TOPIC DISCARD INDICATION

• US 20140214977A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solace Corp.
• Original Assignee: Solace Systems, Inc. (United Kingdom)
• Inventors: Buchko, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

In a message delivery system wherein messages having topic portion defining a topic and a body portion containing information relating to the defined topic are delivered to subscribers based on the topics associated with the messages, the messages are placed in a queue for delivery, and in the event of congestion one or more of the messages are replaced with discard indication messages containing the topics associated with the discarded messages without the corresponding body portions.

Claims

1. A method of managing congestion in a message delivery system wherein messages containing a topic portion defining a topic and a body portion containing information relating to the defined topic are delivered to subscribers based on the topics associated with the messages, comprising:

placing the messages in a queue for delivery;

in the event of congestion in the message delivery system, discarding one or more of said messages in the queue; and

replacing the discarded messages with one or more discard indication messages containing the topics associated with discarded messages without the corresponding body portions.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discard indication messages contain the topic portion of the original discarded messages.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discard indication messages are flagged as discard ineligible to prevent their discard by downstream equipment.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said discard indication message contains a field indicating the number of messages discarded for the topic contained therein.

3. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the queue contains messages for delivery to a local subscriber.

4. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the queue contains messages for delivery to a downstream message delivery system.

7. A method as claimed in 1, further comprising:

receiving discard indication messages at a subscriber, and

determining at the subscriber from the received discard indication messages which topics have discarded messages.

8. A method as claimed in 1, further comprising:

receiving at a downstream delivery system discard indication messages;

matching each of the topics contained within said received discard indication messages to subscribers; and

forwarding a copy of the discard indication message to subscribers that match the topics contained in the discard indication messages.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising receiving discard indication messages at said subscribers that match the topics contained in the discard indication messages, and

determining at the subscribers from the received discard indication messages which topics have discarded messages.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein when any said discard indication messages received at the downstream delivery system containing more than one topic match particular subscribers, said discard indication messages are modified prior to delivery to remove any topics not matching the particular subscribers.

9. A method as claimed in 8, wherein at least some of said subscribers that match the topics contained in the discard indication messages are attached to one or more further downstream delivery systems, and said copies of the discarding indication messages matching said at least some subscribers are forwarded to said one or more further downstream delivery systems.

12. A router for use in a message delivery system wherein messages contain a topic portion defining a topic and a body portion containing information relating to the defined topic are delivered to subscribers based on the topics associated with the messages, comprising:

a queue for enqueing received messages for delivery; and

a processor configured, in the event of congestion in the message delivery system, to;

discard one or more of said messages in the queue; and

replace the discarded messages with one or more discard indication messages containing the topics associated with discarded messages without the corresponding body portions of the messages.

13. A router as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to place the topic portion of the original discarded messages in the discard indication messages.

16. A router as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to flag the discard indication messages as discard ineligible to prevent their discard by downstream equipment.

17. A router as claimed in claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to populate a field in each said discard indication message with data indicating the number of messages discarded for the topic contained therein.

14. A router as claimed in 12, wherein the queue is configured to contain messages for delivery to a local subscriber.

15. A router as claimed in 12, wherein the queue is configured to contain messages for delivery to a downstream message delivery system.

18. A method of managing messages at a downstream delivery system for messages subject to discard by an upstream delivery system, comprising:

receiving at the downstream delivery system discard indication messages containing topics associated with messages discarded by the upstream without corresponding body portions thereof;

matching each of the topics contained within said received discard indication messages to subscribers; and

forwarding a copy of the discard indication message to subscribers that match the topics contained in the discard indication messages to notify the subscribers which topics are associated with messages discarded by the upstream delivery system.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising receiving discard indication messages at said subscribers that match the topics contained in the discard indication messages, and

determining at the subscribers from the received discard indication messages which topics have discarded messages.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein when any said discard indication messages received at the downstream delivery system containing more than one topic match particular subscribers, said discard indication messages are modified prior to delivery to remove any topics not matching the particular subscribers.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising matching each of the topics contained within said received discard indication messages to one or more further downstream delivery systems attached to subscribers interested in said topics;

and

forwarding a copy of the discard indication messages to said one or more further downstream delivery systems for delivery to said subscribers.

22. A storage medium storing instructions for managing congestion in a message delivery system wherein messages containing a topic portion defining a topic and a body portion containing information relating to the defined topic are placed in a queue for delivery to subscribers based on the topics associated with the messages, said instructions when executed on the processor and in the event of congestion in the message delivery system causing the processor to:

discard one or more of said messages in the queue; and

replace the discarded messages with one or more discard indication messages containing the topics associated with discarded messages without the corresponding body portions of the messages.