Automatic notification of connection or system failure in asynchronous multi-tiered system by monitoring connection status using connection objects

• US 6,314,512 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Branson, Michael J., Halverson, Steven G., Streit, Andrew J., Townsend, Susette M., Rackham, Devaughn L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,352
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/227, 714/4
• US Class Current: 712/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

Detection of a failure in a multi-system application, includes detecting a first message between a first system and a second system and creating a connection object representing a connection between the first system and the second system. Thereafter, connection status is monitored with the connection object to detect a connection or system failure. The same connection object is used for all subsequent messages between the first system and the second system. The multi-system application uses service objects on the first and the second system, and when a connection or system failure is detected, failure handling is initiated, including notifying all service objects of the failure.

Claims

1. A method of detection of a failure in a multi-system implemented application in an asynchronous processing system, comprising:

detecting a first message between a first system and a second system;

creating a respective connection object on each system representing a connection between the first system and the second system; and

monitoring connection status with the respective connection objects to immediately detect a connection or system failure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first system is a network server and the second system is an endpoint system, the method further comprising:

using the same respective connection object for all subsequent messages between the network server and the endpoint system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-system application uses service objects on the first system and corresponding service proxies on the second system, and wherein when a system or connection failure is detected, the method further comprises:

initiating failure handling, including notifying all service objects of the failure and, if appropriate, optionally removing any proxies affected by the failure.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the failure handling further comprises:

starting corrective action and/or clean-up operations.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-system application operates in a three-tiered environment including a presentation logic tier having an end user interface, a business logic tier having an application server, and a data logic tier having an endpoint system, the first system being the application server, and the second system being the end user interface, the method further comprising:

detecting a message between the second system and the endpoint system;

creating second respective connection objects on the second system and the endpoint system representing a connection between the second system and the endpoint system; and

monitoring connection status with the respective second connection objects to detect a connection or system failure.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein each of the connection objects include a Transaction Control Protocol/Internet Protocol socket.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein each of the first system, the second system and the endpoint system include a respective connection manager object having a respective thread, the method further comprising monitoring the connection status of the respective connection object with the respective thread.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising using the same respective connection objects for all subsequent messages between the first system and the second system, and between the second system and the endpoint system.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising initiating failure handling when a system failure is detected.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the multi-system application uses service objects and corresponding service proxies, and wherein the failure handling comprises issuing a failure notification to the service objects.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the failure handling further comprises:

performing a clean-up operation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the clean-up operation comprises:

removing a service proxy affected by the failure.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the failure handling further comprises notifying end users of the occurrence of the failure.

14. In a three-tiered network, a first tier having an end user interface system, a second tier having a central application server system, and a third tier having at least one endpoint system, the three-tiered network implementing a network application utilizing object-oriented programming, in an asynchronous processing system a method comprising:

creating respective connection objects on each system which handle communications between the end user interface, the central application server and the at least one endpoint system, required by the network application;

monitoring each of the respective connection objects to immediately detect a connection or system failure; and

upon detection of a connection or system failure, performing failure handling on each respective system.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the failure handling comprises issuing a notification to an end user of the network application.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the failure handling further comprises performing a clean-up operation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the respective systems use service objects and service proxies, and wherein the cleanup comprises removing service proxies affected by the failure.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the failure handling comprises issuing failure notification messages and handling the failure messages asynchronously.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein all messages issued from the time of detection of the failure through the failure handling are sent asynchronously so that network application operations unrelated to the failure are not interrupted to take care of the failure and the failure notification is not delayed until the application operation terminates.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the failure notification is sent immediately and can be queued by a respective system until an appropriate time for processing.