Method and system for reliable access of messages by multiple consumers

• US 7,937,364 B1
• Filed: 03/09/1999
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chandrasekaran, Sashikanth, Saxena, Ashok R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, BAOQUOC N
• Application Number:
  US09/265,489
• Time in Patent Office: 4,438 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/10, 707/3, 707/7, 707/100, 707/102, 705/1, 705/9, 705/23
• US Class Current: 707/636
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/548 Queue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing the processing of the same pieces of information, e.g., messages, by multiple consumers, in a prescribed order, without causing the degradation of any consumer'"'"'s performance because of other consumers'"'"' access to the same information. A single information queue contains pieces of information to be accessed by multiple consumers. Each piece of information is stored in the information queue along with an information identifier that uniquely identifies the piece of information. A separate table is used to keep track of and identify the pieces of information in the information queue that have been accessed by respective consumers. This separate table is decoupled from the information queue, and, thus, each consumer'"'"'s access of a piece of queued information does not impact any other consumer'"'"'s access of the same piece of information. A deletion process may also be executed, in the background if desired, which uses a working list table that identifies the pieces of information that have been accessed. With the working list table and the separate table, the deletion process identifies the pieces of information that have been accessed by all the respective consumers, and deletes them from the information queue.

Claims

1. A method for managing information produced by an application to be accessed by multiple consumers, said information comprising one or more information records, said information records to be accessed by said multiple consumers in a specified order, said information record comprising data produced by the application to be accessed by a consumer, said method comprising:

providing said data of an information record to a consumer of the multiple consumers;

updating, by using a processor, a history table, said history table comprising a history record for said consumer for said information record, said history record comprising a message state field for indicating whether said data of said information record have been provided to said consumer, said updating comprising setting said message state field in a history record corresponding to said consumer to indicate said consumer accessed said data, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information records in the same prescribed order and the consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the consumer begins the transaction on the same information records;

associating a work list table with said history table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries;

batching two or more work entries in said work list table;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting the one or more information records; and

storing the data in a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium or displaying the data on a display device.

2. The method for managing information of claim 1, in which each said information record further comprises a message identifier value that identifies the data of said information record, and each said history record further comprises a message id field that identifies data in an information record.

3. The method for managing information of claim 2, in which each said history record further comprises a consumer id field that identifies a consumer of said multiple consumers that is to access data in an information record, said data identified by said message id field in said history record, said consumer id field of said history record identifying said history record as corresponding to said consumer.

4. The method for managing information of claim 3, in which said updating comprises setting said message state field in the history record with a message id field that identifies said data that said consumer is provided access to and with a consumer id field that identifies said consumer.

5. The method for managing information of claim 1, in which prefix index key compression is used to store only one instance of a message identifier value that identifies the data of an information record in said history table for each history record for said information record.

6. The method for managing information of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data to be accessed by a consumer in an information record;

creating a history record for each consumer that is to access said data; and

setting said message state field in each said history record to indicate said data has not been accessed.

7. The method for managing information of claim 1, further comprising

identifying the data of an information record that a consumer is to be provided access to by order data in a read-order table, said order data indicating a relative order that data in said information records is to be accessed by said multiple consumers.

8. The method for managing information of claim 1, further comprising:

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records comprising a history table read; and

deleting an information record if all the message state fields in all of the history records of said history table read indicate that said data in said information record has been accessed.

9. The method for managing information of claim 1, wherein said work entry comprising an identification of data in the information record.

10. The method for managing information of claim 9, further comprising adding a work entry to said work list table, said work entry comprising an identification of said data said consumer is provided access to.

11. The method for managing information of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing a work entry in said work list table;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records comprising a history table read, said one or more history records comprising said history table read determined by said work entry; and

deleting an information record if all the message state fields in all of the history records of said history table read indicate that said data in said information record has been accessed.

12. A system for the delivery of information produced by an application to multiple consumers, said information comprising data produced by the application to be accessed by a consumer, said system comprising:

a processor for executing instructions;

an information queue comprising one or more information queue records, said information queue record comprising information to be accessed by one or more consumers;

a table separated from said information queue, said table comprising one or more table records, said table record comprising an identification of said information in an information queue record, said table record further comprising a consumer identification field comprising an identification of one of said one or more consumers, and a message state field for indicating whether one of the one or more information queue records has been accessed by one of the one or more consumers, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information queue records in the same prescribed order and the one or more consumers do not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the one or more consumers begin the transaction on the same information queue records;

a work list table being associated with said table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries, wherein the processor is programmed for;

batching two or more work entries in said work list table;

reading one or more table records of said table, said one or more table records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting the one or more information records; and

a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium for storing the information or a display device displaying the information.

13. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 12, in which each said information queue record further comprises said identification of said information of said information queue record.

14. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 12, further comprising a read-order table, said read-order table comprising order data indicating the order that information in said information queue is to be delivered to a consumer.

15. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 14, in which said read-order table comprises one or more records, each said record of said read-order table comprising an identification field that identifies information in an information queue record, each said record of said read-order table further comprising an enqueue time field that comprises said order data.

16. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 12, wherein said work list entry comprising an identification of information in an information queue record.

17. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 16, in which each said work list entry is a record.

18. The system for the delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 16, in which said work list table comprises one or more work records and each said work list entry is a field in a work record.

19. The system for delivery of information to multiple consumers of claim 12, in which for each of said one or more consumers, said table comprises a separate table record for each piece of information to be accessed by said consumer.

20. A system for the delivery of messages produced by an application to multiple consumers, said messages comprising data produced by the application to be accessed by a consumer, said method comprising, said system comprising:

a processor for executing instructions;

a message queue comprising one or more message queue records, said one or more message queue records comprising a message and a message identification;

a history table separated from said message queue comprising

one or more history records, said one or more history records comprising

a message identification, a consumer identification and a message state identification, said message state identification indicating whether one of the one or more message queue records has been accessed; and

a work list table separated from said message queue and said history table comprising

one or more work list entries, said work list entry comprising a message identification, wherein the multiple consumers access the same message queue records in the same prescribed order and a consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the consumer begins the transaction on the same message queue records, wherein the processor is programmed for;

batching two or more work entries in said work list table;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting the one or more information records; and

a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium storing the message or a display device for displaying the message.

21. The system for the delivery of messages to multiple consumers of claim 20, further comprising a read-order table comprising one or more read-order records, each said read-order record comprising a message identification and order data, said order data indicating the relative order that the message of said message queue that is identified by the message identification of said read-order record is to be delivered to a consumer.

22. A method for multiple consumers to access information produced by an application in a non first-in first-out, prescribed order, said information comprising one or more pieces of information, a first piece of information produced by the application stored in a first location to be accessed by a consumer, said method comprising:

providing access to said first piece of information to a first consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating in a second location in a history table that said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a first message state field for indicating whether said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information;

providing access to said first piece of information to a second consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating, by using a processor, in a third location in said history table that said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a second message state field for indicating whether said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information records in the same prescribed order and the first consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the consumer begins the transaction on the same information records;

associating a work list table with said history table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting said entry comprising said first piece of information from said queue of information after said first consumer and said second consumer have accessed said first piece of information, in which said first location comprises an information entry in a queue of information, in which said queue of information comprises one or more information entries, and each said information entry comprises a piece of information to be accessed by one or more of said multiple consumers, each said information entry further comprising an identification of said piece of information in said information entry; and

storing the first piece of information in a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium or displaying the first piece of information on a display device.

23. The method for multiple consumers to access information of claim 22, in which said history table comprises an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said first consumer.

24. The method for multiple consumers to access information of claim 23, in which said third location comprises a history entry in said history table, said history entry comprising an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said second consumer.

25. The method for multiple consumers to access information of claim 22, further comprising:

indicating in a fourth location an order in which said one or more pieces of information is to be accessed by said multiple consumers.

26. A computer program product that includes a volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a process for multiple consumers to access information produced by an application in a non first-in first-out, prescribed order, said information comprising one or more pieces of information, a first piece of information produced by the application stored in a first location to be accessed by a consumer once, said process comprising:

providing access to said first piece of information to a first consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating in a second location in a history table that said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a first message state field for indicating whether said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information;

providing access to said first piece of information to a second consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating in a third location in said history table that said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a second message state field for indicating whether said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information records in the same prescribed order and the first consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the first consumer begins the transaction on the same information records;

associating a work list table with said history table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting said entry comprising said first piece of information from said queue of information after said first consumer and said second consumer have accessed said first piece of information, in which said first location comprises an information entry in a queue of information, in which said queue of information comprises one or more information entries, and at least one of said one or more information entries comprises a piece of information to be accessed by one or more of said multiple consumers, said at least one of said one or more information entries further comprising an identification of said piece of information in said information entry; and

storing the first piece of information or displaying the first piece of information on a display device.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, in which said history table comprises an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said first consumer.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, in which said third location comprises a history entry in said history table, said history entry comprising an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said second consumer.

29. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

indicating in a fourth location an order in which said one or more pieces of information is to be accessed by said multiple consumers.

30. A system for multiple consumers to access information produced by an application in a non first-in first-out, prescribed order, said information comprising one or more pieces of information, a first piece of information produced by the application stored in a first location to be accessed by a consumer, said system comprising:

a processor programmed for;

providing access to said first piece of information to a first consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating in a second location in a history table that said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a first message state field for indicating whether said first consumer has accessed said first piece of information;

providing access to said first piece of information to a second consumer of said multiple consumers;

indicating in a third location in said history table that said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, said history table having a second message state field for indicating whether said second consumer has accessed said first piece of information, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information records in the same prescribed order and the first consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the first consumer begins the transaction on the same information records;

associating a work list table with said history table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting said entry comprising said first piece of information from said queue of information after said first consumer and said second consumer have accessed said first piece of information, in which said first location comprises an information entry in a queue of information, in which said queue of information comprises one or more information entries, said information entry comprises a piece of information to be accessed by one or more of said multiple consumers, said information entry further comprising an identification of said piece of information in said information entry; and

a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium for storing the first piece of information or a display device for displaying the first piece of information.

31. The system of claim 30, in which history table comprises an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said first consumer.

32. The system of claim 31, in which said third location comprises

a history entry in said history table, said history entry comprising an identification of said first piece of information and an identification of said second consumer.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further adapted for indicating in a fourth location an order in which said one or more pieces of information is to be accessed by said multiple consumers.

34. A computer program product that includes a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a process for managing information produced by an application to be accessed by multiple consumers, said information comprising one or more information records, said information records to be accessed by said multiple consumers in a specified order, said information record produced by the application comprising data to be accessed by a consumer, said process comprising:

providing said data of an information record to a consumer of the multiple consumers;

updating a history table, said history table comprising a history record for said consumer for said information record, said history record comprising a message state field for indicating whether said data of said information record have been provided to said consumer, said updating comprising setting said message state field in a history record corresponding to said consumer to indicate said consumer accessed said data, wherein the multiple consumers access the same information records in the same prescribed order and the consumer does not have to wait for any others to finish a transaction before the consumer begins the transaction on the same information records;

associating a work list table with said history table, said work list table comprising one or more work entries;

batching two or more work entries in said work list table;

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records determined by said two or more work entries;

deleting the one or more information records; and

storing the data in a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium or displaying the data on a display device.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, in which each said information record further comprises a message identifier value that identifies the data of said information record, and each said history record further comprises a message id field that identifies data in an information record.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, in which prefix index key compression is used to store only one instance of a message identifier value that identifies the data of an information record in said history table for each history record for said information record.

37. The computer program product of claim 34, the process further comprising:

storing data to be accessed by a consumer in an information record;

creating a history record for each consumer that is to access said data; and

setting said message state field in each said history record to indicate said data has not been accessed.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, the process further comprising identifying the data of an information record that a consumer is to be provided access to by order data in a read-order table, said order data indicating a relative order that data in said information records is to be accessed by said multiple consumers.

39. The computer program product of claim 34, the process further comprising:

reading one or more history records of said history table, said one or more history records comprising a history table read; and

deleting an information record if all the message state fields in all of the history records of said history table read indicate that said data in said information record has been accessed.

40. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein said work entry comprising an identification of data in an information record.