Handling queues associated with web services of business processes

• US 8,914,804 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Guizar, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Kevin X
• Application Number:
  US11/900,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,652 Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handling queues associated with web services of a business process. The method may include generating deployment descriptors for executing a business process as a web application, and determining a default queue for the business process using a business process management (BPM) configuration file. During execution of the business process, users are allowed to monitor the message load associated with the default queue. If a user decides to re-distribute the message load, the user is allowed to specify a new set of queues for the business process to improve performance of the business process at runtime.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processing device, a determined queue for messages to be exchanged during an execution of a business process;

concurrently determining, by the processing device, a subscriber count and a queue depth for the determined queue;

concurrently determining whether the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeds a threshold;

providing, to a user, the subscriber count and the queue depth in response to the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeding the threshold, and an indication of a message load associated with the determined queue during the execution of the business process, the message load in view of a number of incoming messages at the determined queue;

receiving a command from the user in response to providing, to the user, the subscriber count, the queue depth, and the indication of the message load, the command indicating one or more different queues to be used by the business process for messages to be exchanged, the one or more different queues not including the determined queue; and

redistributing, by the processing device, the messages to be exchanged from the determined queue to the one or more different queues in view of the command from the user, wherein,

receiving an updated BPEL application deployment descriptor specifying a new set of queues for partner links defined in the business process;

receiving an updated web component deployment descriptor defining destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set; and

receiving an updated application server deployment descriptor binding the destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set to resources in an operational environment; and

building a new application package for the business process using the updated BPEL application deployment descriptor, the updated web component deployment descriptor and the updated application server deployment descriptor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating deployment descriptors for executing the business process as a web application, the business process being defined using an executable business process language, wherein the executable business process language comprises a business process execution language (BPEL); and

wherein the deployment descriptors comprise a web component deployment descriptor, a web services deployment descriptor, a BPEL application deployment descriptor, and an application server deployment descriptor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein providing an indication of the message load associated with the determined queue comprises:

providing a BPM user interface indicating a number of inbound message activities currently enabled at the determined queue; and

providing an application server user interface presenting message load information pertaining to the determined queue, wherein the determined queue is determined using a business process management (BPM) configuration file.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the message load information comprises a number of consumers waiting for messages at the determined queue, and a number of messages expecting delivery at the determined queue.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a user command to rebuild an application package for the business process;

deploying the new application package to an application server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated BPEL application descriptor assigns distinct queues to individual partner links within the business process.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the new set of queues comprises at least one queue that is shared between two or more of the partner links within the business process.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device, coupled to the memory, the processing device to;

determine a determined queue for messages to be exchanged during an execution of a business process,

concurrently determine a subscriber count and a queue depth for the determined queue,

concurrently determine whether the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeds a threshold,

provide, to a user, the subscriber count and the queue depth in response to the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeding the threshold, and an indication of a message load associated with the determined queue during an execution of the business process, the message load in view of a number of incoming messages at the determined queue,

receive a command from the user in response to provide, to the user, the subscriber count, the queue depth, and the indication of the message load, the command indicating one or more different queues to be used by the business process for messages to be exchanged, the one or more different queues not including the determined queue, and

redistribute the messages to be exchanged from the determined queue to the one or more different queues in view of the command from the user, wherein, receiving an updated BPEL application deployment descriptor specifying a new set of queues for partner links defined in the business process;

receiving an updated web component deployment descriptor defining destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set; and

receiving an updated application server deployment descriptor binding the destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set to resources in an operational environment; and

building a new application package for the business process using the updated BPEL application deployment descriptor, the updated web component deployment descriptor and the updated application server deployment descriptor.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a deployment server to generate deployment descriptors for executing a business process as a web application, the business process being defined using an executable business process language, wherein the executable business process languages comprises a business process execution language (BPEL); and

wherein the deployment descriptors comprise a web component deployment descriptor, a web services deployment descriptor, a BPEL application deployment descriptor, and an application server deployment descriptor.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising an application server to provide user interface presenting message load information pertaining to the determined queue, the message load information comprising a number of consumers waiting for messages at the determined queue, and a number of messages expecting delivery at the determined queue, wherein the determined queue is determined using a business process management (BPM) configuration file.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising provide a user interface indicating a number of inbound message activities currently enabled at the determined queue.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the deployment server is further to

receive a user command to rebuild an application package for the business process,

deploy the new application package to an application server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the updated BPEL application descriptor assigns distinct queues to individual partner links within the business process.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the new set of queues comprises at least one queue that is shared between two or more of the partner links within the business process.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when accessed by a processing device, cause the processing device to execute operations comprising:

determining, by the processing device, a determined queue for messages to be exchanged during an execution of a business process;

concurrently determining, by the processing device, a subscriber count and a queue depth for the determined queue;

concurrently determining whether the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeds a threshold;

providing, to a user, the subscriber count and the queue depth in response to the subscriber count and the queue depth exceeding the threshold, and an indication of a message load associated with the determined queue during the execution of the business process, the message load in view of a number of incoming messages at the determined queue;

receiving a command from the user in response to providing, to the user, the subscriber count, the queue depth, and the indication of the message load, the command indicating one or more different queues to be used by the business process for messages to be exchanged, the one or more different queues not including the determined queue; and

redistributing, by the processing device, the messages to be exchanged from the determined queue to the one or more different queues in view of the command from the user, wherein,

receiving an updated BPEL application deployment descriptor specifying a new set of queues for partner links defined in the business process;

receiving an updated web component deployment descriptor defining destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set; and

receiving an updated application server deployment descriptor binding the destination and connection factory references for each queue in the new set to resources in an operational environment; and

building a new application package for the business process using the updated BPEL application deployment descriptor, the updated web component deployment descriptor and the updated application server deployment descriptor.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 the operations further comprising:

generating deployment descriptors for executing a business process as a web application, the business process being defined using an executable business process language, wherein the executable business process language comprises a business process execution language (BPEL); and

wherein the deployment descriptors a web component deployment descriptor, a web services deployment descriptor, a BPEL application deployment descriptor, and an application server deployment descriptor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein providing an indication of the message load associated with the determined queue comprises:

providing a business process management (BPM) user interface indicating a number of inbound message activities currently enabled at the determined queue; and

providing an application server user interface presenting message load information pertaining to the determined queue, the message load information comprising a number of consumers waiting for messages at the determined queue, and a number of messages expecting delivery at the determined queue, wherein the determined queue is determined using a business process management (BPM) configuration file.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein receiving an indication of one or more different queues for the business process comprises:

receiving a user command to rebuild an application package for the business process;

deploying the new application package to an application server.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the updated BPEL application descriptor assigns distinct queues to individual partner links within the business process.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the new set of queues comprises at least one queue that is shared between two or more of the partner links within the business process.