← Back to Patent Explorer
US5887168A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Computer program product for a shared queue structure for data integrity

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1995-06-02
•
Granted: 1999-03-23
•
Expires: 2015-06-02
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A shared queue is provided to allow any of a plurality of systems to process messages received by clients of a data processing environment. A received message is enqueued onto the shared queue. Any of the plurality of systems having available processing capacity can retrieve the message from the shared queue and process the message. A response to the message, where appropriate, is enqueued onto the shared queue for delivery back to the client. A unique list structure is provided to implement the queue. The list structure is comprised of a plurality of sublists, or queue types. Each queue type is divided into a plurality of list headers. List entries, containing data from the received messages, are chained off of the list headers. A common queue server is used to interface to the queue and to store messages thereon. The common queue server stores message data in storage buffers, and then transfers this data to the list entries. Thus, common queue server coordinates the enqueuing of data onto the shared queue.

Inventors

  • 👤 James W. Bahls
  • 👤 George S. Denny
  • 👤 Richard G. Hannan
  • 👤 Janna L. Mansker
  • 👤 Bruce E. Naylor
  • 👤 Karen D. Paffendorf
  • 👤 Betty J. Patterson
  • 👤 Sandra L. Stoob
  • 👤 Judy Y. Tse
  • 👤 Anu V. Vakkalagadda

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 17:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/54; G06F9/546

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 269 words
A computer program product for use with a computer system, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for allowing one or more processing systems to process client requests, said computer readable program code means comprising: computer readable program code means for enabling a first data processing system having a first data processing application program running thereon to submit a message for processing; computer readable program code means for enabling one of a plurality of second data processing systems to receive said message and transmit said message for storage on a queue; computer readable program code means for enabling one of said plurality of second data processing systems to retrieve said message from said queue and process said message via one or more data processing programs running thereon, and transmit a second message to said queue; computer readable program code means for enabling a queue processor and shared storage device to provide communications between said plurality of second data processing systems, and to store said message in said queue in the form of a list entry, said queue comprising: a plurality of queue types having one or more list headers, wherein said message is stored within said list entry associated with a list header associated with one of said queue types based on the type of said message, wherein each of said one or more list headers is accessible at any given time by only one of said second data processing systems, such that said one or more list headers minimize contention for access to messages located therein.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 269 words
A computer program product for use with a computer system, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for allowing one or more processing systems to process client requests, said computer readable program code means comprising: computer readable program code means for enabling a first data processing system having a first data processing application program running thereon to submit a message for processing; computer readable program code means for enabling one of a plurality of second data processing systems to receive said message and transmit said message for storage on a queue; computer readable program code means for enabling one of said plurality of second data processing systems to retrieve said message from said queue and process said message via one or more data processing programs running thereon, and transmit a second message to said queue; computer readable program code means for enabling a queue processor and shared storage device to provide communications between said plurality of second data processing systems, and to store said message in said queue in the form of a list entry, said queue comprising: a plurality of queue types having one or more list headers, wherein said message is stored within said list entry associated with a list header associated with one of said queue types based on the type of said message, wherein each of said one or more list headers is accessible at any given time by only one of said second data processing systems, such that said one or more list headers minimize contention for access to messages located therein.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 59 words
The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code means for enabling a queue processor and shared storage device to provide communications further comprises: computer readable program code means for enabling a list entry storage device to assign an entry key to identify said list entry and store said message in a data field thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 107 words
The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code means for enabling a list entry storage device to assign an entry key and store said message further comprises: computer readable program code means for enabling chaining of said list entry to one of said list headers if there are no other list entries chained from said one of said list headers; and computer readable program code means for enabling chaining of said list entry to a list entry having been last added to said one of said list headers if there are other list entries chained from said one of said list headers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 67 words
The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code means for enabling a list entry storage device to assign an entry key and store said message further comprises: computer readable program code means for enabling creation of a second list entry and placement therein of a remainder of said message if said message is larger than said data field of said list entry.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 54 words
The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said computer readable program code means for enabling a list entry storage device to assign an entry key and store said message further comprises: computer readable program code means for enabling chaining of said second list entry from a queue type pertaining to secondary list entries.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said list entry further comprises an adjunct area for identifying said second list entry.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 94 words
The computer program product of claim 4, further comprising: computer readable program code means for enabling a computer to chain said second list entry from a secondary queue type list header if there are no other second list entries chained from said secondary queue type list header; and computer readable program code means for enabling a computer to chain said second list entry from a second list entry having been last added to said secondary queue type list header if there are other second list entries chained from said secondary queue type list header.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said first data processing system is a client computer system with a processor and a RAM.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said plurality of second data processing systems are computer platforms each comprising a processor and a RAM.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 46 words
The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said list entry comprises: an entry key for identifying said list entry, wherein said entry key is based on a queue type assigned to said message; and a data field for storing message data associated with said message.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 40 words
The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising: computer readable program code means for enabling a private queue type to lock said message if said message is being processed by one of said plurality of second data processing systems.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 30 words
The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising: compter readable program code means for enabling storage of said message in a plurality of buffers before thereof on said queue.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4507760A Cited
US5222217A Cited
US5428781A Cited
US5224215A Cited
US5319778A Cited
US5355484A Cited
US5317739A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-03-22 2002-09-21 2003-03-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-03-22 2006-09-21 2007-03-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-03-22 2010-09-21 2011-03-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag