Managing queues in an asynchronous messaging system

• US 8,276,160 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blue, George Meldrum, Goddard, Nigel, Gompertz, Martin James, Hickson, Andrew Ian, Longerstaey, Gary Patrick, Willoughby, Philip Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, SISLEY NAHYUN
• Application Number:
  US12/576,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Managing an asynchronous messaging queue with a client computer in an asynchronous messaging system, where the client computer is programmed to store an manage the asynchronous messaging queue, includes receiving a reactive message in the asynchronous messaging queue, the reactive message including an identification of a referenced message and an action to be performed on the referenced message; and performing the action on the previously initiated message with the client computer if the referenced message is present in the asynchronous messaging queue.

Claims

1. A method of managing an asynchronous messaging queue with a client computer in an asynchronous messaging system, said client computer being programmed to store and manage said asynchronous messaging queue, said method comprising:

receiving a reactive message in said asynchronous messaging queue stored by said client computer, said reactive message comprising an identification of a referenced message and an action to be performed on said referenced message; and

performing said action on said referenced message with said client computer if said referenced message is present in said asynchronous messaging queue;

storing said reactive message in a reactive message store responsive to a determination that said referenced message has not already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue;

responsive to receiving a message in said asynchronous messaging queue, determining if any reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message; and

responsive to a determination that at least one reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message, performing said action on said received message specified by said at least one reactive message identifying said received message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising only storing said reactive message in said reactive message store if a variable attribute of said reactive message indicates that said reactive message is to be stored in said reactive message store.

3. The message of claim 2, further comprising discarding said reactive message if said variable attribute of said reactive message does not indicate that said reactive message is to be stored in said reactive message store.

4. The method of claim 1, in which said reactive message identifies a plurality of referenced messages and said action applies to each said referenced message in said plurality, said method further comprising performing said action specified in said reactive message only after each said referenced message identified by said reactive message has been received in said asynchronous messaging queue.

5. The method of claim 1, in which said action comprises deletion of said referenced message.

6. The method of claim 1, in which said action comprises modifying said referenced message.

7. The method of claim 1, in which said action comprises redirecting said referenced message to another asynchronous messaging queue.

8. The method of claim 1, in which said asynchronous messaging queue comprises a transmission queue associated with a first software entity for storing messages for onward transmission to another asynchronous messaging queue associated with a second software entity separate from said first software entity.

9. The method of claim 1, in which said asynchronous messaging queue comprises a receiving queue associated with a second software entity for receiving messages transmitted from a transmission queue associated with a first software entity.

10. An asynchronous messaging system node, said node comprising:

a processor; and

computer memory communicatively coupled to and readable by said processor, said computer memory being configured to store an asynchronous messaging queue and software, such that said processor, when executing said software, is configured to;

receive a reactive message in said asynchronous messaging queue, said reactive message comprising an identification of a referenced message and an action to be performed on said referenced message;

search said asynchronous messaging queue to determine whether said referenced message has already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue; and

perform said action on said reference previously initiated message if said referenced message has already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue;

in which said memory is further configured to implement a reactive message store and said processor is further configured to store said reactive message in said reactive store responsive to a determination that said referenced message has not already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue;

in which said processor is further configured to store said reactive message in said reactive message store only if a variable attribute of said reactive message indicates that said reactive message is to be stored in said reactive message store; and

in which said processor is further configured to;

receive a message in said asynchronous messaging queue, search said reactive message store to determine if any reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message; and

responsive to a determination that at least one reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message, perform said action on said received message specified by said at least one reactive message identifying said received message.

11. The asynchronous messaging system node of claim 10, in which said reactive message identifies a plurality of referenced messages and said action applies to each said referenced message in said plurality, said processor being further configured to perform said action specified in said reactive message only after each said referenced message identified by said reactive message has been received in said asynchronous messaging queue.

12. The asynchronous messaging system node of claim 10, in which said processor is communicatively coupled to at least a second asynchronous messaging system node over a network.

13. The asynchronous messaging system node of claim 12, in which said asynchronous messaging queue comprises a transmission queue for storing messages for onward transmission to a second asynchronous messaging queue associated with said second asynchronous messaging system node over said network.

14. The asynchronous messaging system node of claim 12, in which said asynchronous messaging queue comprises a receiving queue for receiving messages transmitted from a transmission queue associated with said second asynchronous messaging system node.

15. A computer program product for managing an asynchronous messaging queue, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a reactive message in said asynchronous messaging queue, said reactive message comprising an identification of a referenced message and an action to be performed on said referenced message; and

computer readable program code configured to perform said action on said referenced message if said referenced message has already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue;

computer readable program code configured to store said reactive message in a reactive message store responsive to a determination that said referenced message has not already been received in said asynchronous messaging queue;

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to receiving a message in said asynchronous messaging queue, determine if any reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to a determination that at least one reactive message present in said reactive message store identifies said received message, perform said action on said received message specified by said at least one reactive message identifying said received message.