Method, apparatus, system and computer program for reducing I/O in a messaging environment

• US 20030220968A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valve Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ware, David, Hickson, Andrew I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Requests from a client to put messages into an input queue are intercepted before reaching the input queue. The intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application are established. Information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner. A request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional, and the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message. Such a message can then be matched with the server application'"'"'s request such that the server application can retrieve the message. In this way, such messages by-pass the input queue, and are, therefore, not logged, resulting in a reduction of I/O.

Claims

1. A method for reducing I/O in a messaging system comprising:

a queue manager for managing at least one input queue;

at least one log for logging message activity in the messaging system;

at least one client; and

a server application separate from the queue manager, the method comprising the steps of;

intercepting requests from at least one client to put messages to an input queue, before the messages reach said input queue;

establishing those intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application, wherein information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner, wherein a request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional and wherein the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message; and

matching such a message with the server application'"'"'s request such that the server application can retrieve the message.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

putting non-established intercepted messages to the input queue for retrieval; and

logging the message to a log.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined manner is that the server application will not, in processing the message from the client, wait for input from another party.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving information from the server application indicating whether said server application uses a one-phase commit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is received at setup.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of:

inferring whether a one-phase commit is used by at least one of an action taken by the server application and a property of the server application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information is a flag.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received at setup.

31. A computer program comprising program code means adapted to perform the method of claim 1 when said program is run on a computer.

11. Apparatus for reducing I/O in a messaging system comprising:

a queue manager for managing at least one input queue;

at least one log for logging message activity in the messaging system;

at least one client; and

a server application separate from the queue manager, the apparatus comprising;

means for intercepting requests from at least one client to put messages to an input queue, before the messages reach said input queue;

means for establishing those intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application, wherein information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner, wherein a request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional and wherein the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message; and

means for matching such a message with the server application'"'"'s request such that the server application can retrieve the message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising:

means for putting non-established intercepted messages to the input queue for retrieval; and

means for logging the message to a log.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined manner is that the server application will not, in processing the message from the client, wait for input from another party.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

means for receiving information from the server application indicating whether said server application uses a one-phase commit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information is received at setup.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising:

means for inferring whether a one-phase commit is used by at least one of an action taken by the server application and a property of the server application.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the information is a flag.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received at setup.

21. A system for reducing I/O therein comprising:

a queue manager for managing at least one input queue;

at least one log for logging message activity in the messaging system;

a server application separate from the queue manager;

means for intercepting requests from at least one client to put messages to an input queue, before the messages reach said input queue;

means for establishing those intercepted requests which refer to a message destined for the server application, wherein information associated with the server application indicates that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner, wherein a request associated with the server application for retrieving such a message is transactional and wherein the server application uses a one-phase commit for retrieving such a message; and

means for matching such a message with the server application'"'"'s request such that the server application can retrieve the message.

22. The system of claim 21, comprising:

means for putting non-established intercepted messages to the input queue for retrieval; and

means for logging the message to a log.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the predetermined manner is that the server application will not, in processing the message from the client, wait for input from another party.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

means for receiving information from the server application indicating whether said server application uses a one-phase commit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the information is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the information is received at setup.

27. The system of claim 21, comprising:

means for inferring whether a one-phase commit is used by at least one of an action taken by the server application and a property of the server application.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received as part of the server application'"'"'s request.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the information is a flag.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the information associated with the server application indicating that the server application will process such a message according to a predetermined manner is received at setup.