Apparatus and method for forwarding messages between two applications

• US 7,950,017 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Berger, Michael, DiBurro, Larry, Lee, Robert, Miller, William, Cain, Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Application Number:
  US09/326,021
• Time in Patent Office: 4,372 Days
• Field of Search: 709/328, 709/203, 709/208, 709/213, 709/220, 709/318, 719/310, 719/313
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/655 Interaction between route computation entities and forwarding entities, e.g. for route determination or for flow table update

Abstract

An apparatus and method of communicating messages between a first application and a second application establishes a path between the first application and the second application. At least one channel is defined within the path, where each of the at least one channels is designated as forwarding a single type of message between the first application and the second application. A handler is assigned to each channel. In preferred embodiments, the handler processes messages in its assigned channel in a uniform manner.

Claims

1. A method of communicating messages between a first routing protocol application and a second routing protocol application, the method comprising:

establishing a path between the first routing protocol application and the second routing protocol application;

defining at least two channels within the path, each channel being designated as forwarding a single, different type of routing protocol message between the first application and the second application;

assigning a handler associated with a single handling function to each channel, each handler processing messages in its assigned channel in a uniform manner by applying the singe handling function to the messages; and

generating, by the first application, a routing protocol message having a header including a pointer to a memory address associated with the second application,

whereby said routing protocol messages forwarded between applications can be processed based on channel and pointer, and need not include an indicator of message type, said message type being indicated by association of said message with a particular channel.

2. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the handler for each channel is a function.

3. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the first application is executing before the second application begins executing, the first application establishing the path before the second application begins executing.

4. The method as defined by claim 3 wherein the second application begins executing, the method further comprising:

forwarding a notify message to the first application, the notify message including data indicating that the second application has begun executing; and

forwarding messages between the first and second applications via the path upon receipt of the notify message by the first application.

5. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the path is established by one of the first application and the second application before both of the applications begin executing.

6. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein at least one of the applications is a routing application.

7. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the path and channels are virtual.

8. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein each message forwarded between applications includes data identifying the path and channel associated with the message.

9. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising an interface that establishes the path between the first application and the second application, the interface receiving from one of the applications data identifying a given handler that is to be applied to a given type of message, the interface establishing the path between the two applications and assigning the given handler to a given channel.

10. The method as defined by claim 9 wherein the first application forwards a given message of the given type to the second application via the given channel, the interface forwarding to the second application a handler message identifying the given handler and the given message.

11. The method as defined by claim 10 wherein in response to receipt of the handler message, the second application processes the given message with the given handler.

36. The method defined by claim 1 further including the step of translating each said message from a first interface format to a second interface format.

12. An interface for communicating messages between a first routing protocol application and a second routing protocol application, the interface comprising:

a path establishment module that establishes a path between the first application and the second application;

a channel module that defines at least two channels within the path, each channel being designated as forwarding a singe, different type of routing protocol message between the first application and the second application;

a handler assignor that assigns a handler associated with a single handling function to each channel each handler processing routing protocol messages in its assigned channel in a uniform manner by applying the single handling function to the messages; and

code operable to generate, by the first application, a routing protocol message having a header including a pointer to a memory address associated with the second application,

whereby said second application determines message type for routing protocol messages received from said first application based on which particular channel is employed to forward said message.

13. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein the handler for each channel is a function.

14. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein the first application is executing before the second application begins exerting, the first application establishing the path before the second application begins executing.

15. The interface as defined by claim 14 wherein the second application begins executing, the interface further comprising:

an output that forwards a notify message to the first application, the notify message including data indicating that the second application has begun executing, messages being forwarded between the first and second applications via the path upon receipt of the notify message by the first application.

16. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein at least one of the applications is a routing application.

17. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein the path and channels are virtual.

18. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein each message forwarded between the applications includes data identifying the path and channel associated with the message.

19. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein the interface receives from one of the applications data identifying given handler that is to be applied to a given type of message, the interface establishing the path between the two applications and assigning the given handler to a given channel.

20. The interface as defined by claim 19 wherein the first application forwards a given message of the given type to the second application via the given channel, the interface having an output that forwards to the second application a handler message identifying the given handler and the given message.

21. The interface as defined by claim 20 wherein in response to receipt of the handler message, the second application processes the given message with the given handler.

22. The interface as defined by claim 12 wherein the interface is a part of an application program interface.

37. The interface of claim 12 further including a translation module operative to translate each said message from a first interface format to a second interface format.

23. A computer program product for use on a computer system for communicating messages between a first routing protocol application and a second routing protocol application, the computer program product comprising

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code for establishing a first path between the first application and the second application;

program code for defining at least two channels within the first path, each channel being designated as forwarding a single, different type of routing protocol message between the first application and the second application;

program code for assigning a handler associated with a single handling function to each channel, each handler processing messages in its assigned channel in a uniform manner applying the single handling function to the messages;

program code operable to generate, by the first application, a routing protocol message having a header including a pointer to a memory address associated with the second application; and

program code which determines message type based at least in part on which channel is employed to forward said routing protocol message.

24. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the handler for each channel is a function.

25. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the first application is executing before the second application begins executing, the first application establishing the first path before the second application begins executing.

26. The computer program product as defined by claim 25 wherein the second application begins executing, the computer program product further including program code for forwarding a notify message to the first application, the notify message including data indicating that the second application has begun executing,

messages being forwarded between the first and second applications via the first path after receipt of the notify message by the first application.

27. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the first path is established by one of the first application and the second application before both of the applications begin executing.

28. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein at least one of the applications is a routing application.

29. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the first path and channels are virtual.

30. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein each message forwarded between applications includes data identifying the first path and channel associated with the message.

31. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the program code for assigning receives from one of the applications data identifying a given handler that is to be applied to a given type of message, the program code for assigning consequently assigning the given handler to a given channel.

32. The computer program product as defined by claim 31 wherein the first application forwards a given message of the given type to the second application via the given channel, the computer program code further including program code for forwarding to the second application a handler message identifying the given handler and the given message.

33. The computer program product as defined by claim 32 wherein in response to receipt of the handler message, the second application processes the given message with the given handler.

34. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 wherein the computer program product is a part of an application program interface.

35. The computer program product as defined by claim 23 further comprising:

program code for establishing a second path between the first application and a third application, the first path being different from the second path, the first application and third application communicating via the second path.

38. The product of claim 23 further including program code operative to translate each said message from a first interface format to a second interface format.