Method and apparatus for parallel sequencing of messages between disparate information systems

• US 20070118601A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Medicalis Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Pacheco, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6245 Modifications to standard FIFO or LIFO
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A system and method are provided for coordinating concurrent processing of a plurality of messages communicated over a network between a source system and a target system. The plurality of messages are configured for including a pair of related messages having a common first unique message identifier and at least one unrelated message having a second unique message identifier different from the first unique identifier. The system and method comprise an input queue for storing the plurality of messages when received and an output message queue for storing the plurality of messages during message processing. The output message queue includes a plurality of execution streams for facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message with at least one of the pair of related messages. The system and method also include a sequencer module coupled to the output message queue for determining using the first and second unique identifiers which of the plurality of messages are the pair of related messages and which of the plurality of messages are the at least one unrelated message. The sequencer module is further configured for identifying a sequence order for the pair of related messages according to a respective sequence indicator associated with each of the related messages, such that the sequence indicators are configured for use in assigning a first position in the sequence order for a first message of the pair of related messages and for use in assigning a second position in the sequence order for a second message of the pair of related messages. The system and method also have a registry coupled to the sequencer module and configured for storing a pending message status indicator for the first message in the output message queue, wherein the sequencer module inhibits the progression of processing through the output message queue for the second message until the pending message status for the first message is removed from the registry while facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message though the output message queue.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating concurrent processing of a plurality of messages communicated over a network between a source system and a target system, the plurality of messages configured for including a pair of related messages having a common first unique message identifier and at least one unrelated message having a second unique message identifier different from the first unique identifier, the system comprising:

an input queue for storing the plurality of messages when received;

an output message queue for storing the plurality of messages during message processing, the output message queue including a plurality of execution streams for facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message with at least one of the pair of related messages;

a sequencer module coupled to the output message queue for determining using the first and second unique identifiers which of the plurality of messages are the pair of related messages and which of the plurality of messages are the at least one unrelated message, the sequencer module further configured for identifying a sequence order for the pair of related messages according to a respective sequence indicator associated with each of the related messages, the sequence indicators configured for use in assigning a first position in the sequence order for a first message of the pair of related messages and for use in assigning a second position in the sequence order for a second message of the pair of related messages; and

a registry coupled to the sequencer module and configured for storing a pending message status indicator for the first message in the output message queue;

wherein the sequencer module inhibits the progression of processing through the output message queue for the second message until the pending message status for the first message is removed from the registry while facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message though the output message queue.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of stages included in the output message queue, each of the stages for providing at least one step in the processing of the plurality of messages though the output message queue.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least two of the plurality of stages each includes at least two concurrent execution streams of the plurality of execution streams.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the execution streams of the plurality of execution streams are each represented as a thread of execution.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the execution streams of the plurality of the execution streams are each represented as a plurality of individual processes running in parallel, each of the processes for providing message processing suitable for the stage associated with the individual process.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising at least one storage located between two adjacent ones of the plurality of stages, the storage for storing the at least one unrelated message and at least one of the related messages.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the storage is a first-in-any-out memory device.

8. The system of claim 3 further comprising a queue manager coupled to the sequencer module for facilitating passing of the plurality of messages between the plurality of stages according to available ones of the execution streams as determined by the sequencer module based on the pending message status indicator.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of stages is selected from the group comprising:

a queue stage in which the plurality of messages are stored once received;

a pre-processing stage where the plurality of messages are parsed into a basic structure and qualified;

a transformation stage where the plurality of messages are transformed according to user defined mappings and internal transformations;

a process message stage where the plurality of messages are processed for network routing considerations and slated or transmission to the target system; and

a post processing stage where the plurality of messages are transferred from a received status to an error for processed status.

10. The system of claim 2 further comprising the sequencer module configured for using concurrently a plurality of the pending message status indicators associated with the first and second messages in at least two of the plurality of stages.

11. A method for coordinating concurrent processing of a plurality of messages communicated over a network between a source system and a target system, the plurality of messages configured for including a pair of related messages having a common first unique message identifier and at least one unrelated message having a second unique message identifier different from the first unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the plurality of messages;

identifying which of the plurality of messages are the pair of related messages and which of the plurality of messages are the at least one unrelated message using the first and second unique identifiers;

identifying a sequence order for the pair of related messages according to a respective sequence indicator associated with each of the related messages, the sequence indicators configured for use in assigning a first position in the sequence order for a first message of the pair of related messages and for use in assigning a second position in the sequence order for a second message of the pair of related messages;

monitoring the processing of the pair of related messages and the at least one unrelated message in an output message queue by inhibiting processing of the second message until a pending message status indicator for the first message is cleared while facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message though the output message queue, the pending message status indicator for indicating that the first message is resident in the message output queue, the output message queue including a plurality of execution streams for facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message with at least one of the pair of related messages when resident in the output message queue.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of processing the plurality of messages in the output message queue using a plurality of stages, such that each of the stages provides at least one step in the processing of the plurality of messages though the output message queue.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the plurality of stages each includes at least two concurrent execution streams of the plurality of execution streams.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the execution streams of the plurality of execution streams are each represented as a thread of execution.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the execution streams of the plurality of the execution streams are each represented as a plurality of individual processes running in parallel, each of the processes for providing message processing suitable for the stage associated with the individual process.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of storing the at least one unrelated message and at least one of the related messages in a storage located between two adjacent ones of the plurality of stages.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage is a first-in-any-out memory device.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of passing of the plurality of messages between the plurality of stages according to available ones of the execution streams as determined by the sequencer module based on the pending message status indicator.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of stages is selected from the group comprising:

a queue stage in which the plurality of messages are stored once received;

a pre-processing stage where the plurality of messages are parsed into a basic structure and qualified;

a transformation stage where the plurality of messages are transformed according to user defined mappings and internal transformations;

a process message stage where the plurality of messages are processed for network routing considerations and slated for transmission to the target system; and

a post processing stage where the plurality of messages are transferred from a received status to an error or processed status.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of using concurrently a plurality of the pending message status indicators associated with the first and second messages in at least two of the plurality of stages.

21. A computer program product for coordinating concurrent processing of a plurality of messages communicated over a network between a source system and a target system, the plurality of messages configured for including a pair of related messages having a common first unique message identifier and at least one unrelated message having a second unique message identifier different from the first unique identifier, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

an input queue module stored on the computer readable medium for facilitating storage of the plurality of messages when received;

an output message queue module coupled to the input queue module for facilitating storage of the plurality of messages during message processing, the output message queue module configured to include a plurality of execution streams for facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message with at least one of the pair of related messages;

a sequencer module coupled to the output message queue module for determining using the first and second unique identifiers which of the plurality of messages are the pair of related messages and which of the plurality of messages are the at least one unrelated message, the sequencer module further configured for identifying a sequence order for the pair of related messages according to a respective sequence indicator associated with each of the related messages, the sequence indicators configured for use in assigning a first position in the sequence order for a first message of the pair of related messages and for use in assigning a second position in the sequence order for a second message of the pair of related messages; and

a registry module coupled to the sequencer module and configured for storing a pending message status indicator in a registry for the first message, when the first message is in an output message queue provided by the output message queue module;

wherein the sequencer module inhibits the progression of processing through the output message queue for the second message until the pending message status for the first message is removed from the registry while facilitating concurrent processing of the at least one unrelated message though the output message queue.