Administration of a broker-based publish/subscribe messaging system

• US 20060167897A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stanford-Clark, Andrew James, Jones, David Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

A broker-based publish/subscribe messaging system is administered in which a session-based network connection (such as TCP/IP) from an administrator publish/subscribe client application is established with a broker. Administration commands are received as messages from the administrator publish/subscribe client application at the broker via the session-based network connection and response messages are sent from the broker via the session-based network connection to only the administrator publish/subscribe client application.

Claims

1. A method for administration of a broker-based publish/subscribe messaging system, comprising:

establishing a session-based network connection from a publish/subscribe client application to a broker;

receiving administration commands as messages from the publish/subscribe client application to the broker via the session-based network connection; and

sending response messages from the broker via the session-based network connection to only the administering publish/subscribe client application.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving administration commands as messages from the publish/subscribe client application to the broker via the session-based network connection comprises using a message topic to publish the command messages to the broker.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the message topic is a predefined topic for administrative sessions.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the publish/subscribe client application subscribes to a topic for receiving the response messages from the broker.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first response message from the broker in an administration session specifies a randomly generated session topic name.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the broker only accepts as administration commands messages sent with the randomly generated session topic name.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the session-based network connection is a direct socket connection using a TCP/IP protocol.

8. A system for administration of a broker-based publish/subscribe messaging system, comprising:

at least one publish/subscribe client application which publishes messages;

at least one publish/subscribe client application which subscribes to messages;

a message broker providing message handling for the publish/subscribe client applications; and

an administrator publish/subscribe client application with a session-based network connection to the broker, said administrator publish/subscribe client application being configured to receive administration commands as messages from the administrator client publish/subscribe application to the broker via the session-based network connection and send response messages from the broker via the session-based network connection to only the administrator publish/subscribe client application.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the administrator publish/subscribe client application is configured to receive administration commands uses a message topic to publish the command messages to the broker.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message topic is a predefined topic for administrative sessions.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the administrator publish/subscribe client application is configured to subscribe to a topic for receiving the response messages from the broker.

12. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the message broker is configured to generate a session topic name randomly and specify the session topic name in a first response message from the broker in an administration session.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the broker is configured to only accept as administration commands messages sent with the randomly generated session topic name.

14. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the session-based network connection is a direct socket connection using a TCP/IP protocol.

15. A computer program product for administration of a broker-based publish/subscribe messaging system, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer useable program code embodied therewith, the computer useable program code comprising

computer usable program code configured to establish a session-based network connection from a client publish/subscribe application to a broker;

computer usable program code configured to receive administration commands as messages from the client application to the broker via the session-based network connection; and

computer usable program code configured to send response messages from the broker via the session-based network connection to only the administering publish/subscribe client application.

16. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code configured to receive administration commands as messages from the client application to the broker via the session-based network connection comprises computer usable program code configured to receive administration commands as messages from the publish/subscribe client application to the broker via the session-based network connection comprises using a message topic to publish the command messages to the broker.

17. A computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein the message topic is a predefined topic for administrative sessions.

18. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the publish/subscribe client application subscribes to a topic for receiving the response messages from the broker.

19. A computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein a first response message from the broker in an administration session specifies a randomly generated session topic name.

20. A computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the broker only accepts as administration commands messages sent with the randomly generated session topic name.