Managing transactions in a messaging system

• US 7,673,307 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Daniel James, Pitcher, David, Todd, Stephen James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERDI, KIMBLEANN C
• Application Number:
  US10/666,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/314
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A messaging system and method are provided to enable transactional work, done as a result of a recipient processing an asynchronous message, to be involved in the transaction under which message was sent. Involvement may be directly in the senders transaction or indirectly through a separate transaction which can be a subordinate to, a child of, or merged with the transaction under which message was sent. The message is delivered by calling an operation, a definition of which has been registered for the queue. If the message is added to a queue for subsequent delivery to a recipient, details of the transaction under which message was sent are added to the message. As a result the recipient can take appropriate action to ensure that any transactional work, it causes to happen, will be done directly or indirectly under the scope of the transactions under which message was sent.

Claims

1. A data processing method for a data processing system comprising a messaging service and a transaction service, the method comprising:

receiving a request to send an asynchronous message to a queue, wherein the request is received by the messaging service under the scope of a transaction, wherein the request is received from a sender and the asynchronous message comprises message data;

registering a definition for the queue with the messaging service, the definition providing details of an operation provided by a recipient;

processing the request to send the asynchronous message by delivering the asynchronous message to the recipient, wherein the request is processed by the messaging service prior to completion of the transaction, and the asynchronous message is delivered to the recipient by calling the operation and including details of the asynchronous message and wherein the recipient is registered with the messaging service to process messages from the queue;

receiving one or more requests, at the transaction service, to register involvement of one or more participants in the transaction, wherein each of the one or more participants represents transactional work done as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message; and

completing the transaction by the transaction service wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing each of the one or more participants to complete, wherein transactional work done, as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message, is involved in the transaction under the scope of which the asynchronous message was sent to the recipient from the messaging service.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of the one or more requests to register involvement of one or more participants in the transaction, registers involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the one of the one or more requests to register the involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction includes details of the queue, wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the queue.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the request to register the involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction includes details of a second queue to the transaction wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the second queue.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transaction is a first transaction and the method further comprises:

processing the asynchronous message by the recipient wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises;

informing a second transaction of the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message; and

calling a second recipient and, as part of calling the second recipient, passing the asynchronous message data to the second recipient for processing under the scope of the second transaction.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises starting the second transaction.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises prior to calling the second recipient, registering as a temporary participant in the second transaction;

and

on return from calling the second recipient, unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein as part of the unregistering as a temporary participant a vote is passed to the second transaction, the vote comprising an indication as to whether the second transaction should commit or rollback.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:

in response to the unregistering as a temporary participant, including a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, marking the second transaction as rollback only.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the second transaction acts as a subordinate transaction to the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

11. The method according to claim 5 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message and the method further comprises:

in response to the unregistering as a temporary participant, including a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, rolling back the second transaction; and

restoring the asynchronous message to the queue.

13. A data processing system comprising a messaging service and a transaction service, the system comprising:

means for the messaging service to receive a request to send an asynchronous message to a queue, wherein the request is received under the scope of a transaction, wherein the request is received from a sender and the asynchronous message comprises message data;

means for registering a definition for the queue with the messaging service, the definition providing details of an operation provided by a recipient;

means for the messaging service to process the request to send the asynchronous message by delivering the asynchronous message to the recipient, prior to completion of the transaction, and the asynchronous message is delivered to the recipient by calling the operation and including details of the asynchronous message and wherein the recipient is registered with the messaging service to process messages from the queue;

means for the transaction service to receive a request to register involvement of a participant in the transaction, wherein the participant represents transactional work done as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message; and

means for the transaction service to complete the transaction comprising instructing the participant in the transaction to complete, wherein transactional work done, as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message, is involved in the transaction under the scope of which the asynchronous message was sent to the recipient from the messaging service.

14. The data processing system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the means for receiving a request to register involvement of a participant in the transaction receives a request to register involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction.

15. The data processing system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the request received to register the involvement of the recipient in the transaction includes details of the queue, wherein the means for the transaction service to complete the transaction instructs the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the queue.

16. The data processing system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the request received to register the involvement of the recipient in the transaction includes details of a second queue, wherein the means for the transaction service to complete the transaction instructs the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the second queue.

17. The data processing system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the transaction is a first transaction and the recipient comprises:

means for processing the asynchronous message, wherein the means for processing the asynchronous message by the recipient comprise;

means for informing a second transaction of the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message; and

means for calling a second recipient and as part of the calling the second recipient, passing the asynchronous message data to the second recipient for processing under the scope of the second transaction.

18. The data processing system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the means for processing the asynchronous message by the recipient further comprises:

means for starting the second transaction.

19. The data processing system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the means for processing the asynchronous message by the recipient further comprises:

means for registering as a temporary participant in the second transaction, prior to calling the second recipient; and

means for unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction, on return from calling the second recipient.

20. The data processing system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the means for unregistering passes a vote to the second transaction, the vote comprising an indication as to whether the second transaction should commit or rollback.

21. The data processing system as claimed in claim 20 further comprising:

means, responsive to the means for unregistering as a temporary participant, passing a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, for marking the second transaction as rollback only.

22. The data processing system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the second transaction acts as a subordinate transaction to the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

23. The data processing system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

24. The data processing system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message and the data processing system further comprises:

means, responsive to the means for unregistering as a temporary participant, including a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, for rolling back the second transaction; and

means for restoring the asynchronous message to the queue.

25. A computer program product comprising instructions encoded in a computer readable medium, which, when executed on a data processing host, cause the host to perform operations that comprise:

receiving a request to send an asynchronous message to a queue, wherein the request is received by the messaging service under the scope of a transaction, wherein the request is received from a sender and the asynchronous message comprises message data;

registering a definition for the queue with the messaging service, the definition providing details of an operation provided by a recipient;

processing the request to send the asynchronous message by delivering the asynchronous message to the recipient, wherein the request is processed by the messaging service prior to completion of the transaction, and the asynchronous message is delivered to the recipient by calling the operation and including details of the asynchronous message and wherein the recipient is registered with the messaging service to process messages from the queue;

receiving one or more requests, at the transaction service, to register involvement of one or more participants in the transaction, wherein each of the one or more participants represents transactional work done as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message; and

completing the transaction by the transaction service wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing each of the one or more participants to complete, wherein transactional work done, as a result of the recipient processing the asynchronous message, is involved in the transaction under the scope of which the asynchronous message was sent to the recipient from the messaging service.

26. The computer program product as claimed in claim 25 wherein one of the one or more requests to register involvement of one or more participants in the transaction, registers involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction.

27. The computer program product as claimed in claim 26 wherein the request to register the involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction includes details of the queue, wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the queue.

28. The computer program product as claimed in claim 26 wherein the request to register the involvement of the recipient as a participant in the transaction includes details of a second queue to the transaction wherein the completing the transaction comprises instructing the recipient to complete by sending one or more messages to the second queue.

29. The computer program product as claimed in claim 25 wherein the transaction is a first transaction and the operations further comprise:

processing the asynchronous message by the recipient;

wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises informing a second transaction of the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message; and

calling a second recipient and as part of the calling a second recipient passing the asynchronous message data to the second recipient for processing under the scope of the second transaction.

30. The computer program product as claimed in claim 29 wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises the further operation of:

starting the second transaction.

31. The computer program product as claimed in claim 29 wherein the processing of the asynchronous message by the recipient comprises the further operations of:

prior to calling the second recipient, registering as a temporary participant in the second transaction; and

on return from calling the second recipient, unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction.

32. The computer program product as claimed in claim 31 wherein as part of the operation of unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction a vote is passed to the second transaction, the vote comprising an indication as to whether the second transaction should commit or rollback.

33. The computer program product as claimed in claim 32, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the operation of unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction including a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, marking the second transaction as rollback only.

34. The computer program product as claimed in claim 29 wherein the second transaction acts as a subordinate transaction to the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

35. The computer program product according to claim 29 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message.

36. The computer program product as claimed in claim 32 wherein the second transaction acts as a nested transaction within the first transaction, details of which were included with the asynchronous message and the operations further comprise:

in response to the unregistering as a temporary participant in the second transaction including a vote comprising an indication that the second transaction should rollback, rolling back the second transaction; and

restoring the asynchronous message to the queue.