instances is initially received. For each received object instance, a determination is made whether or not the object instance has changed since its last publication. For each changed object instance, a delta snapshot is generated and includes data indicative of changes between the current and last published versions of the object instance. Delta snapshots for all changed object instances are then published. For an “inbound process” to receive object instances, the published delta snapshots are initially received. For each received delta snapshot, the corresponding object instance is retrieved and updated with the changes included in the delta snapshot. A new snapshot is also generated for each updated object instance such that the received changes are not published, and unpublished changes made locally are noted for subsequent publication.