Server computer system utilizing an asynchronous messaging technique having separate request and response paths

• US 7,191,253 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hathaway, Richard, Clark, Douglas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US10/254,187
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/250, 717/171
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs

Abstract

A distributed processing environment includes a mainframe computer system having a plurality of processing sub-spaces. An asynchronous messaging service resides in each of the processing sub-spaces. Additionally, a server process application resides in a first one of the processing sub-spaces while an instance of a handler application resides in each one of the remaining processing sub-spaces. A client computer system issues a request message to the asynchronous messaging service residing in the first processing sub-space. If the server process application requires the services of the handler application to handle the request message, the server process application passes the request to an instance of the handler application selected using a load balancing algorithm. After processing the received request, the handler application returns a response to the request to the requesting client computer system via the asynchronous messaging service application residing with it in one of the processing sub-spaces.

Claims

1. An enterprise network of computer systems comprising client computer systems and at least one client messaging service in communication with said client computer systems and comprising a server computer system suitable for use in a distributed processing environment, said server computer system comprising:

a processing space comprised of a first processing sub-space and a second processing sub-space;

said first processing sub-space having an asynchronous messaging service residing therein;

said second processing sub-space having an asynchronous messaging service and a handler application residing therein;

wherein requests for said handler application are transmitted, by said client computer systems by way of said client messaging service application, to said asynchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space, said asynchronous messaging service in said first processing sub-space transmitting said requests to said handler in said second processing space, and responses to said requests for said handler application are returned, by said asynchronous messaging service residing in said second processing sub-space, to said at least one client messaging service and to said requesting client computer systems bypassing said synchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space.

2. The server computer system of claim 1, wherein said asynchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space serves as a first front end of said server computer system.

3. The server computer system of claim 2, wherein said first front end of said server computer system handles incoming messages to said server computer system.

4. The server computer system of claim 3, wherein said asynchronous messaging service residing in said second processing sub-space serves as a second front end of said server computer system.

5. The server computer system of claim 4, wherein said second front end of said server computer system handles outgoing messages for said server computer system.

6. The server computer system of claim 5, wherein said server computer system is a mainframe computer system.

7. A server computer system suitable for use in a distributed processing environment, said server computer system comprising:

a processing space comprised of a first processing sub-space and a second processing sub-space;

said first processing sub-space having an asynchronous messaging service and a server process application residing therein;

said second processing sub-space having an asynchronous messaging service and a handler application residing therein;

wherein a request message for said server process application is transmitted, by a client computer system, to said server process application via said asynchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space;

wherein, if said server process application requires the services of said handler application to handle said request message, said server process application passing said request to said handler application; and

wherein said handler application returns a response to said request to said requesting client computer system via said asynchronous messaging service residing in said second processing sub-space, bypassing said asynchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space.

8. The server computer system of claim 7, wherein said asynchronous messaging service residing in said first processing sub-space serves as a first front end of said server computer system.

9. The server computer system of claim 8, wherein said asynchronous messaging service residing in said second processing sub-space serves as a second front end of said server computer system.

10. The server computer system of claim 9, wherein said server computer system is a mainframe computer system.

11. A server computer system suitable for use in a distributed processing environment, said server computer system comprising:

a processing space in which a first asynchronous messaging service, a second asynchronous messaging service, a service process application and a plurality of instances of a handler application reside;

wherein a request message for said server process application is transmitted, by a client computer system, to said server process application via said first asynchronous messaging service;

wherein, if said server process application requires the services of said handler application to handle said request message, said server process application passing said request to a selected instance of said handler application; and

wherein said selected instance of said handler application returns a response to said request to said requesting client computer system via said second asynchronous messaging service, bypassing said server process application and said first asynchronous messaging service.

12. The server computer system of claim 11, where said server process application further comprises a load balancing algorithm for evenly distributing request messages amongst said plurality of instances of said handler application.

13. The server computer system of claim 12, and further comprising:

a data store for maintaining a table associating each one of said plurality of instances of said handler application with a range of time values;

said load balancing algorithm determining an arrival time for each message requiring the services of said handler application and selecting, from amongst said plurality of instances of said handler application, an instance of said handler application having a range of time values within which said arrival time falls.

14. The server computer system of claim 11, and further comprising a plurality of instances of a second asynchronous messaging service, each one of said plurality of instances of said second asynchronous messaging service corresponding to one of said plurality of instances of said handler application.

15. The server computer system of claim 14 wherein said processing space further comprises:

a primary processing sub-space in which said first asynchronous messaging service and said server process application reside;

a plurality of secondary processing sub-spaces, one of said plurality of instances of said handler application and one of said plurality of instances of said second asynchronous messaging service which corresponds to said one of said plurality of instances of said handler application residing in each one of said plurality of secondary processing sub-spaces.

16. The server computer system of claim 15, where said server process application further comprises a load balancing algorithm for evenly distributing request messages amongst said plurality of instances of said handler application.

17. The server computer system of claim 16, and further comprising:

a data store for maintaining a table associating each one of said plurality of instances of said handler application with a range of time values;

said load balancing algorithm determining an arrival time for each message requiring the services of said handler application and selecting, from amongst said plurality of instances of said handler application, an instance of said handler application for which said range of values within which said arrival time falls.