Communicating messages between publishers and subscribers in a mesh routing network

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for method for communicating across a mesh network, the method comprising:

• receiving a subscription request from a subscriber requesting to subscribe to receive information published to a service name, wherein the subscription request is received from an external client that is a non-participating member of the mesh network through an attach point, wherein the attach point is a node in the mesh network that external clients attach to, and that proxies requests on behalf of attached external clients, and wherein the service name is dynamically selected;
• applying a function to the service name to generate a value that maps to a root-node that serves as a rendezvous point for the service name, wherein the rendezvous point is dynamic and changes over time, and wherein the rendezvous point is a member of a plurality of rendezvous points for the service name;
• forwarding the subscription request through the mesh network to the root-node;
• logging information associated with the subscription request in a subscription table at the root-node, thereby enabling the root-node to forward messages that are subsequently published to the service name to the subscriber;
• creating a replica root-node that is capable of serving as the rendezvous point for the service name, wherein the root-node leaves the mesh network invoking the replica root-node to take over ownership as the rendezvous point for the service name;
• and
• assigning the root-node that left the mesh network as a new replica root-node for the service name upon rejoining the mesh network.

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 9, wherein the method further comprises:

• receiving a publication request from a publisher requesting to publish a message to the service name;
• applying the function to the service name to generate the value that maps to the root-node associated with the service name;
• forwarding the publication request through the mesh network to the root-node;
• using the subscription table at the root-node to match the publication request to one or more subscribers for the service name;
• and
• forwarding the message from the root-node to the one or more subscribers through the mesh network.

A system that facilitates communicating across a mesh network, comprising:

• the mesh network comprising a plurality of computing nodes;
• and
• a communication mechanism that executes across the plurality of computing nodes, wherein during operation the communication mechanism:
• receives a subscription request from a subscriber requesting to subscribe to receive information published to a service name, wherein the subscription request is received from an external client that is a non-participating member of the mesh network through an attach point, wherein the attach point is a node in the mesh network that external clients attach to, and that proxies requests on behalf of attached external clients, and wherein the service name is dynamically selected;
• applies a function to the service name to generate a value that maps to a root-node that serves as a rendezvous point for the service name, wherein the rendezvous point is dynamic and changes over time, and wherein the rendezvous point is a member of a plurality of rendezvous points for the service name;
• forwards the subscription request through the mesh network to the root-node;
• logs information associated with the subscription request in a subscription table at the root-node, thereby enabling the root-node to forward messages that are subsequently published to the service name to the subscriber;
• creates a replica root-node that is capable of serving as the rendezvous point for the service name, wherein the root-node leaves the mesh network invoking the replica root-node to take over ownership as the rendezvous point for the service name;
• and
• assigns the root-node that left the mesh network as a new replica root-node for the service name upon rejoining the mesh network.