MESSAGE DELIVERY DOWNGRADING ANNOTATIONS

• US 20080291909A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Erik Bo, Millet, Stephen James, Wolf, Kenneth David, Allen, Nicholas Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

Selectively modifying a message delivery requirement of a datagram message at an intermediary network node between an origin and a destination. A message delivery requirement is defined for a particular message. The message delivery guarantee defines how to transmit the particular message. A downgrading intent of the particular message is provided for the message at the origin. The downgrading intent of the particular message indicates that the message delivery requirement can be bypassed. The defined message delivery guarantee, the network delivery requirement, and the provided downgrading intent of the particular message are processed at the intermediate network node. The message delivery requirement of the particular message is ignored based on the provided downgrading intent. The message is delivered via a network protocol according to the provided downgrading intent.

Claims

1. A method of selectively modifying a message delivery requirement of a datagram message at an intermediary network node between an origin and a destination, said method comprising:

defining a message delivery guarantee for the particular message, said message delivery guarantee defining how to transmit the message;

providing a downgrading intent for the particular message at the origin, said downgrading intent indicating that a message delivery requirement can be bypassed;

processing the defined message delivery guarantee, the message delivery requirement, and the provided downgrading intent of the particular message at the intermediate network node;

ignoring the message delivery requirement of the particular message based on the provided downgrading intent; and

delivering the particular message via a network protocol according to the provided downgrading intent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message delivery requirement includes a circuit-routing requirement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the particular message via the network protocol comprises delivering the message via one of the following network protocols:

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the message delivery requirement comprises requiring a continuous connection to the intermediary network node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein defining the continuous connection comprises requiring an open connection for a reply message after the message is delivered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing comprises specifying a downgrading annotation indicative of the downgrading intent in a message header of the particular message indicative of a packet-routing capability for successfully delivering the message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing comprises provide an external correlating rule indicative of the downgrading intent, said external correlating rule establishing a uniform rule for delivery of subsequent messages from the origin to the destination such that the downgrading intent is applied to subsequent messages without processing each subsequent message individually.

8. A system for selectively modifying a particular message delivery requirement during transmission of a message comprising:

an origin for sending the particular message, wherein the origin provides a downgrading intent for the particular message, said downgrading intent indicative of bypassing a message delivery requirement of the message;

one or more intermediary network nodes for processing the downgrading intent of the particular message, said one or more network nodes situated between the origin and the destination and providing intermediary stops that the message will pass through before being delivered to a destination, wherein the one or more intermediary network nodes selectively modifies the message delivery requirement of the particular message by ignoring the message delivery requirement of the message according to the downgrading intent; and

wherein the one or more intermediary network nodes deliver the message according to the downgrading annotation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the origin is configured to provide an external correlating rule indicative of the downgrading intent, said external correlating rule establishing a uniform rule for delivery of subsequent messages from the origin to the destination such that the downgrading intent is applied by the origin to subsequent messages without processing each subsequent message individually.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the message delivery requirement comprises a circuit-routing requirement for delivering the particular message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the message delivery requirement comprises maintaining a continuous connection between the origin, the destination, and the one or more intermediary network nodes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the continuous connection comprises an open connection for a reply message after the message is delivered.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more intermediary network nodes deliver the message via a network protocol which comprises one of the following network protocols:

transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the origin is configured to specify a downgrading annotation indicative of the downgrading intent in a message header of the particular message indicative of a packet-routing capability for successfully delivering the message.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for selectively modifying a particular message delivery requirement during transmission of a message, said computer-executable components comprising:

a source component for sending the particular message, wherein the source component provides a downgrading intent indicative of bypassing a message delivery requirement of the message;

an identification component for processing the downgrading intent;

a downgrading component for ignoring the message delivery requirement of the message according to the downgrading intent; and

a delivery component, responsive to the downgrading component, for delivering the message to a destination according to the downgrading intent.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the source component is configured to provide an external correlating rule indicative of the downgrading intent, said external correlating rule establishing a uniform rule for delivery of subsequent messages from the origin to the destination such that the downgrading intent is applied to subsequent messages without processing each subsequent message individually.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identification component is situated between the source component and the destination, and wherein the message delivery requirement includes a continuous connection between the origin, the destination, and the identification component.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the continuous connection comprises an open connection for a reply message after the message is delivered.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the delivery component delivers the message via a network protocol which comprises one of the following network protocols:

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the source component specifies a downgrading annotation indicative of the downgrading intent in a message header of the particular message and indicative of a packet-routing capability for successfully delivering the message.