SYNCHRONIZING AN ACTIVE FEED ADAPTER AND A BACKUP FEED ADAPTER IN A HIGH SPEED, LOW LATENCY DATA COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080010487A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duigenan, John J., Wright, Cornell G., Pike, Hilary A., Naaman, Nir, Gershinsky, Gidon, Okunseinde, Foluso O., Dekel, Eliezer, Krits, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for synchronizing an active feed adapter and a backup feed adapter in a high speed, low latency data communications environment that include brokering, by a stream administration server, establishment of an active message stream to a subscribing client device from an active feed adapter, the active message stream capable of communicating active application messages; brokering, by the server, establishment of a backup message stream to the client device from a backup feed adapter, the backup message stream capable of communicating backup application messages; receiving an active feed adapter state in backup messaging middleware of the backup adapter from active messaging middleware of the active adapter; determining, by the backup feed adapter, whether a backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state; and administering, by the backup feed adapter, operation of the backup adapter in dependence upon the determining.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing an active feed adapter and a backup feed adapter in a high speed, low latency data communications environment, the method comprising:

brokering, by a stream administration server, establishment of an active message stream to a subscribing client device from an active feed adapter, the active feed adapter characterized by an active feed adapter state, the active message stream capable of communicating active application messages to the subscribing client device, each active application message characterized by an active source stream sequence number and an active message sequence number;

brokering, by the stream administration server, establishment of a backup message stream to the subscribing client device from a backup feed adapter, the backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup message stream capable of communicating backup application messages representing duplicates of the active application messages to the subscribing client device, each backup application message characterized by a backup source stream sequence number and a backup message sequence number;

receiving the active feed adapter state in backup messaging middleware of the backup feed adapter from active messaging middleware of the active feed adapter;

determining, by the backup feed adapter, whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state; and

administering, by the backup feed adapter, operation of the backup feed adapter in dependence upon whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the high speed, low latency data communications environment comprises a high speed, low latency data communications network, the network further comprising the active feed adapter, the backup feed adapter, the stream administration server, at least one subscribing client device, and no router.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each feed adapter comprises a device having the capabilities of converting messages on a feed adapter source stream having a first format to messages on a feed adapter output stream having a second format and transmitting the messages on the feed adapter output stream to subscribing client devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the active feed adapter state comprises an active message stream state characterized by the active message sequence number and the active source stream sequence number of the next active application message in the active messaging middleware for transmission to the subscribing client device; and

the backup feed adapter state comprises a backup message stream state characterized by the backup message sequence number and the backup source stream sequence number of the next backup application message in the backup messaging middleware for transmission to the subscribing client device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the active feed adapter state comprises an active message stream state;

the backup feed adapter state comprises a backup message stream state;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message stream state matches the backup message stream state; and

administering operations of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message stream state to match the active message stream state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises reducing a backup stream transmission rate of the backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter has previously transmitted a backup application message having a value for the backup source sequence number that matches the value for an active source sequence number of the active message stream state.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the active feed adapter state further comprises an active message conversion application state of an active message conversion application of the active feed adapter;

the backup feed adapter state further comprises an backup message conversion application state of an backup message conversion application of the backup feed adapter;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message conversion application state matches the backup message conversion application state; and

administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message conversion application state to match the active message conversion application state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the high speed, low latency data communications environment further comprises:

a plurality of backup feed adapters, each backup feed adapter capable of transmitting backup application messages to the subscribing client device on a backup message stream, each backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup feed adapter state comprising a backup message conversion application health state, the method further comprising;

receiving, in backup messaging middleware of each backup feed adapter, the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter;

wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises failing one of the backup feed adapters in dependence upon the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

9. Apparatus for synchronizing an active feed adapter and a backup feed adapter in a high speed, low latency data communications environment, the apparatus comprising one or more computer processors, one or more computer memories operatively coupled to the one or more computer processors, the one or more computer memories having disposed within them computer program instructions capable of:

brokering, by a stream administration server, establishment of an active message stream to a subscribing client device from an active feed adapter, the active feed adapter characterized by an active feed adapter state, the active message stream capable of communicating active application messages to the subscribing client device, each active application message characterized by an active source stream sequence number and an active message sequence number;

brokering, by the stream administration server, establishment of a backup message stream to the subscribing client device from a backup feed adapter, the backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup message stream capable of communicating backup application messages representing duplicates of the active application messages to the subscribing client device, each backup application message characterized by a backup source stream sequence number and a backup message sequence number;

receiving the active feed adapter state in backup messaging middleware of the backup feed adapter from active messaging middleware of the active feed adapter;

determining, by the backup feed adapter, whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state; and

administering, by the backup feed adapter, operation of the backup feed adapter in dependence upon whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the active feed adapter state comprises an active message stream state;

the backup feed adapter state comprises a backup message stream state;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message stream state matches the backup message stream state; and

administering operations of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message stream state to match the active message stream state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises reducing a backup stream transmission rate of the backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter has previously transmitted a backup application message having a value for the backup source sequence number that matches the value for an active source sequence number of the active message stream state.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the active feed adapter state further comprises an active message conversion application state of an active message conversion application of the active feed adapter;

the backup feed adapter state further comprises an backup message conversion application state of an backup message conversion application of the backup feed adapter;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message conversion application state matches the backup message conversion application state; and

administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message conversion application state to match the active message conversion application state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the high speed, low latency data communications environment further comprises:

a plurality of backup feed adapters, each backup feed adapter capable of transmitting backup application messages to the subscribing client device on a backup message stream, each backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup feed adapter state comprising a backup message conversion application health state, the apparatus further comprising computer program instructions capable of;

receiving, in backup messaging middleware of each backup feed adapter, the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter;

wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises failing one of the backup feed adapters in dependence upon the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

14. A computer program product for synchronizing an active feed adapter and a backup feed adapter in a high speed, low latency data communications environment, the computer program product disposed upon a signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

brokering, by a stream administration server, establishment of an active message stream to a subscribing client device from an active feed adapter, the active feed adapter characterized by an active feed adapter state, the active message stream capable of communicating active application messages to the subscribing client device, each active application message characterized by an active source stream sequence number and an active message sequence number;

brokering, by the stream administration server, establishment of a backup message stream to the subscribing client device from a backup feed adapter, the backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup message stream capable of communicating backup application messages representing duplicates of the active application messages to the subscribing client device, each backup application message characterized by a backup source stream sequence number and a backup message sequence number;

receiving the active feed adapter state in backup messaging middleware of the backup feed adapter from active messaging middleware of the active feed adapter;

determining, by the backup feed adapter, whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state; and

administering, by the backup feed adapter, operation of the backup feed adapter in dependence upon whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the active feed adapter state comprises an active message stream state;

the backup feed adapter state comprises a backup message stream state;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message stream state matches the backup message stream state; and

administering operations of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message stream state to match the active message stream state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises reducing a backup stream transmission rate of the backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter has previously transmitted a backup application message having a value for the backup source sequence number that matches the value for an active source sequence number of the active message stream state.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the active feed adapter state further comprises an active message conversion application state of an active message conversion application of the active feed adapter;

the backup feed adapter state further comprises an backup message conversion application state of an backup message conversion application of the backup feed adapter;

determining whether the backup feed adapter state is synchronized with the active feed adapter state further comprises determining whether the active message conversion application state matches the backup message conversion application state; and

administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises setting the backup message conversion application state to match the active message conversion application state if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the high speed, low latency data communications environment further comprises:

a plurality of backup feed adapters, each backup feed adapter capable of transmitting backup application messages to the subscribing client device on a backup message stream, each backup feed adapter characterized by a backup feed adapter state, the backup feed adapter state comprising a backup message conversion application health state, the apparatus further comprising computer program instructions capable of;

receiving, in backup messaging middleware of each backup feed adapter, the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter;

wherein administering operation of the backup feed adapter further comprises failing one of the backup feed adapters in dependence upon the backup message conversion application health state of each backup feed adapter if the backup feed adapter state is not synchronized with the active feed adapter state.