In-order message delivery in a distributed store-and-forward system

An electronic device comprising:

• a communication interface;
• a memory;
• and
• a processing unit communicatively coupled with the communication interface and the memory, the processing unit configured to cause the electronic device to:
• establish, via the communication interface, a first communication link with a destination node, wherein the first communication link comprises a first Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model layer;
• while the first communication link with the destination node is established, send a request to an origination node via the communication interface, wherein:
• the request is for information to provide to the destination node, and
• the request is sent via a second communication link comprising a second OSI model layer different from the first OSI model layer;
• receive, via the second communication link, a message to provide to the destination node;
• and
• send the message from the electronic device to the destination node via the first communication link while the first communication link is established.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for establishing, by an intermediate node, a first communication link with a destination node, wherein the first communication link comprises a first Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model layer;
• means for, while the first communication link with the destination node is established, sending a request from the intermediate node to an origination node, wherein:
• the request is for information to provide to the destination node, and
• the request is sent via a second communication link comprising a second OSI model layer different from the first OSI model layer;
• means for receiving, via the second communication link, a message to provide to the destination node;
• and
• means for sending the message from the intermediate node to the destination node via the first communication link while the first communication link is established.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embedded therein for operating an intermediate node in a distributed store-and-forward system, the instructions comprising computer code for:

• establishing, by the intermediate node, a first communication link with a destination node, wherein the first communication link comprises a first Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model layer;
• while the first communication link with the destination node is established, sending a request from the intermediate node to an origination node, wherein:
• the request is for information to provide to the destination node, and
• the request is sent via a second communication link comprising a second OSI model layer different from the first OSI model layer;
• receiving, via the second communication link, a message to provide to the destination node;
• and
• sending the message from the intermediate node to the destination node via the first communication link while the first communication link is established.