Method and system for message management

• US 7,917,606 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, Brian E., Dettinger, Richard Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Barbara N
• Application Number:
  US12/034,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/228, 709/238, 709/246, 707/8, 707/10, 707/4, 711/173, 711/153, 711/147, 719/313, 719/314
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Methods and systems for message format distribution. A sending server is connected to a plurality of receiving servers. The sending server comprises a master database containing information which is periodically provided to the receiving servers. The sending server and the receiving servers communicate using messaging facilities. Changes in the message format are distributed by the sending server to the receiving servers via the messaging facilities. The message format changes are implemented by receiving clients executing on each of the receiving servers. Standard configurable receiving clients are used by all receiving servers, thereby reducing or eliminating development work by the receiving parties.

Claims

1. A networked system of databases, comprising:

a plurality of receiving server computers connected to a sending server computer via a network connection, each of the plurality of receiving server computers comprising;

a receiving messaging facility configured to receive a configuration message and data messages from the sending server computer, wherein the configuration message contains message format information defining formatting of the data messages containing data updates, wherein the message format information is used to correctly extract the data updates from the data messages and comprises;

(A) a message type, (B) one or more field names, (C) one or more field lengths, and (D) one or more field data types and wherein the data messages are received subsequent to the configuration message, whereby the configuration message defines formatting of the subsequently-received data messages;

a database; and

a receiving application configured to retrieve the messages from the receiving messaging facility, and configured to;

generate a configuration file according to the configuration message received from the sending server computer, wherein the configuration file contains mapping rules for processing the subsequently-received data messages, wherein the mapping rules are established by the configuration message; and

write data received in at least one of the data messages received from the sending server computer to the database according to the mapping rules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sending server computer comprises a sending messaging facility and wherein the sending messaging facility and each receiving messaging facility comprise at least one queue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sending server computer comprises a sending messaging facility connected to each receiving messaging facility by a channel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration message comprises a first plurality of fields and wherein the configuration file maps the first plurality of fields to a second plurality of fields of one or more database tables in the receiving server computer databases.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receiving server computers further comprises a custom application configured to access selected data from the database of the at least one receiving server computer and write the selected data to a custom database of the at least one receiving server computer.

6. A networked system of databases, comprising:

(a) a sending server computer, comprising;

a sending messaging facility configured to send messages including;

(i) a configuration message containing message format information defining formatting of subsequently-sent data messages containing data updates,

wherein the message format information is used to correctly extract the data updates from the data messages and comprises;

(A) a message type, (B) one or more field names, (C) one or more field lengths, and (D) one or more field data types; and

(ii) the data messages; and

a master database;

(b) a plurality of receiving server computers connected to the sending server computer via a network connection, each of the plurality of receiving server computers comprising;

a receiving messaging facility configured to receive the messages from the sending server computer, wherein the data messages are received subsequent to the configuration message, whereby the configuration message defines formatting of the subsequently-received data messages;

a database; and

a receiving application configured to retrieve the messages from the receiving messaging facility, and configured to;

generate a configuration file according to the configuration message received from the sending server computer, wherein the configuration file contains mapping rules for processing the subsequently-received data messages, wherein the mapping rules are established by the configuration message; and

write data received in at least one of the data messages received from the sending server computer to the database according to the mapping rules;

wherein the sending messaging facility and each receiving messaging facility comprise at least one queue, and wherein the configuration message comprises a first plurality of fields and wherein the configuration file maps the first plurality of fields to a second plurality of fields of one or more database tables in the receiving server computer databases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sending messaging facility is connected to each receiving messaging facility by a channel.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the receiving server computers further comprises a custom application configured to access selected data from the database of the at least one receiving server computer and write the selected data to a custom database of the at least one receiving server computer.

9. A networked system of databases, comprising:

(a) a sending server computer, comprising;

a sending messaging facility configured to send messages including;

(i) a configuration message containing message format information defining formatting of subsequently-sent data messages containing data updates wherein the message format information is used to correctly extract the data updates from the data messages and comprises;

(A) a message type, (B) one or more field names, (C) one or more field lengths, and (D) one or more field data types; and

(ii) the data messages; and

a master database;

(b) a plurality of receiving server computers connected to the sending server computer via a network connection, each of the plurality of receiving server computers comprising;

a receiving messaging facility configured to receive the messages from the sending server computer, wherein the data messages are received subsequent to the configuration message, whereby the configuration message defines formatting of the subsequently-received data messages;

a database; and

a receiving application configured to retrieve the messages from the receiving messaging facility, and configured to;

generate a configuration file according to the configuration message received from the sending server computer, wherein the configuration file contains mapping rules for processing the subsequently-received data messages, wherein the mapping rules are established by the configuration message; and

write data received in at least one of the data messages received from the sending server computer to the database according to the mapping rules;

wherein the configuration message comprises a first plurality of fields and wherein the configuration file maps the first plurality of fields to a second plurality of fields of one or more database tables in the receiving server computer databases, and wherein at least one of the receiving server computers further comprises a custom application configured to access selected data from the database of the at least one receiving server computer and write the selected data to a custom database of the at least one receiving server computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sending messaging facility and each receiving messaging facility comprise at least one queue.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the sending messaging facility is connected to each receiving messaging facility by a channel.