System and method for supporting asynchronous message processing in a distributed data grid

• US 8,898,680 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gleyzer, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US13/671,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 718/106, 719/313
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/16 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/82 Solving problems relating to consistency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A system and method can support asynchronous message processing in a distributed data grid. A cluster node in the distributed data grid can provide a message processor running on a message processing thread. The message processor can receive a request to process an incoming message from a service thread, wherein the request is associated with a continuation data structure. Then, the message processor can wrap the continuation data structure in a return message after processing the incoming message, and forward the return message to a service queue that is associated with the service thread.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a node in a distributed data grid having a plurality of nodes, wherein said node comprises a first message processing thread, and a service thread having an associated service queue;

receiving an incoming message at said service thread;

preprocessing the incoming message in said service thread and generating a continuation data structure, wherein said continuation data structure represents a control state of a computational process on said service thread which allows said computational process to resume execution at a later point in time on said first message processing thread;

transmitting a request to process the incoming message from said service thread to said first message processing thread, wherein the request is transmitted with the continuation data structure;

processing the incoming message in said first message processing thread using said continuation data structure;

generating a return message in said first message processing thread;

wrapping, via said first message processing thread, the continuation data structure in said return message; and

sending said return message and said continuation data structure from said first message processing thread to said service queue.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

processing the incoming message in said first message processing thread is performed asynchronously without blocking said service thread.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service thread is a partition cache thread.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the service thread to perform other tasks while the first message processing thread is processing the incoming message.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving said return message and said continuation data structure from said service queue into said service thread; and

post-processing said return message and said continuation data structure in said service thread.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

post-processing said return message and said continuation data structure in said service thread includes performing a post-processing task for the incoming message based on the continuation data structure wrapped in the return message.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the incoming message to contain a request from another node to join the distributed data grid based on a join protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said node further comprises a second message processing thread, said method further comprising:

allowing the first message processing thread to process the incoming message on the second message processing thread.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said node further comprises a second message processing thread, said method further comprising:

allowing the service thread to continue processing the incoming message on the second message processing thread.

10. A system comprising:

one or more microprocessors;

a node in a distributed data grid having a plurality of nodes, wherein said node runs on said one or more microprocessors and comprises a first message processing thread, and a service thread having an associated service queue;

wherein said node is configured to;

receive an incoming message at said service thread,

reprocess the incoming message in said service thread and generate a continuation data structure, wherein said continuation data structure represents a control state of a computational process on said service thread which allows said computational process to resume execution at a later point in time on said first message processing thread,

transmit a request to process the incoming message from said service thread to said first message processing thread, wherein the request is transmitted with the continuation data structure,

process the incoming message in said first message processing thread using said continuation data structure,

generate a return message in said first message processing thread,

wrap the continuation data structure in said return message in said first message processing thread, and

send said return message and said continuation data structure from said first message processing thread to said service queue.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

said node is configured to process the incoming message in said first message processing thread asynchronously without blocking said service thread.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the service thread is a partition cache thread and wherein the incoming message contains a request from another node to join the distributed data grid based on a join protocol.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

the node is configured to allow the service thread to perform other tasks while the first message processing thread is processing the incoming message.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein said node is further configured to:

retrieve said return message and said continuation data structure from said service queue into said service thread; and

post-process said return message and said continuation data structure in said service thread.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein said node is further configured to:

retrieve said return message and said continuation data structure from said service queue into said service thread; and

perform a post-processing task for the incoming message in said service thread based on the continuation data structure wrapped in the return message.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

said node further comprises a second message processing thread; and

said node is further configured to allow said first message processing thread to process the incoming message on the second message processing thread.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

said node further comprises a second message processing thread; and

said node is further configured to allow said service thread to continue processing the incoming message on the second message processing thread.

18. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to perform steps comprising:

providing a node in a distributed data grid having a plurality of nodes, wherein said node comprises a first message processing thread, a service thread having an associated service queue;

receiving an incoming message at said service thread;

preprocessing the incoming message in said service thread and generating a continuation data structure, wherein said continuation data structure represents a control state of a computational process on said service thread which allows said computational process to resume execution at a later point in time on said first message processing thread;

transmitting a request to process the incoming message from said service thread to said first message processing thread, wherein the request is transmitted with the continuation data structure;

processing the incoming message in said first message processing thread using said continuation data structure;

generating a return message in said first message processing thread;

wrapping, via said first message processing thread, the continuation data structure in said return message; and

sending said return message and said continuation data structure from said first message processing thread to said service queue.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein:

processing the incoming message in said first message processing thread is performed asynchronously without blocking said service thread.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18 having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to perform steps further comprising:

allowing the service thread to perform other tasks while the first message processing thread is processing the incoming message.