US 5,335,347 AGranted

Method and apparatus for scoped interprocess message switching

AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.

InventorsCarolyn L. Foss, Dwight F. Hare, Richard F. McAllister, Tin A. Nguyen, Amy Pearl, Sami Shalo

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for scoped interprocess message switching between a sender process and a plurality of receiver processes is disclosed. Messages supported may be scoped to message scopes of a message scope type of "Session" or one of a plurality of non-session message scope types including a message scope type of "File". Messages may also be scoped to message scopes of an intersection or union of message scope types. Intersection and union of message scope types comprise "File in Session" and "File or Session". Scoped messages supported further comprise request and notice messages. Receiver processes supported comprise handler processes and observer processes. Request messages may be observed as well as handled, and notice messages may be handled as well as observed. Handler and observer processes may be non-executing as well as executing. Local receiver processes are selected for session scoped messages. Remote as well as local receiver processes are selected for non-session scoped messages. Sender processes do not need to specify the identity of the receiver processes. The sender process and the receiver processes may be executed within the same or different sessions, on the same computer or on different computers in a network.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a network of computer systems comprising a sender process, a plurality of receiver processes, and a plurality of message switches, a method for scoped interprocess message switching between said sender process and said receiver processes, said method comprising the steps of:

registering each of said receiver processes with at most one of said message switches on said network of computer systems, each of said registrations comprising registering at least one message pattern for the receiver process being registered, each of said message patterns described scoped messages the receiver process being registered is to receive, said description including the scoped messages' message scope types, said message scope types including a session and at least one non-session identifier message scope type, said description further including the sender process's session identifier if the scoped messages' message scope types are the session message scope type, and non-session message scopes if the scoped messages' message scope types are the at least one non-session message scope type;
joining said switches to appropriate ones of said non-session message scopes on said network of computer systems by said switches enrolling themselves as remote switches for receiving messages scoped with the particular non-session message scopes in response and in accordance to said registrations of said receiver processes
receiving scoped messages from said sender process by said switches;
selecting said registered receiver processes by said switches in response to said received scoped messages, each of said scoped messages having message attributes identifying the scoped message's message scope type, the sender process's session identifier if the scoped message's message scope type is the session message scope type, and a non-session message scope if the scoped message's message scope type is the non-session message scope type, said selections being performed by said switches in accordance to said registered information and using said joining relationships between said switches and said non-session message scopes if said scoped messages' message scope types are the at least one non-session message scope type;
queuing copies of said received scoped messages with selected receiver processes by said selecting switches in response to its selection of receiver processes;
signaling said selected receiver processes by said queuing switches regarding the availability of said queued scoped messages in response to its queuing of scoped messages;
and
delivering said queued scoped messages by said signaling switches, upon request of said signaled receiver processes, to said requesting receiver processes.

5 more elements

In a network of computer systems comprising a sender process, and a plurality of receiver processes, an apparatus for scoped interprocess message switching between said sender process and said receiver processes, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of substantially identical message switches for receiving scoped messages from said sender process and delivering the received scoped messages to said receiver processes,
each of said scoped messages having a first message attribute identifying the scoped message's message scope type, said message scope types including a session and at least one non-session message scope type, each of said scoped messages further having a second message attribute identifying the sender process's session identifier if the scoped message's message scope type is the session message scope type, and a third message attribute identifying a non-session message scope if the scoped message's message scope type is the non-session message scope type,
each of said message switches having
registration means for registering a subset of said receiver processes, each of said receiver processes being registered with at most one of said message switches, each of said registrations comprising registering at least one message pattern for the receiver process being registered, each of said message patterns describing scoped messages the receiver process being registered is to receive, said descriptions including the scoped messages' message scope types, said descriptions further including the sender process' session identifier if the scoped messages' message scope types are the session message scope type, and non-session message scopes if the scoped messages' scope types are the at least one non-session message scope type;
selection means coupled with said registration means for selecting receiver processes registered with the switch to receive said scoped messages sent by said sender process in response to receiving said scoped messages;
queueing means coupled with said selection means for queuing copies of said scoped messages with selected receiver processes in response to said selection of receiver process,
signaling means coupled to said queueing means for signaling said selected receiver processes, regarding the availability of said queued scoped messages in response to said queuing of scoped messages, and
delivery means coupled to said queueing means for delivering said queued scoped messages, upon request of said signaled receiver processes, to said requesting receiver processes;
and
joining means coupled to said registration and selection means of said switches for joining said switches to appropriate ones of a plurality of non-session message scopes, said switches joining themselves to the appropriates ones of said non-session message scopes by enrolling themselves as remote switches for receiving messages scoped with the particular non-session message scope in response and in accordance to said registrations of said receiver processes, said selections of receiver processes being performed by said switches in accordance to said registrations and using said joining relationships between said switches and said non-session message scopes if said scoped messages' message scope types are the at least one non-session message scope type.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.