Efficient buffer utilization in a computer network-based messaging system

A system for buffering messages, the system comprising:

• a buffer manager configured to
• maintain a head index indicating a head boundary between a logically last message in a message buffer within a computer memory and a logically next write-available location in a logical write direction past said logically last message within said message buffer,
• maintain a tail index indicating a tail boundary between a logically last write-available location in said logical write direction within said message buffer and a logically first message within said message buffer, said head index and said tail index defining a logically-contiguous write-available region spanning from said head boundary to said tail boundary in said write direction,
• insert at least one free buffer segment, allocatable from a buffer pool within said computer memory, into said write-available region of said message buffer when said message buffer is nonempty, and
• remove a portion of said write-available region of said message buffer to said buffer pool when said message buffer is nonempty;
• a buffer writing mechanism configured to write a message to said write-available region of said message buffer beginning at said logically next write-available location;
• and
• a buffer reading mechanism configured to read said logically first message within said message buffer,
• wherein said buffer manager is further configured to
• advance said head index to indicate a new head boundary between a new logically last message in said message buffer and a new logically next write-available location in said logical write direction past said new logically last message within said message buffer, and
• advance said tail index to indicate a new tail boundary between a new logically last write-available location past said logically first message in said logical write direction within said message buffer and a new logically first message within said message buffer,
• wherein said buffer manager is further configured to receive said message as part of a packet,
• wherein said buffer writing mechanism is further configured to write said message together with said packet,
• wherein said buffer reading mechanism is further configured to read said packets in a packet order, and
• wherein said buffer manager is further configured to advance said tail index past the location of a previously-read packet as indicated by a gap record,
• and wherein any of said buffer manager, buffer writing mechanism, and buffer reading mechanism are implemented in either of computer hardware and computer software embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.