Automated delayed message redelivery

• US 8,214,688 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Watson, James C., Bain, Frank L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, SARAI E
• Application Number:
  US13/109,600
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 714/17, 714/18, 714/43, 714/56
• US Class Current: 714/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1443 Transmit or communication errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/548 Queue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

Method and system are disclosed for redelivering failed messages in asynchronous communication systems. The methods and systems automatically delay redelivery of such failed messages in order to allow required system resources to become available. In one implementation, the methods and systems provide two levels of redelivery: a micro level in which redelivery is attempted right away for a certain number of times, and a macro level in which a predefined, user-selectable delay is imposed before any additional micro level redeliveries are attempted. After a certain number of unsuccessful macro level redeliveries, the message is backed out to a backout queue for manual intervention by a system operator. Such an arrangement reduces or eliminates the burden on the system operator to manually resolve failed message deliveries.

Claims

1. A system for delivering an event message in an asynchronous communication system, the system comprising:

at least one subsystem configured to generate the event message at a publisher and publish the event message from the publisher to at least one subscriber;

at least one subsystem configured to advance a micro retry counter when the at least one subscriber is unable to process the event message;

at least one subsystem that forwards the event message to a subscriber adapter for determining whether the micro retry counter has exceeded N micro retries; and

at least one subsystem that forwards the event message to a redelivery manager once the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries;

wherein the event message is forwarded to the subscriber adapter before the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries to verify the event message conforms to a business logic of the at least one subscriber.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the redelivery manager advances a macro retry counter upon receiving the event message and waits a user-selectable amount of time before republishing the event message to the at least one subscriber for an additional N number of micro retries.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein after republishing the event message for an additional M number of macro retries, the event message is backed out to a backout key for manual intervention.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the publisher is a business application, the business application including one or more of the following:

a banking application, an insurance application, and a customer service application.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the subscriber adapter inserts republishing information into the event message upon reception of the message.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the republishing information includes information needed to retry an enrichment of the event message after waiting a predefined delay time.

7. A computer implemented method for delivering an event message in an asynchronous communication system, the method comprising:

generating the event message at a publisher and publishing the event message from the publisher to at least one subscriber;

advancing a micro retry counter when the at least one subscriber is unable to process the event message;

forwarding the event message to a subscriber adapter for determining whether the micro retry counter has exceeded N micro retries; and

forwarding the event message to a redelivery manager once the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries;

wherein the event message is forwarded to the subscriber adapter before the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries to verify the event message conforms to a business logic of the at least one subscriber.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the redelivery manager advances a macro retry counter upon receiving the event message and waits a user-selectable amount of time before republishing the event message to the at least one subscriber for an additional N number of micro retries.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein after republishing the event message for an additional M number of macro retries, the event message is backed out to a backout key for manual intervention.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the publisher is a business application, the business application including one or more of the following:

a banking application, an insurance application, and a customer service application.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the subscriber adapter inserts republishing information into the event message upon reception of the message.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the republishing information includes information needed to retry an enrichment of the event message after waiting a predefined delay time.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer readable instructions for delivering an event message in an asynchronous communication system, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

generating the event message at a publisher and publishing the event message from the publisher to at least one subscriber;

advancing a micro retry counter when the at least one subscriber is unable to process the event message;

forwarding the event message to a subscriber adapter for determining whether the micro retry counter has exceeded N micro retries; and

forwarding the event message to a redelivery manager once the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries;

wherein the event message is forwarded to the subscriber adapter before the micro retry counter reaches N number of micro retries to verify the event message conforms to a business logic of the at least one subscriber.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the redelivery manager advances a macro retry counter upon receiving the event message and waits a user-selectable amount of time before republishing the event message to the at least one subscriber for an additional N number of micro retries.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein after republishing the event message for an additional M number of macro retries, the event message is backed out to a backout key for manual intervention.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the publisher is a business application, the business application including one or more of the following:

a banking application, an insurance application, and a customer service application.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the subscriber adapter inserts republishing information into the event message upon reception of the message.