Application server and method to perform hierarchical configurable data validation

Claim 1

A client-server computer system comprising: a client application server that utilizes data in a particular form and generates a validation request for validation of the data and wherein the request includes the data in an initial form; an application server accessible by a plurality of client application servers via a plurality of application software protocols, wherein said application server provides a data validation service on the data received from the client application server in response to receiving the validation request from the client application server, wherein the data validation service compares the data in the initial form to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical, table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority and contains validation parameters applicable to a specific field, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and contains validation parameters applicable to a class of fields and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence and returns to the same client application server that generated the validation request an indication of valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; and a storage mass coupled to said application server for storing a system of dynamically maintainable validation functions for performing said validation service.

Claim 21

A system for providing an application service, the system comprising: an application server that receives requests for data validation and that performs data validation by comparing data of the requests that is in an initial form to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence and returns to a same application that requested the data validation an indication of valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; a plurality of applications coupled to the application server, the plurality of applications utilizing the data in a particular form corresponding to the validation parameters and each application sending the data in the initial form to the application server with a separate request by each application for data validation; one or more application programming interfaces, the one or more application programming interfaces for coupling said plurality of applications to said application server and for coupling the data validation requests and data via a plurality of computer network protocols; and at least one dynamically-maintainable data schema coupled to said application server for providing access to data validation functions employed by the application server to compare the initial form of the data to the reference.

Claim 22

A system for providing an application service, the system comprising: an application server that receives requests for data validation and that performs data validation by comparing data of the requests that is in an initial form to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence and returns to a same application that requested the data validation an indication of valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; a plurality of applications coupled to the application server, the plurality of applications utilizing the data in a particular form corresponding to the validation parameters and each application sending the data in the initial form to the application server with a separate request by each application for data validation; one or more application programming interfaces, the one or more application programming interfaces for coupling said plurality of applications to said application server and for coupling the data validation requests and data via a plurality of computer network protocols; and at least one dynamically-maintainable data schema coupled to said application server for providing access to data validation functions employed by the application server to compare the initial form of the data to the reference.

Claim 34

A system for providing data validation service on requests from applications running a plurality of software protocols, the system comprising: a data network; an application server, the application server in communication with the data network to receive data within validation requests for validation of the initial form of the data and wherein the application server compares the initial form of the data to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence and returns to a same application that requested the data validation an indication of valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; at least one application that utilizes the data in a particular form corresponding to the validation parameters, the application in communication with the application server, the application providing validation requests and data in the initial form to the application server via the data network and receiving the indication of valid or invalid back from the application server; one or more open application programming interfaces, the one or more application programming interfaces capable of handling a plurality of software protocols and in communication with the application server and said applications; and a data schema in communication with said data network, for storing validation functions, and accessible by said application server, wherein said application server processes the validation requests and returns a response of valid or invalid to the applications according to said validation functions stored in said data schema for comparing the initial form of the data to the reference.

Claim 35

A system for providing data validation service on requests from applications running a plurality of software protocols, the system comprising: a data network; an application server, the application server in communication with the data network to receive data within validation requests for validation of the initial form of the data and wherein the application server compares the initial form of the data to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence and returns to a same application that requested the data validation an indication of valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; at least one application that utilizes the data in a particular form corresponding to the validation parameters, the application in communication with the application server, the application providing validation requests and data in the initial form to the application server via the data network and receiving the indication of valid or invalid back from the application server; one or more open application programming interfaces, the one or more application programming interfaces capable of handling a plurality of software protocols and in communication with the application server and said applications; and a data schema in communication with said data network, for storing validation functions, and accessible by said application server, wherein said application server processes the validation requests and returns a response of valid or invalid to the applications according to said validation functions stored in said data schema for comparing the initial form of the data to the reference.

Claim 40

A system for providing an application service, the system comprising: means for receiving a service request from a customer application computer, wherein the customer application computer requests a validation service to determine whether data in an initial form is valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; means for sending a validation request instruction to an application server corresponding to data in the initial form to be validated; means for sending a service request from the application server to a database, the service request based at least in part on the validation request; means for performing hierarchically-based validation services on the data that is in the initial form by comparing the initial form of the data to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence; means for remotely updating said database based on current validation requirements of said system; means for sending a validation result to the same customer application computer that sent the request for validation and including the indication of whether the data is valid or invalid based on whether the initial form matched the validation parameters from the application server to said customer based at least in part on the validation request; and means for providing a response to said system from said customer application computer in response to said validation result.

Claim 41

A system for providing an application service, the system comprising: means for receiving a service request from a customer application computer, wherein the customer application computer requests a validation service to determine whether data in an initial form is valid or invalid, wherein further the data in the initial form is determined to be in a valid format when a data item specified in the data in the initial form has a non-empty table field, the data item specified in the data in the initial form is in a valid data format, and when the data item falls within a set of range of validation values; means for sending a validation request instruction to an application server corresponding to data in the initial form to be validated; means for sending a service request from the application server to a database, the service request based at least in part on the validation request; means for performing hierarchically-based validation services on the data that is in the initial form by comparing the initial form of the data to validation parameters stored in a hierarchical table-based system of a plurality of rules organized into at least a FIELD view, a CLASS view and a GLOBAL view, wherein the FIELD view is the view of first priority, the CLASS view is the view of second priority and the GLOBAL view is the default view when there is no match to the data in the FIELD and CLASS views wherein further the rules included in each of the FIELD view, CLASS view and GLOBAL view are prioritized in a predetermined execution sequence; means for remotely updating said database based on current validation requirements of said system; means for sending a validation result to the same customer application computer that sent the request for validation and including the indication of whether the data is valid or invalid based on whether the initial form matched the validation parameters from the application server to said customer based at least in part on the validation request; and means for providing a response to said system from said customer application computer in response to said validation result.