System and method for exactly once message store communication

• US 7,921,169 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Dean Bernard, Halpern, Eric M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/185,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709213-228, 709/206, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system for managing a message store in a network includes an object acting as a message store. In one embodiment, the message store is for Java Message Service. A lead server is selected from several servers. The lead server uses a distributed consensus algorithm to select a host server. The selected host server hosts the message store, providing sole access to the message store. The other servers are notified of the new host by messaging. In one embodiment, servers can send messages to the message store on the host and pick up any messages from the message store.

Claims

1. A system for hosting a message store on a server, comprising:

a computer, including a computer-readable storage medium and processor operating thereon;

a lead server that selects a host server from among a plurality of servers that form a cluster in a network using a distributed consensus algorithm, the lead server contacts the plurality of servers to determine whether the host server is acceptable to the plurality of servers, and when the plurality of servers agree that the host server is acceptable, the lead server;

sends a notification to the plurality of servers to commit the host server, and

assigns the message store to the host server to provide a sole access point to the message store for the plurality of servers; and

wherein each of the plurality of servers retrieves messages from the host server providing the sole access point to the message store.

2. A method for hosting a message store on a server, comprising:

selecting, by at least one processor, a host server from among a plurality of servers that form a cluster in a network using a distributed consensus algorithm;

contacting the plurality of servers to determine whether the host server is acceptable to the plurality of servers;

sending a notification to the plurality of servers to commit the host server, when the plurality of servers agree that the host server is acceptable; and

assigning the message store to the host server to provide a sole access point to the message store, wherein each of the plurality of servers retrieves messages from the host server providing the sole access point to the message store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message store is a Java Message Service message store.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of servers send messages to the message store and the plurality of servers pick up messages from the message store.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a server in the plurality of servers access Java Message Service by sending a message to the message store on the host server.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the host server provides the sole access point to the message store.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein when the host server becomes unable to host the message store, a new host server is chosen using the distributed consensus algorithm.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein multicast messaging is used with the consensus algorithm.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the distributed consensus algorithm is a Paxos algorithm.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the host server receives a lease for the message store for a period of time.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein when the host server is cut off from the network, it no longer host the message store.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for hosting a message store on a server, the instructions comprising:

selecting a host server from among a plurality of servers that form a cluster in a network using a distributed consensus algorithm;

contacting the plurality of servers to determine whether the host server is acceptable to the plurality of servers;

sending a notification to the plurality of servers to commit the host server, when the plurality of servers agree that the host server is acceptable;

assigning the message store to the host server to provide a sole access point to the message store; and

wherein each of the plurality of servers retrieves messages from the host server providing the sole access point to the message store.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the message store is a Java Message Service message store.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers send messages to the message store and the plurality of servers pick up messages from the message store.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a server in the plurality of servers access Java Message Service by sending a message to the message store on the host server.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the host server provides the sole access point to the message store.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein when the host server becomes unable to host the message store, a new host server is chosen using the distributed consensus algorithm.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein multicast messaging is used with the consensus algorithm.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the distributed consensus algorithm is a Paxos algorithm.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the host server receives a lease for the message store for a period of time.