e-nvention connecTem is a system which allows the configuration and observation of data hanlding processes. Data handling processes can be connected together to arbitrary chains of data processing. The programs used for data processing, so called Service Providers, can be located anywhere within the overall internet or somewhere in the local intranet. The e-nvention connecTem system consists of a whole variety of those Service Providers, of the e-nvention connecTem application and of a communication protocol. The communication protocol specifies how the Service Providers communicate with each other and how they communicate with the connecTem application.