Random access for processing messages in a message queue

• US 20050155041A1
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hu, Teng S., Dinh, Hung The, Pham, Phong Anh
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products for random access for processing messages in a message queue that include creating a map relating message identification and message position, including adding an entry in the map whenever a message enters the queue; instantiating a plurality of consumers for the messages; and consuming, with the consumers, the messages in dependence upon the map. In typical embodiments, the plurality of consumers includes a particular number of consumers and such embodiments typically include assigning an ordinal value to each consumer and consuming the messages further comprises identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number of consumers, and the message positions.

Claims

1. A method of random access for processing messages in a message queue, the method comprising:

creating a map relating message identification and message position, including adding an entry in the map whenever a message enters the queue;

instantiating a plurality of consumers for the messages; and

consuming, with the consumers, the messages in dependence upon the map.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of consumers comprises a particular number of consumers and the method further comprises:

assigning an ordinal value to each consumer; and

consuming the messages further comprises identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number of consumers, and the message positions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number consumers, and the message positions further comprises assigning for consumption by a consumer a message having a message position identified by adding the ordinal value of the consumer to the product of the number of consumers multiplied by the number of messages consumed by the consumer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises:

registering the consumers with a queue manager; and

creating a snapshot of the map when a first consumer is registered, including moving to the snapshot all map entries in the map when the first consumer is registered.

5. The method of claim 4 further wherein instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the snapshot.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the map.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

counting messages entering the queue;

counting messages consumed by the consumers; and

changing the number of consumers in dependence upon the number of messages consumed and the number of messages entering the queue.

8. A system for random access for processing messages in a message queue, the system comprising:

means for creating a map relating message identification and message position, including adding an entry in the map whenever a message enters the queue;

means for instantiating a plurality of consumers for the messages; and

means for consuming, with the consumers, the messages in dependence upon the map.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of consumers comprises a particular number of consumers and the system further comprises:

means for assigning an ordinal value to each consumer; and

means for consuming the messages further comprises means for identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number of consumers, and the message positions.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein means for identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number consumers, and the message positions further comprises means for assigning for consumption by a consumer a message having a message position identified by adding the ordinal value of the consumer to the product of the number of consumers multiplied by the number of messages consumed by the consumer.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises:

means for registering the consumers with a queue manager; and

means for creating a snapshot of the map when a first consumer is registered, including means for moving to the snapshot all map entries in the map when the first consumer is registered.

12. The system of claim 11 further wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises means for determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the snapshot.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises means for determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the map.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

means for counting messages entering the queue;

means for counting messages consumed by the consumers; and

means for changing the number of consumers in dependence upon the number of messages consumed and the number of messages entering the queue.

15. A computer program product for random access for processing messages in a message queue, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating a map relating message identification and message position, including adding an entry in the map whenever a message enters the queue;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for instantiating a plurality of consumers for the messages; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for consuming, with the consumers, the messages in dependence upon the map.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the plurality of consumers comprises a particular number of consumers and the computer program product further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for assigning an ordinal value to each consumer; and

means for consuming the messages further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number of consumers, and the message positions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein means for identifying the messages to be processed by each consumer in dependence upon the ordinal values, the number consumers, and the message positions further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for assigning for consumption by a consumer a message having a message position identified by adding the ordinal value of the consumer to the product of the number of consumers multiplied by the number of messages consumed by the consumer.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for registering the consumers with a queue manager; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating a snapshot of the map when a first consumer is registered, including means, recorded on the recording medium, for moving to the snapshot all map entries in the map when the first consumer is registered.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the snapshot.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means for instantiating a plurality of consumers further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a number of consumers in dependence upon the number of map entries in the map.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for counting messages entering the queue;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for counting messages consumed by the consumers; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for changing the number of consumers in dependence upon the number of messages consumed and the number of messages entering the queue.