Message queuing on a data storage system utilizing message queuing in intended recipient's queue

• US 5,906,658 A
• Filed: 03/19/1996
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Raz, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US08/616,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 711/153, 711/147, 395/292, 395/307, 395/478, 395/497.01, 395/859, 710/39
• US Class Current: 710/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A method of transferring messages between a plurality of processes that are communicating with a data storage system, wherein the plurality of processes access the data storage system by using I/O services. the method includes the steps of configuring the data storage system to provide a shared data storage area for the plurality of processes, wherein each of the processes is permitted to access the shared data storage region; when a sending process sends a new message that is intended for a recipient process, sending that new message to the data storage system; storing that new message in the shared data storage region; in response to an action initiated by the intended recipient process, retrieving that new message from the shared data storage region; and further in response to the action initiated by the intended recipient process, sending the retrieved message to the intended recipient process, wherein the sending and intended recipient processes are among the plurality of processes.

Claims

1. A method of transferring messages between a plurality of processors that are connected to a data storage system, wherein the plurality of processors access the data storage system by performing I/O services, said method comprising:

configuring said data storage system to provide a shared data storage area for said plurality of processors, wherein each of said plurality of processors, is permitted to access the shared data storage region;

establishing a plurality of queues within said shared data storage region, each of said queues associated with a corresponding different selected one of said plurality of processors and for receiving and storing messages that are received from other of said plurality of processors and intended for the associated selected one of said plurality of processors;

when a sending processor sends a new message intended for an intended recipient processor, sending said new nessage to said data storage system; and

enqueuing said new message in an intended recipient'"'"'s queue, wherein said intended recipient'"'"'s queue is one of said plurality of queues, and wherein said sending intended recipient processors are among said plurality of processors.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dequeuing a message from the intended recipient'"'"'s queue which contains one or more enqueuing message one of which is the new message; and

sending the dequeued message to the intended recipient processor.

3. A method of transferring messages between a plurality of processor that are connected to a data storage system, wherein the plurality of processors access the data storage system by performing I/O services, said method comprising:

configuring said data storage system to provide a shared data stroage area for said plurality of processors, wherein each of said plurality of processors is permitted to access the shared data storage region;

establishing a plurality of queues within said shared data storage region, each of said queues associated with a corresponding different selected one of said plurality of processsors and for storing messages that are received from said plurality of processors and are intended for the associated selected one of said plurality of processors;

dequeuing a message from an intended recipient'"'"'s queue which contains one or more enqueued messages; and

sending the dequeued message to the intended recipient processor, wherein said intended recipient processor is among said plurality of processors.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

when a sending processor sends a new message intended for an intended recipient processor, sending said new message to said data storage system; and

enqueuing said new message in the intended recipient'"'"'s queue, wherein said intended recipient'"'"'s queue is one of said plurality of queues, and wherein said sending processor is among said plurality of processors.

5. A messaging system comprising:

a data storage system;

a plurality of host processors connected to said data storage system, wherein said plurality of host processors uses I/O services to send data to and retrieve data from said data storage system, wherein said data storage system is configured to provide a data storage area and wherein said data storage system comprises a plurality of queues within said storage are, each of said plurality of queues associated with a corresponding different selected one of said plurality of host processors and for storing messages that are received from said plurality of host processors and are intended for the associated selected one of said plurality of host processors, said messaging system further comprising;

means for enabling another process running one of said plurality of host processors to enqueue a message in a selectable one of said plurality of queues; and

means for enabling another process running on another of said plurality of host processors to dequeue an enqueued message from predetermined one of said plurality of queues.

6. The message system of claim 5 wherein said data storage system comprises cache memory and disk memory and wherein said shared storage area is implemented in said cache memory.