Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-16
2001-04-10
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C709S206000, C709S207000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of parallel processing in an electronic mail environment.
2. Background Art
Electronic mail messaging provides the ability to communicate information throughout an enterprise (e.g., send and receive messages and files between enterprise users). Electronic mail users can send, for example, mail messages, scheduling messages, directory information, and files.
Electronic mail systems provide the ability to perform mail operations. For example, electronic mail operations include the ability to send and receive messages (i.e., mail or calendar scheduling messages directory information, and/or files). Messages received by a user can be, for example, read and/or forwarded to another mail user. Further, a user can send a reply message to the sending user. Other operations may be provided to manage messages and files.
Messages in a electronic mail systems can be grouped, or queued, based on some like characteristic (e.g., the type of further processing required). For example, a submission queue can contain messages targeted for a particular location. A rerouting queue can be used to store messages that need to be routed to another location. A notification queue can contain a list of messages that have been placed in a user's incoming mail box, and for which users are to receive notification. A dead message queue can be used to identify messages that are not deliverable or returnable to the sender. A garbage collection queue can be used to contain messages that can be removed from a system. Remote queues contain messages bound for remote locations. Gateway queues contain messages destined for foreign messaging environments.
As the number of mail users increases, the number of messages to be processed by a mail system typically increases. Conversely, as the number of mail users decreases, the number of messages decreases. If, for example, messaging increases and processing capability to handle messaging remains constant, the number of messages in the message queues such as the ones discussed above can increase. Prior art systems provide the ability to serially process messages, or queue entries. However, these systems do not provide the ability to scale processing (up or down) to accommodate a change in messaging activity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides the ability to scale an electronic mail system. The present invention provides the ability to process mail entries in parallel to accommodate increased messaging activity. Further, the present invention provides the ability to down scale processing capability to accommodate decreases in messaging activity.
The present invention provides the ability to scale a queue such that a queue can be generic and have one or more processes manage a portion of messages in the queue. Instead of assigning a message to a particular process, a message can be assigned to a queue. Further, multiple processes can be assigned to process a queue. Thus, as more activity causes the number of entries in a queue to increase, additional processes can be assigned to process the queue's entries. Similarly, as activity decreases and the number of queue entries decrease, the processing capability assigned to a queue can be decreased.
Each process can identify the next entry to be processed, and then process the entry. Entries previously processed can be marked such that processes that subsequently access the entry are aware that the entry has been processed. Any order for entry selection can be used. For example, queue entries can be placed in the queue in the order in which they are received. Further, priorities can be assigned to queue entries. Thus, for example, each process can select queue entries on a First In First Out (FIFO) basis. Further, the FIFO selection can be varied based on the priorities assigned to the queue entries.
Any method can be used to identify queue entries previously or currently being processed by one process. In the preferred embodiment, messaging and process information are stored in a relational database system that provides the ability to perform locking at the record level. Such a relational database management system (RDBMS) is provided by Oracle Corporation. Messaging and process information are stored in relations, or tables, in the RDBMS.
A process can be used to perform multiple tasks or activities. Each process can be configured to perform one or more of these activities. Further, processes can be configured to run during a certain time period. Thus, for example, multiple processes can be configured to perform garbage collection. A garbage collector process can be further configured to, for example, clean up mail messages or scheduler messages, or clean up replication or directory registration information. Further, a garbage collector can be run at night to perform garbage collection on mail messages. Another garbage collector can be run during the daytime to perform garbage collection tasks.
The number and type of processes can be determined or altered by a electronic mail system administrator. The present invention can retain information related to the processes. A parent process, the guardian process, can initiate or terminate other processes. A guardian process can access process information to determine what number and type of processes to initiate. Further, the guardian process can examine the system information at an interval of time to determine what processes are running. Based on the system information and the process information, the guardian can identify any need to initiate, restart, or stop one or more processes. Further, the guardian process can pass process identification and other process information to an initiated process to assist the process in determining how to proceed.
Using a RDBMS with record locking capability, queue entries can be stored in a database with each queue entry being a row in a database relation, or table. As each entry is selected for processing, the row in the table that corresponds to the queue entry can be locked. Each process can examine a snapshot of the queue and attempt to access the next queue entry. If; the entry is not locked, the entry can be selected for processing. If the entry is locked, the entry cannot be selected by a subsequent process.
One or more tables can be used to retain message information. For example, an instance table can contain an entry for each instance of a message and retain queue information. This table can be examined by the processes to identify the next message to be processed.
Additional tables can be used to retain process information. For example, a process table can contain a class designation, instance identifier, flags, timestamps (e.g., last wake time and last sleep time), and a process state (e.g., run or not run). Another table can be used to define general information for each class of processes. For example, fields in the table can be used to assign names to the executables in each class.
A process parameters table contains parameter information for a process instance or for a class of processes. A process can be configured for periods of dormancy between work cycles (i.e., performing configured tasks). A process time table is used to determine the periods in which a process is to remain dormant. For example, the table can contain information regarding the time of day that a process is to run.
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Gans Stevens S.
Nazem Farzad
Black Thomas G.
Coby Frantz
Hickman Palermo & Truong & Becker LLP
Oracle Corporation
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