Electronic messaging method of and system for heterogeneous connectivity and universal and generic interfacing for distributed applications and processes residing in wide variety of computing platforms and communication transport facilities

• US 5,680,551 A
• Filed: 01/31/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Martino, John A. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/594,512
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/325, 395/200.15, 395/200.03, 395/700
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A novel method of and system for heterogeneous connectivity and universal and generic interfacing for distributed applications and processes residing in a wide variety of computing platforms communicating over varied transport facilities, through an integrated set of lower-level programs and routines that handle specific services (message/data recovery, security, directory services, etc.) available from applications and processes within varied complex computing and communications environments, and without having to deal with the idiosyncrasies of differing networks, protocols, devices, multiple "standards", routing, recovery and other transport difficulties and differences. This is effected by novel single-function software modules or verbs, called application programming interface (API), that together provide a consistent and universal interface through which application programs/processes can access the messaging communications services in a manner that isolates the applications and processes from the confusing and fast-changing communications environment, as well as from differences in various computer operating systems, platforms and hardware.

Claims

1. A method of electronically messaging between computers by heterogeneously and universally interfacing distributed applications and processes residing in a wide variety of differing computer platforms and communications transport facilities of various types, that comprises:

providing a set of single-function software modules controlled by a preselected set of module verbs that together provide a single consistent application programming interface between the applications/process and the communications facility and through which application programs/processes can directly access the electronic messaging;

under the control of the set of module verbs, first queuing and routing messages and data flowing from and to the sending and recovering computer applications/processes and monitoring the delivery status thereof, and then communicating the routed messages and data through a communication agent for each communications transport facility, including the steps, performed by a receiving entity having a queue, of

on receiving a given message from a sending entity having a queue, placing the given message and associated data in the receiving entity'"'"'s queue,

determining whether the given message specifies an acknowledgment, and if so, sending an acknowledgment message to the sending entity, the acknowledgment message specifying that the sending entity can remove the given message from the sending entity'"'"'s queue,

sending the given message to a destination entity, specifying an acknowledgment, and

on receiving an acknowledgment from the destination entity, releasing the given message and associated data from the receiving entity'"'"'s queue, thereby supporting the ability of one of the application programs/processes to specify that delivery for the given message is to be guaranteed, regardless of whether the communications transport facility that carries the given message supports guarantee delivery; and

providing common messaging functions for all communication agents independently of and without user concern for the specifics of the various communications transport facilities and their characteristics.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and in which the module verbs are used to provide for message transfer and receipt, message managing and queuing, and environment resource allocating and deallocating.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which the managing of the data/message comprises managing queues for routing outgoing and incoming data/message transmission and delivery, and notifying applications of message status changes.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

on startup, queues for the data/messages are rebuilt from saved files; and

on shutdown, data/messages which have not been completed and are saveable are entered into such saved files.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 and in which, if the application for a designated user is not active, the application process is started to deliver the incoming data/message.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 and in which each said communication agent manages the passing of data/messages to and from its communications transport facility.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 and in which data/messages, particularly of substantial length, are segmented for sending and are reassembled upon receipt, with segment length optimized in accordance with the particular communications transport facility.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 and in which a message header is applied between the application/process and the module-verb interface to encapsulate prefix header control data with the message to identify the ultimate destination of the data/message and to provide a tag or name for selecting the data/message.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 and in which there is included in the message header all data needed to route, acknowledge or confirm, and recover the data/messages as they move from sender to destination.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 and in which the message header data controls how the data/message is to be handled and further enables adding and dropping information as and when needed or no longer required, including by the communications facility.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7 and in which the message segments are subdivided into message packets corresponding substantially to the maximum handlable by the particular communications facility.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 and in which the message packets are combined in preselected frames prior to sending over the communications facility.

13. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which the particular one of the module verbs is COMMIT, actuation of which informs the routing that a complete message has been successfully received and processed as required and that the message and its related queue data may be released.

14. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is DELETE, actuation of which enables removal of one or more selected messages from a specified queue regardless of priority, pending or active state, or whether receipt has yet been acknowledged.

15. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is FREEBUF, actuation of which releases data storage and queue entries when no longer required.

16. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is GET BUF, actuation of which allocates resources such as internal memory needed to support message sending and status services.

17. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is INITIALIZE, actuation of which connects the calling application or process for electronic messaging by creating and initializing one or more routing message queues, such as a send queue and a receive queue, for the calling process.

18. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is PURGE, actuation of which removes all of the messages from any local queue regardless of priority and pending or active state.

19. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is RECEIVE, actuation of which effects delivery of an incoming message to the destination application and queues the message traffic awaiting delivery and priority to such destination.

20. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is SEND, actuation of which places a message into routing queue for eventual sending to the specified destination.

21. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is STATE, actuation of which enables inquiry about or alters the state of any local routing message queue.

22. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is STATUS, actuation of which enables inquiry about or alters the status of any message in the named message sending queue and obtains the number of messages in such queue.

23. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which one of the interface module verbs is TERMINATE, actuation of which, before application exit, resolves latent messages and then terminates the application connection to its routing message queue.

24. An electronic messaging system for communicating between computers and the like with heterogeneous and universal interfacing between distributed applications and processes residing in a wide variety of differing computer platforms and communications transport facilities of various types, having, in combination:

means for providing between an application/process and a communications facility a set of single-function software modules controlled by a preselected set of verbs that together provide a single application programming interface through which application programs/processes can directly access the electronic messaging by an interface control block;

message routing means controlled by the application programming interface control block for staging messages and data flowing from and to the sending and receiving computer applications/processes by a router control block for determining message handling and communications transport facilities, and monitoring the message delivery status, said message routing means including

means for determining whether a particular message is too large to be handled by a particular communications transport facility, and if so, segmenting the particular message into segments sized to be accommodated by the particular communications transport facility,

means for maintaining a given message and associated data in a queue, and

means, responsive to a particular verb from one of the receiving computer applications/processes that received the given message, for (a) generating an acknowledge message and communicating the acknowledge message to one of the sending computer applications/processes, and (b) releasing the given message and any queue data, said particular verb thus supporting the ability of one of the sending computer applications/processes to specify that delivery for the given message is to be guaranteed, regardless of whether the communications transport facility that carries the given message supports guaranteed delivery; and

communication agent means, one corresponding and connected to each communications transport facility, controlled by common communication management means connected to the routing means and responsive to its said router control block to control the message flow from each communication agent means to its corresponding communications transport facility independently of and without user concern for the specifics of the various communications facilities and their characteristics.

25. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 24 and in which the application programming interface verbs comprise a set for message transfer and receipt, a set for message managing and queueing, and a set for environment resource allocating and deallocating.

26. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 25 and in which means is provided controlled by the communications management means for providing the message with a header containing data needed to route, acknowledge or confirm, and recover the electronic data/messages as they move from sender to destination.

27. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 26 and in which the header providing means further provides information to control how the data/message is to be handled and enables adding and dropping information as and when needed or no longer required, including by the communications facility.

28. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 24 and in which means is provided for segmenting the data/messages for sending and for reassembling upon receipt, with segment length substantially optimized in accordance with the particular transport communications facility.

29. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 28 and in which means is provided for subdividing the message segments into message packets.

30. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 29 and in which means is provided for combining the message packets in preselected frames prior to sending over the communications facility.

31. An electronic messaging system as claimed in claim 24 and in which means is provided for enabling the verbs of said application programming interface modules selectively to effect one or more of the following functions:

(1) to inform the routing means that a complete message has been successfully received and processed as required, and that the message and its related queue data may be released;

(2) to remove one or more selected messages from a specified queue regardless of priority, pending or active state, or whether receipt has yet been acknowledged;

(3) to release data/storage and queue entries when no longer required;

(4) to allocate resources such as internal memory needed to support message sending and status services;

(5) to connect the calling application or process for electronic messaging;

(6) to remove all of the messages from any local queue regardless of priority and pending an active state;

(7) to deliver an incoming message to destination application and to queue the message traffic awaiting delivery and priority to such destination;

(8) to place a message into routing queue for eventual sending to the specified destination;

(9) to inquire about or alter the state of any local routing message queues;

(10) to inquire about or alter the status of any message in the named message sending queue and to obtain the number of messages in such queue; and

(11) to resolve latent messages before application exit and then terminate the application connection to the routing message queue.

32. An electronic messaging system for communicating between computers and the like with heterogeneous and universal interfacing between distributed applications and processes residing in a wide variety of differing computer platforms and communications transport facilities of various types, having, in combination:

means for providing between an application/process and a communications facility a set of single-function software modules controlled by a preselected set of verbs that together provide a single application programming interface through which application programs/processes can directly access the electronic messaging by an interface control block;

message routing means controlled by the application programming interface control block for staging messages and data flowing from and to the sending and receiving computer applications/processes by a router control block for determining message handling and communications transport facilities, and monitoring the message delivery status;

communication agent means, one corresponding and connected to each communications transport facility, controlled by common communication management means connected to the routing means and responsive to its said router control block to control the message flow from each communication agent means to its corresponding communications transport facility independently of and without user concern for the specifics of the various communications facilities and their characteristics; and

means for enabling the verbs of said application programming interface modules selectively to effect one or more of the following functions;

COMMIT, to inform the routing means that a complete message has been successfully received and processed as required, and that the message and its related queue data may be released;

DELETE, to remove one or more selected messages from a specified queue regardless of priority, pending or active state, or whether receipt has yet been acknowledged;

FREEBUF, to release data/storage and queue entries when no longer required;

GET BUF, to allocate resources such as internal memory needed to support message sending and status services;

INITIALIZE, to connect the calling application or process for electronic messaging;

PURGE, to remove all of the messages from any local queue regardless of priority and pending an active state;

RECEIVE, to deliver an incoming message to destination application and to queue the message traffic awaiting delivery and priority to such destination;

SEND, to place a message into routing queue for eventual sending to the specified destination;

STATE, to inquire about or alter the state of any local routing message queues;

STATUS, to inquire about or alter the status of any message in the named message sending queue and to obtain the number of messages in such queue; and

TERMINATE, to resolve latent messages before application exit and then terminate the application connection to the routing message queue;

said routing means including

means for maintaining a given message and associated data in a queue,

means, responsive to said COMMIT verb from one of the receiving computer applications/processes that received the given message, for (a) generating an acknowledge message and communicating the acknowledge message to one of the sending computer applications/processes, and (b) releasing the given message and any queue data said particular verb, thus supporting the ability of one of the sending computer applications/processes to specify that delivery for the given message is to be guaranteed, regardless of whether the communications transport facility that carries the given message supports guaranteed delivery.