Reliably transferring queued application messages

• US 7,613,832 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Limprecht, Rodney Thomas, Hegde, Uday Shanker, Srinivasan, Krishnan, Geller, Alan S., Driver, David Owen, Critchley, Craig Andrew, Hill, Richard Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US11/159,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 709/227, 370/389, 370/428, 370/351
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for reliably and securely transferring queued application messages. Application messages are (e.g., binary or text) encoded and then encapsulated in transfer messages, enqueue messages, and dequeue responses such that composable protocol elements used in application messages can be reused in the transfer messages, enqueue messages, and dequeue responses. Transfer message headers are encoded and then encapsulated along with encoded application messages such that composable protocol elements used in transfer headers and application messages can be reused in the store and forward messages. Application messages, transfer messages, enqueue messages, dequeue responses, and store and forward messages can all be configured in accordance with the same messaging protocol, such as, for example, Simple Object Access Protocol. Since encapsulated elements are encoded, the encapsulated elements do not interfere with configuration of wrapping messages.

Claims

1. At a computer system that is network connectable along with one or more other computer systems to a network, a method of reliably transferring a message, the method comprising

an act of accessing a transfer message configured in accordance with a messaging protocol, the transfer message encapsulating an encoded application message, the encoded application message being encoded from an application message configured in accordance with the messaging protocol;

wherein the transfer message, the encoded application message and the application message all include one or more composable protocol elements selected from the group consisting of addressing, security, reliability, and transaction protocol elements;

wherein the encoded application message was encoded to obscure the one or more composable protocol elements included in the application message and wherein the encoded application message was encapsulated in the transfer message such that the one or more composable protocol elements encoded in the application message do not interfere with reusing the one or more composable protocol elements in the transfer message;

an act of reusing the one or more composable protocol elements included in the encoded application message in a store and forward message to configure the store and forward message in accordance with the messaging protocol, the store and forward message for delivery to a next store and forward service based on the position of the computer system relative to a receiving computer system that is to receive the application message;

an act of encoding a transfer header from the transfer message into a corresponding encoded transfer header;

wherein the transfer header reuses one or more composable protocol elements used in the store and forward message; and

wherein the encoded transfer header was encoded to obscure the one or more composable protocol elements included in the transfer header such that the composable protocol elements included in the transfer header to not interfere with the composable protocol elements included in the encoded transfer header;

an act of encapsulating the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message into the store and forward message such that the one or more composable protocol elements encoded in the transfer header and encoded in the application message are obscured from and do not interfere with reusing any of the composable protocol elements in the store and forward message; and

an act of forwarding the store and forward message to the next store and forward service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of accessing a transfer message configured in accordance with a messaging protocol comprises an act of accessing a transfer SOAP envelope encapsulating an encoded application SOAP envelope.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of an act of configuring a store and forward message comprises an act of configuring a store and forward SOAP envelope.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of encoding a transfer header from the transfer message into a corresponding encoded transfer header comprises:

an act of providing the transfer header, an encoding type, and a content type to a wrapping algorithm as input; and

an act of receiving an encoded transfer header as output from the wrapping algorithm.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of encapsulating the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message into the store and forward message comprises an act of encapsulating an encoded transfer SOAP envelope header and an encoded application SOAP envelope into a store and forward SOAP envelope.

6. At a store and forward service that is network connectable along with one or more other computer systems to a network, a method of reliably transferring a message, the method comprising

an act of accessing a store and forward message configured in accordance with a messaging protocol, the store and forward message encapsulating an encoded transfer header and encapsulating an encoded application message, the encoded transfer header corresponding to a transfer header from a transfer message configured in accordance with the messaging protocol, and the encoded application corresponding to an application message for delivery to a receiving computer system that is participating in a message session corresponding to the application message;

wherein the store and forward message, the encoded transfer header, the transfer header, the transfer message, the encoded application message and the application message all include one or more composable protocol elements selected from the group consisting of addressing, security, reliability, and transaction protocol elements;

wherein the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message were both encoded to obscure the one or more composable protocol elements included in the transfer header and the application message respectively and wherein the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message were encapsulated in the store and forward message such that the one or more composable protocol elements encoded in the transfer header and the application message do not interfere with reusing the one or more composable protocol elements in the store and forward message;

an act of identifying a next store and forward service that is to receive the encoded transfer header and encoded application message based on the location of the store and forward service relative to the receiving computer system;

an act of configure a new store and forward message in accordance with the messaging protocol;

an act of copying the body of the store and forward message into the body of the new store and forward message;

an act of forwarding the new store and forward message to the next store and forward service.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of accessing a store and forward message comprises an act of accessing a store and forward SOAP envelope that encapsulates an encoded transfer SOAP envelope header and an encoded application SOAP envelope.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of identifying a next store and forward service comprises an act of identifying an intermediate store and forward service situated between the store and forward service and the receiving computer system.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of identifying a next store and forward service comprises an act of identifying a store and forward layer at the receiving computer system.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of configure a new store and forward message in accordance with the messaging protocol comprises an act of configuring a new store and forward SOAP envelope.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of an act of copying the body of the store and forward message into the body of the new store and forward message comprises an act of copying the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message into a the new store and forward message.

12. At a computer system that is network connectable along with one or more other computer systems to a network, a method of reliably transferring a message, the method comprising

an act of receiving a store and forward message configured in accordance with a messaging protocol, the store and forward message encapsulating an encoded transfer header and encapsulating an encoded application message, the encoded transfer header corresponding to a transfer header from a transfer message configured in accordance with the messaging protocol, and the encoded application message corresponding to an application message for delivery to an application at the computer system based at least in part on the application participating in a message session corresponding to the application message;

wherein the store and forward message, the encoded transfer header, the transfer header, the transfer message, the encoded application message and the application message all include one or more composable protocol elements selected from the group consisting of addressing, security, reliability, and transaction protocol elements;

wherein the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message were both encoded to obscure the one or more composable protocol elements included in the transfer header and the application message respectively and wherein the encoded transfer header and the encoded application message were encapsulated in the store and forward message such that the one or more composable protocol elements encoded in the transfer header and the application message to not interfere with reusing the one or more composable protocol elements in the store and forward message;

an act of decoding the encoded transfer header into the corresponding transfer header;

an act of reusing the one or more composable protocol elements included in the application message in a transfer message to configure the transfer message in accordance with the messaging protocol;

an act of including the transfer header in the transfer message to indicate how the transfer message is to be transferred to the application;

an act of encapsulating the encoded application message in the transfer message such that the one or more composable protocol elements encoded in the application message are obscured and do not interfere with reusing the one or more protocol elements in the transfer message; and

an act of sending the transfer message to a transfer layer.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of receiving a store and forward message comprises an act of receiving a store and forward SOAP envelope that encapsulates an encoded transfer SOAP envelope header and an encoded application SOAP envelope.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of an act of decoding the encoded transfer header comprises an act of decoding the encoded transfer header based on decoding information contained in the store and forward message.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein an act of encapsulating the encoded application message in the transfer message comprises an act of encapsulating an encoded application SOAP envelope in a transfer SOAP envelope.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an act of performing at least one of encrypting and digitally signing the transfer message.