System and method for reliable message delivery

• US 8,234,338 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dagum, Leonardo, Vaidya, Vivek, Anand, Mala, Maverick, Vance, Bensoussan, Pascal M., Mackler, David P., Mehta, Mihir R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Widhalm, Angela
• Application Number:
  US09/839,314
• Time in Patent Office: 4,120 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-206, 709227-229, 709217-219, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A system for reliable message delivery includes a storage unit configured to store a message, and a message stored in the storage unit, wherein the message is persisted in the storage unit. The system also includes a status information associated with the message, the status information capable of indicating a first status. The system further includes a module coupled to the storage unit. The module is operable to execute on a computer and transmit the message to a second computer. The module is also operable to receive an acknowledgement from the second computer, and, in response to receiving the acknowledgement, the module is operable to indicate a second status in the status information. A method for providing reliable message delivery includes providing a storage unit configured to store a message and a message stored in the storage unit, wherein the message is persisted in the storage unit. The method also includes providing a record corresponding to the message, wherein the record is operable to store status information for the message. The method further includes storing a first status in the record, transmitting the message to a destination, and, in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the destination, storing a second status in the record.

Claims

1. An analytic computer system for servicing requests from onsite systems, the analytic computer system being coupled to the onsite systems via a network, comprising:

a plurality of analytic engines of the analytic computer system for providing computing services to the onsite systems;

a message bus of the analytic computer system having a plurality of queues for holding messages and for facilitating reliable delivery of messages between components of the analytic system;

a database of the analytic computer system that provides message persistence for messages being transmitted to the onsite systems and status information indicating whether the messages have been acknowledged as having been reliably delivered to the onsite systems;

a receive module of the analytic computer system that receives from the onsite systems via the network requests to establish connections with the analytic computer system and receives from the onsite systems via the network messages, persists the received messages in the message bus, and upon successful persistence, transmits an acknowledgement to the onsite systems via the network;

a bus processing module of the analytic computer system that retrieves messages from the message bus, determines whether a retrieved message requires processing by an analytic engine, upon determining that the message requires processing by an analytic engine, persists the message in a queue for the analytic engine, and creates an appropriate reply to the message; and

a transmit module of the analytic computer system that provides connectivity between the analytic computer system and the onsite systems by retrieving messages from the database, establishing a network connection to the onsite systems, transmitting the retrieved messages to the onsite systems via the network, receiving acknowledgements from the onsite systems via the network, and updating in the database the status information of the messages to indicate acknowledgement of successful delivery of the messages.

2. The analytic computer system of claim 1 wherein the transmit module re-transmits the retrieved messages when an acknowledgement is not received from the onsite systems.

3. The analytic computer system of claim 1 wherein the message bus includes a queue for each analytic engine.

4. The analytic computer system of claim 3 wherein each analytic engine retrieves messages from its queue, performs actions according to the content of the messages, and persists a reply message in the message bus.

5. The analytic computer system of claim 1 wherein the transmit modules encrypts messages that are to be transmitted to the onsite systems.

6. The analytic computer system of claim 1 wherein a first analytic engine provides electronic mail services and a second analytic engine provides financial services.

7. The analytic computer system of claim 1 wherein a message received by the receive module is an independent message directed to the analytic computer system or a collaborative message directed to another onsite system.

8. A computer-readable storage device that is not a signal containing computer-executable instructions for controlling an analytic computer system to service requests from onsite systems, the analytic computer system being coupled to the onsite systems via a network, by a method comprising:

providing access to a plurality of analytic engines of the analytic computer system for providing computing services to the onsite systems;

providing access to a message bus of the analytic computer system having a plurality of queues for holding messages and for facilitating reliable delivery of messages between components of the analytic system;

providing access to a database of the analytic computer system that provides message persistence for messages being transmitted to the onsite systems and status information indicating whether the messages have been acknowledged as having been received by the onsite systems;

under control of a receive module of the analytic computer system,

receiving from the onsite systems messages via the network;

persisting the received messages in the message bus; and

upon successful persistence, transmitting an acknowledgement to the onsite systems via the network;

under control of a bus processing module of the analytic computer system,

retrieving messages from the message bus;

determining whether a retrieved message requires processing by an analytic engine; and

upon determining that the message requires processing by an analytic engine,

persisting the message in a queue for the analytic engine; and

sending an appropriate reply to the message; and

under control of a transmit module of the analytic computer system,

transmitting the retrieved messages to the onsite systems via the network;

receiving acknowledgements from the onsite systems via the network; and

updating in the database status information of the messages to indicate acknowledgement of successful delivery of the messages.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the transmit module re-transmits the retrieved messages when an acknowledgement is not received from the onsite systems.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the message bus includes a queue for each analytic engine.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein each analytic engine retrieves messages from its queue, performs actions according to the content of the messages, and persists a reply message in the message bus.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the transmit modules encrypts messages that are to be transmitted to the onsite systems.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein a first analytic engine provides electronic mail services and a second analytic engine provides financial services.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein a message received by the receive module is an independent message directed to the analytic computer system or a collaborative message directed to another onsite system.

15. A method performed by an analytic computer system to service requests from onsite systems, the analytic computer system being coupled to the onsite systems via a network, the method comprising:

providing access to a plurality of analytic engines of the analytic computer system for providing computing services to the onsite systems;

providing access to a message bus of the analytic computer system having a plurality of queues for holding messages and for facilitating reliable delivery of messages between components of the analytic system;

providing access to a database of the analytic computer system that provides message persistence for messages being transmitted to the onsite systems and status information indicating whether the messages have been acknowledged as having been received by the onsite systems;

under control of a receive module of the analytic computer system,

receiving from the onsite systems messages via the network;

persisting the received messages in the message bus; and

transmitting an acknowledgement to the onsite systems via the network;

under control of a bus processing module of the analytic computer system, retrieving messages from the message bus; and

upon determining that the message requires processing by an analytic engine,

persisting the message in a queue of the message bus for the analytic engine; and

sending an appropriate reply to the message; and

under control of a transmit module of the analytic computer system,

transmitting the retrieved messages to the onsite systems via the network;

receiving acknowledgements from the onsite systems via the network; and

updating in the database status information of the messages to indicate acknowledgement of successful delivery of the messages.