High Availability Message Transmission

• US 20080294714A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hobson, Stephen James, Powell, Steven, Garza, Jose Emir, Pickering, John Brian, Pickrell, Timothy Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, and computer program product uses at least one of a plurality of message transmitters to achieve high availability message transmission. The plurality of message transmitters are each operable to transmit a message to a subscriber. In accordance with a determination, for example, of the value of the connections, the message is copied and transmitted to the plurality of the message transmitters so that at least one of the plurality of message transmitters transmits the copy to the subscriber. The at least one message transmitter may be selected by analyzing the message and determining an associated rule based on characteristics of the message.

Claims

1. An apparatus for message transmission comprising:

a determiner configured to determine data associated with a plurality of message transmitters;

a message copier configured to copy a first message; and

a transmitter configured to use the data to transmit a copy of the first message to the plurality of message transmitters for subsequent transmission of the copy of the first message by at least one of the plurality of message transmitters to a subscriber.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a selector configured to select at least one message transmitter of the plurality of message transmitters.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selector is configured to select the at least one message transmitter in response to transmission of a control identifier by the transmitter and receipt of a control response from the subscriber.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control response received from the subscriber comprises data associated with a ranking of message transmitters in the plurality of message transmitters.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selector is configured to select the at least one message transmitter in response to an analyser configured to analyse the first message and to determine an associated rule.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rule is associated with at least one of the size of the first message and a content type associated with the first message.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the analyser is configured to analyse the copy of the first message and to determine whether a filter action is required to be executed.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the analyser is configured to analyse a plurality of copies in order to determine whether a copy is at least one of a duplicate and out of order.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a filter component configured to execute a filter action in response to the analyser determining that a filter action is required.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the filter action is associated with at least one of:

discarding the copy;

requesting a message transmitter to resend the copy and updating memory.

11. A method for message transmission comprising:

determining data associated with a plurality of message transmitters;

copying a first message; and

using the data to transmit a copy of the first message to the plurality of message transmitters for subsequent transmission of the copy of the first message by at least one of the plurality of message transmitters to a subscriber.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

selecting at least one message transmitter of the plurality of message transmitters.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one message transmitter is selected in response to transmission of a control identifier and receipt of a control response from the subscriber.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control response received from the subscriber comprises data associated with a ranking of message transmitters in the plurality of message transmitters.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein selecting at least one message transmitter of the plurality of message transmitters further comprises:

analyzing the first message; and

determining of an associated rule.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rule is associated with at least one of:

size of the first message and content type associated with the first message.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

subsequently to receipt of the copy of the first message by the subscriber, analysing the copy and determining whether a filter action is required to be executed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

analysing a plurality of copies in order to determine whether a copy is at least one of;

a duplicate and out of order.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

executing, in response to a determination that a filter action is required to be executed, a filter action.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the filter action is associated with at least one of:

discarding the copy;

requesting a message transmitter to resend the copy and updating memory.

21. A computer program product for message transmission, the computer program product comprising:

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

computer usable program code configured to determine data associated with a plurality of message transmitters;

computer usable program code configured to copy a first message; and

computer usable program code configured to use the data to transmit a copy of the first message to at least one of the plurality of message transmitters for subsequent transmission of the copy of the first message by at least one of the plurality of message transmitters to a subscriber.