Tentative update and confirm or compensate

• US 20060171405A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Zachmann, Guenter, Eberlein, Peter, Brendle, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for communications in a distributed software system. An operation request from a remote computer is received, and provisionally executes an operation identified by the operation request. A first message is generated. The first message contains a transaction identifier identifying the operation request, an unsuccessful indicator flag, and a temporary data store. The temporary data store identifies tentatively written data generated by the operation. The first message is stored in a message store. If the successful completion of the operation is detected, a second message is generated. The second message contains the transaction identifier as well as a successful indicator flag. The second message is stored in the message store, and the message is transmitted to the remote computer. If the failure of the operation is detected, the message stored in the message store is transmitted to the remote computer.

Claims

1. A computer program, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a computer to:

receive an operation request from a remote computer;

provisionally execute an operation identified by the operation request;

generate a first message, wherein the first message contains a transaction identifier identifying the operation request, a flag indicating the unsuccessful completion of the operation, and a temporary data store, wherein the temporary data store identifies tentatively written data generated by the operation;

store the first message in a message store;

if and only if the successful completion of the operation is detected, generate a second message, wherein the second message contains the transaction identifier as well as a flag indicating the successful completion of the operation, store the second message in the message store, such that the second message takes the place of the first message, and transmit the message stored in the message store to the remote computer; and

if and only if the failure of the operation is detected, transmit the message stored in the message store to the remote computer.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first message is a compensation message and the second message is a confirmation message.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the transaction identifier includes a unique identifier and identification data associated with a particular transaction.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein only one of the first message or the second message can be stored in the message store at any point in time.

5. A computer-implemented method for communications in a distributed computer system, the method comprising:

receiving an operation request from a remote computer;

provisionally executing an operation identified by the operation request;

generating a first message, wherein the first message contains a transaction identifier identifying the operation request, a flag indicating the unsuccessful completion of the operation, and a temporary data store, wherein the temporary data store identifies tentatively written data generated by the operation;

storing the first message in a message store;

if and only if the successful completion of the operation is detected, generating a second message, wherein the second message contains the transaction identifier as well as a flag indicating the successful completion of the operation, storing the second message in the message store, such that the second message takes the place of the first message, and transmitting the message stored in the message store to the remote computer; and

if and only if the failure of the operation is detected, transmitting the message stored in the message store to the remote computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first message is a compensation message and the second message is a confirmation message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the transaction identifier includes a unique identifier and identification data associated with a particular transaction.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein only one of the first message or the second message can be stored in the message store at any point in time.

9. A system having a transaction manager and one or more application components, the transaction manager managing operation requests directed to the application components, the system being characterized by:

means for receiving an operation request from a remote computer;

means for provisionally executing an operation identified by the operation request;

means for generating a first message, wherein the first message contains a transaction identifier identifying the operation request, a flag indicating the unsuccessful completion of the operation, and a temporary data store, wherein the temporary data store identifies tentatively written data generated by the operation;

means for storing the first message in a message store;

if and only if the successful completion of the operation is detected, means for generating a second message, wherein the second message contains the transaction identifier as well as a flag indicating the successful completion of the operation, means for storing the second message in the message store, such that the second message takes the place of the first message, and means for transmitting the message stored in the message store to the remote computer; and

if and only if the failure of the operation is detected, means for transmitting the message stored in the message store to the remote computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first message is a compensation message and the second message is a confirmation message.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the transaction identifier includes a unique identifier and identification data associated with a particular transaction.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein only one of the first message or the second message can be stored in the message store at any point in time.