System, method, and computer readable medium for processing a message queue

• US 7,844,759 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Curen Software Enterprises LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cowin, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Titus
• Application Number:
  US11/495,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 710/52
• US Class Current: 710/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/548 Queue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium for processing a message queue comprises processing messages in the queue in a serial manner, suspending a message, when the processing is blocked for the message, processing a next message in the queue during the suspension, continuing the processing of the messages until the processing is unblocked, placing the message back in the queue, and processing the message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a message queue, comprising:

processing messages in the message queue in a serial manner, wherein a message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and processing a message comprises processing the message structure;

suspending processing of at least a further message that is not in the message queue when the processing of the further message is blocked, the further message having a thread of execution, the further message having been previously removed from the message queue;

processing one or more next messages in the message queue during suspension of the further message;

responsive to the processing of the further message becoming unblocked, placing the further message back in the message queue; and

resuming processing of the further message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a software agent.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the software agent is configured to optionally send a message to another software agent.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the further message is blocked based on at least one of:

a non-reply to the processing of the further message;

an input/output block;

or

a time-out.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the further message unblocked based on receiving a reply from an intended destination.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the intended destination is at least one of:

a software agent;

or

an input/output port.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising wrapping the further message in another message intended for special processing, when the processing of the further message is unblocked.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein said wrapping the further message occurs prior to placing the further message back in the message queue.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the message intended for special processing releases the thread of execution of the further message.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising continuing processing of messages in the message queue in a serial manner after processing the further message.

11. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to implement a system comprising:

a plurality of message queues;

a plurality of autonomous computer agents, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents contains one of the message queues, wherein the autonomous computer agents are configured to send self-contained messages to each other from their respective message queues;

wherein the autonomous computer agents are configured to process the self-contained messages serially, wherein a self-contained message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and to process a self-contained message comprises processing the self-contained message structure;

wherein the autonomous computer agents are configured to suspend processing of at least one of the self-contained messages when processing of the at least one self-contained message is blocked and until an inner send is completed, the at least one self-contained message having a thread of execution, the inner send being a send of a message that originates from within the thread of execution; and

wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents is configured to place, once the inner send is completed, the at least one self-contained message back on to one of the message queues for later processing, the self-contained message having been previously removed from the one of the message queues.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents is configured to release, once the self-contained message is reached in the queue, the at least one self-contained message to continue processing.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents is configured to not be blocked during the at least one autonomous computer agent'"'"'s own call to another autonomous computer agent while ensuring that only one self-contained message is processed at a time.

14. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

suspending processing of at least one message when processing of the message is blocked, the message having a thread of execution, the message having been previously removed from a queue, wherein a message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and processing a message comprises processing the message structure;

processing one or more next messages in the queue during suspension of the message;

placing the message that was blocked back in the queue when the processing of the message becomes unblocked; and

resuming processing of the message that was blocked when the message is reached in the queue.

15. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising processing messages in the queue in a serial manner after processing the message that was blocked.

16. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising wrapping the message in another message intended for special processing, when the processing of the message is unblocked.

17. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising wrapping the message prior to placing the message back in the queue.

18. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising blocking the message while the message calls an external agent during the processing of the message.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations wherein an agent is unable to process the message until a reply is received.

20. A computer-implemented method for processing a message queue, comprising:

processing messages in the message queue, wherein a message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and processing a message comprises processing the message structure;

suspending processing of at least a further message that is not in the message queue when the processing of the further message is blocked, the further message having a thread of execution, the further message having been previously removed from the message queue;

processing one or more next messages in the message queue during suspension of the further message;

responsive to the processing of the further message becoming unblocked, wrapping the further message in another message intended for special processing and placing the further message back in the message queue; and

resuming processing of the further message.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed by a software agent.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 wherein the software agent is configured to optionally send a message to another software agent.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the processing of the further message is blocked based on at least one of:

a non-reply to the processing of the further message;

an input/output block;

or

a time-out.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising receiving a reply from an intended destination, wherein the processing of the further message is unblocked based on receiving the reply.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the intended destination comprises at least one of:

a software agent;

or

an input/output port.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising processing the message intended for special processing which in turn releases the thread of execution of the further message wrapped within the message intended for special processing.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 further comprising continuing processing of messages in the message queue after processing the further message.

28. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to implement a system comprising:

a plurality of message queues;

a plurality of autonomous computer agents, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents contains one of the message queues, wherein the autonomous computer agents are configured to;

send self-contained messages to each other from each of their respective message queues;

process the self-contained messages, wherein a self-contained message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and to process a self-contained message comprises processing the self-contained message structure;

suspend processing of at least one of the self-contained messages when processing of the at least one self-contained message is blocked and until an inner send is completed, the at least one self-contained message having a thread of execution, the inner send being a send of a message that originates from within the thread of execution;

wrap the at least one self-contained message that was blocked in another message that is intended for special processing after the inner send is completed; and

place the at least one self-contained message back on to one of the message queues for later processing after wrapping the at least one self-contained message, the at least one self-contained message having been previously removed from the one of the message queues.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents are configured to release, once the at least one self-contained message is reached in the one of the message queues, the at least one self-contained message to continue processing.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein at least one of the autonomous computer agents is configured to not be blocked during the at least one autonomous computer agent'"'"'s own call to another autonomous computer agent while ensuring that only one self-contained message is processed at a time.

31. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

suspending processing of at least one message when processing of the message is blocked, the message having a thread of execution, the message having been previously removed from the queue, wherein a message structure is defined in service descriptions by a message description language and processing a message comprises processing the message structure;

processing one or more next messages in the queue during suspension of the message;

wrapping the message that was blocked in another message intended for special processing when the processing of the message becomes unblocked, wherein the message intended for special processing releases the thread of execution of the message;

placing the message that was blocked back in the queue after the message is wrapped; and

processing the message that was blocked when the message is reached in the queue.

32. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising processing messages in the queue in a serial manner after processing the message that was blocked.

33. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response responsive to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising calling an external agent during the processing of the message, wherein the message is blocked during the call to the external agent.

34. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations wherein an agent is unable to process the message until a reply is received.