System and method for message ordering in a message oriented network

• US 7,509,378 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Goland, Yaron Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US10/796,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 709/203, 709/207, 370/394, 455/412.1
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for message ordering in a message oriented network. Sequencing groups of messages is an act that is completely orthogonal to the service/port/operation hierarchy of any of the participants. By separating the two, the invention eliminates making message ordering subordinate to the conversation scope, and replaces it with an ordering that is actually orthogonal to the conversation and/or class factory scope.

Claims

1. A computer system for message ordering in a message oriented network, independently of any conversation processing, comprising:

a sender or a plurality of senders, that sends messages as a plurality of groups of messages, wherein each message within a particular group are to be processed in a particular order;

a plurality of receivers, that receive the messages; and

,

wherein, for each group of messages that are to be processed in the particular order, each of said senders associate the messages in that group with both a sequence group identifier for that group, and a sequence number for that message; and

wherein each of the receivers

identifies messages having common sequence group identifiers, and then

cooperates with other receivers to process those messages in the particular order, including confirming, prior to processing a message received in a group and having a particular sequence group identifier and sequence number combination, that a previous receiver has already one of received or processed a message having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the sender is a client of a server, and wherein the receiver or receivers are different services operating at said server.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the receiver or receivers are Web Services adapted to receive messages from a sender.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders and wherein a right to send a new message within a particular sequence group identifier is represented as a token that is passed from one sender to another sender, so that the sender with the token is the only sender currently allowed to send a message with that sequence group identifier.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the sequence group identifier is specified by the sender.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the sequence group identifier is randomly chosen as a universally unique identifier.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and the plurality of receivers communicate amongst themselves to process the messages in the particular order including allowing a subsequent receiver to directly contact the previous receiver to confirm that the previous receiver has already processed the message it received having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and wherein each message includes a previous designation identifier listing the previous destination of a message in the sequence, and wherein the subsequent receiver of a message in the sequence can verify that the message has been processed at the previously designated receiver.

9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the message may further include a sequence group identifier alias either at the sender or the receiver for use by that sender or receiver.

10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source relay process to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.

11. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source sub-context model to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.

12. A method for message ordering in a message oriented network or system, independently of any conversation processing, comprising the steps of:

establishing a sequence group identifier;

preparing at each of one or a plurality of senders messages to be processed as a plurality of groups of messages, wherein each message within a particular group are to be processed in a particular order;

sending the messages to one or a plurality of receivers; and

receiving the messages at the one or a plurality of receivers and cooperating amongst the receivers to ensure that the messages are processed by the receivers in the order specified within each sequence group identifier, wherein each of the receivers

identifies messages having common sequence group identifiers, and then

cooperates with other receivers to process those messages in the particular order, including confirming, prior to processing a message received in a group and having a particular sequence group identifier and sequence number combination, that a previous receiver has already one of received or processed a message having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sender is a client of a server, and wherein the receiver or receivers are different services operating at said server.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiver or receivers are Web Services adapted to receive messages from a sender.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders and wherein a right to send a new message within a particular sequence group identifier is represented as a token that is passed from one sender to another sender, so that the sender with the token is the only sender currently allowed to send a message with that sequence group identifier.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the sequence group identifier is specified by the sender.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the sequence group identifier is randomly chosen as a universally unique identifier.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and the plurality of receivers communicate amongst themselves to process the messages in the particular order including allowing a subsequent receiver to directly contact the previous receiver to confirm that the previous receiver has already processed the message it received having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and wherein each message includes a previous designation identifier listing the previous destination of a message in the sequence, and wherein the subsequent receiver of a message in the sequence can verify that the message has been processed at the previously designated receiver.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the message may further include a sequence group identifier alias either at the sender or the receiver for use by that sender or receiver.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source relay process to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source sub-context model to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.

23. A computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the computer to perform the steps of:

establishing a sequence group identifier;

preparing at each of one or a plurality of senders messages to be processed as a plurality of groups of messages, wherein each message within a particular group are to be processed in a particular order;

sending the messages to one or a plurality of receivers; and

receiving the messages at the one or a plurality of receivers and cooperating amongst the receivers to ensure that the messages are processed by the receivers in the order specified within each sequence group identifier, wherein each of the receivers

identifies messages having common sequence group identifiers, and then

cooperates with other receivers to process those messages in the particular order, including confirming, prior to processing a message received in a group and having a particular sequence group identifier and sequence number combination, that a previous receiver has already one of received or processed a message having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the sender is a client of a server, and wherein the receiver or receivers are different services operating at said server.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the receiver or receivers are Web Services adapted to receive messages from a sender.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders and wherein a right to send a new message within a particular sequence group identifier is represented as a token that is passed from one sender to another sender, so that the sender with the token is the only sender currently allowed to send a message with that sequence group identifier.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the sequence group identifier is specified by the sender.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the sequence group identifier is randomly chosen as a universally unique identifier.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and the plurality of receivers communicate amongst themselves to process the messages in the particular order including allowing a subsequent receiver to directly contact the previous receiver to confirm that the previous receiver has already processed the message it received having the same sequence group identifier and the preceding sequence number.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the system includes a plurality of receivers and wherein each message includes a previous designation identifier listing the previous destination of a message in the sequence, and wherein the subsequent receiver of a message in the sequence can verify that the message has been processed at the previously designated receiver.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the message may further include a sequence group identifier alias either at the sender or the receiver for use by that sender or receiver.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source relay process to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein the system includes a plurality of senders, and the senders use a multiple source sub-context model to determine which sender may send a new message in a specified SGI.