Reliable communication mechanism with “at most once” delivery guarantee

• US 7,254,616 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Hoff, Todd Miles, Ennis, Damon John, Rasmussen, Keith Erhart, Dowdy, Mark Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/003,189
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/234, 709/204, 709/232, 709/207, 709/213, 719/313, 714/749, 370/390
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/20 Support for services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP

Abstract

An improved inter-module communication facilitation mechanism (CFM) is disclosed, which provides improved scalability, improved efficiency, and enhanced functionality and performance. In one aspect, the CFM enables a subscriber to subscribe to multiple events using a single namespace specification and a single subscription request. In another aspect, the CFM enables publishers to broadcast, rather than unicast, events to multiple subscribers concurrently. In yet another aspect, the CFM enables message exchange between senders and recipients to be conducted reliably, while at the same time ensuring that a message will be delivered to a recipient at most once. These and other aspects give rise to the many benefits offered by the CFM.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a communication coordinator on a module, for carrying out reliable communication in a communication system, comprising:

receiving a message from a sender intended for one or more applications, said message comprising a message identifier, and wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator;

determining, at the communication coordinator on the module that received the message, based upon said message identifier whether said message had previously been received, wherein determining whether said message had previously been received comprises;

accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

determining whether said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence;

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, determining whether said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in a set of missing sequence indicators maintained in a table; and

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is not one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, concluding that said message had previously been received; and

in response to a determination that said message had previously been received, foregoing delivery of said message to said one or more applications;

wherein a message exchange between a sender and a receiver is conducted ensuring that a message is delivered to said one or more applications at most once; and

wherein a subscriber is enabled to subscribe to multiple events using a single namespace specification and a single subscription request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, concluding that said message had not previously been received; and

removing said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, delivering said message to said one or more applications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein determining whether said message had previously been received comprises:

accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

determining whether said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator; and

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator, concluding that said message had previously been received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, delivering said message to said one or more applications.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

removing said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein determining whether said message had previously been received comprises:

accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

determining whether said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence; and

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, concluding that said message had not previously been received.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, determining whether there are any intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator; and

in response to a determination that there is one or more intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator, adding said one or more intervening sequence indicators to a set of missing sequence indicators.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, updating said receiving sequence indicator with said message sequence indicator.

10. An apparatus for implementing reliable communication in a communication system, comprising:

a mechanism for receiving a message from a sender intended for one or more applications, said message comprising a message identifier, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator;

a mechanism for determining, at a communication coordinator on a module that received the message, based upon said message identifier whether said message had previously been received, and wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received comprises;

a mechanism for accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

a mechanism for determining whether said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence;

a mechanism for determining, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, whether said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in a set of missing sequence indicators maintained in a table; and

a mechanism for concluding, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is not one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, that said message had previously been received; and

a mechanism for foregoing, in response to a determination that said message had previously been received, delivery of said message to said one or more applications;

wherein a message exchange between a sender and a receiver is conducted ensuring that a message is delivered to said one or more applications at most once; and

wherein a subscriber is enabled to subscribe to multiple events using a single namespace specification and a single subscription request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

a mechanism for concluding, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, that said message had not previously been received; and

a mechanism for removing said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a mechanism for delivering, in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, said message to said one or more applications.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received comprises:

a mechanism for accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

a mechanism for determining whether said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator; and

a mechanism for concluding, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator, that said message had previously been received.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a mechanism for delivering, in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, said message to said one or more applications.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a mechanism for removing said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received comprises:

a mechanism for accessing a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

a mechanism for determining whether said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence; and

a mechanism for concluding, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, that said message had not previously been received.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

a mechanism for determining, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, whether there are any intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator; and

a mechanism for adding, in response to a determination that there is one or more intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator, said one or more intervening sequence indicators to a set of missing sequence indicators.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said mechanism for determining whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

a mechanism for updating, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, said receiving sequence indicator with said message sequence indicator.

19. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement reliable communication in a communication system, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a message from a sender intended for one or more applications, said message comprising a message identifier, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, at a communication coordinator on a module that received the message, based upon said message identifier whether said message had previously been received, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received comprises;

instructions for causing one or more processors to access a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator precedes said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, whether said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in a set of missing sequence indicators maintained in a table; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to conclude, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is not one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, that said message had previously been received; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to forego, in response to a determination that said message had previously been received, delivery of said message to said one or more applications;

wherein a message exchange between a sender and a receiver is conducted ensuring that a message is delivered to said one or more applications at most once; and

wherein a subscriber is enabled to subscribe to multiple events using a single namespace specification and a single subscription request.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to conclude, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is one of the sequence indicators in said set of missing sequence indicators, that said message had not previously been received; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to remove said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to deliver, in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, said message to said one or more applications.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to access a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to conclude, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator is equivalent to said receiving sequence indicator, that said message had previously been received.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to deliver, in response to a determination that said message had not previously been received, said message to said one or more applications.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received comprises:

further comprising;

instructions for causing one or more processors to remove said message sequence indicator from said set of missing sequence indicators.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein said message identifier comprises a message sequence indicator, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to access a receiving sequence indicator associated with said sender;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in a predetermined sequence; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to conclude, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, that said message had not previously been received.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, whether there are any intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to add, in response to a determination that there is one or more intervening sequence indicators between said message sequence indicator and said receiving sequence indicator, said one or more intervening sequence indicators to a set of missing sequence indicators.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said message had previously been received further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to update, in response to a determination that said message sequence indicator comes after said receiving sequence indicator in said predetermined sequence, said receiving sequence indicator with said message sequence indicator.