System, method and computer program product for dynamically changing message priority or message sequence number in a message queuing system based on processing conditions

• US 20060109857A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herrmann, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers

Abstract

A message sequence number or message priority level stored in a queue maintained by a message queuing system may be dynamically changed based on processing conditions by the use of a message sequence regulator (MSR) system. The MSR system includes a message parser, a message extraction repository, a rules repository, a message definition repository, an interface to a resource monitor for monitoring system resources by single resource monitoring agents, and a notification component for identifying sequence regulation operations which cannot be executed. The MSR system receives copies of messages loaded into or retrieved from queues by a queue manager as well as event messages from the resource monitor. The message extracts parts of the message using message structures defined in the rules repository and stores the extracted parts in the message extraction repository. If a defined condition is found to exist, the MSR system initiates calculation of an appropriate message sequence number or message priority level. The queue manager updates the message record without removing the message from the queue.

Claims

1. For use in a message queuing system having a plurality of message queues and a queue manager for loading received messages into the message queues and for retrieving messages from said message queues in response to a received request, a message sequence regulator system comprising:

a first interface for receiving event messages from a resource monitor;

a second interface to a message definition repository containing message definitions defining the structure of the message body for each message type;

a third interface to a rules repository containing at least one rule for each message type, said rule defining which part of the message content is to be stored in a message extraction repository and one or more conditions under which a message sequence number or priority should be recalculated;

a message parser for extracting parts of messages processed by said message queuing system in accordance with a rule retrieved from the rules repository and storing the extracted parts in a message extraction repository, and

logic for receiving a message, evaluating conditions as defined in the rules repository using information in the message extraction repository and initiating a change of a message sequence number or message priority for each matching condition.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said message definition repository is implemented in the form of a database or file.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said conditions assigned to message types in the rules repository are content-based conditions.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said content-based conditions uses content from application messages or event messages.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of new priority or message sequence number is based on one or more of information about utilization of the involved resources, currently expected processing time of the message, and message sequence number of a message.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said extracted message parts includes content from the message descriptor and/or the message body.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said extracted message parts includes content as defined by said rules, message type, timestamp, queue identity, expiration time, message sequence number, and current message priority.

8. A method for dynamically changing the priority level or message sequence number of a message stored in a message queue comprising the steps of:

generating a copy of each application message loaded into or retrieved from the queue,

receiving an event message from a resource;

parsing said copy and said event message using message structure definitions;

extracting and storing parts of the message content based on said message structure as defined by stored rules,

evaluating conditions defined by said rules by using extracted parts of the message, and

calculating a new priority level or message sequence number if a defined condition is found as a result of the evaluation.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said conditions are based on references to extracted parts of message content of other messages.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein at least one condition is the expiration time of a specific message.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein a new expiration time is calculated when a new priority level or new message sequence number is generated as a result of the calculating step.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer program instructions which, when executed on a computer, implement a method for dynamically changing the priority level or message sequence number of a message stored in a message queue by:

generating a copy of each application message loaded into or retrieved from the queue,

receiving an event message from a resource;

parsing said copy and said event message using message structure definitions;

extracting and storing parts of the message content based on said message structure as defined by stored rules,

evaluating conditions defined by said rules by using extracted parts of the message, and

calculating a new priority level or message sequence number if a defined condition is found as a result of the evaluation.