Discard Indication Messages for Message Delivery Systems

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing message delivery systems fail to effectively notify subscribers of message loss during congestion, particularly in brokered topologies where the exact topic of discarded messages is not indicated, and in brokerless systems where retransmission requests are broadcast without topic information.

Innovation Solution

A method and router configuration that replace discarded messages with discard indication messages containing only the topic portion, allowing subscribers to identify lost messages, and optionally include a count of discarded messages, ensuring these messages are not further discarded downstream.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a brokered topology is used to set a discard indication flag in the message header, then it indicates that preceding messages were discarded, but it does not provide the topics of the discarded messages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage delivery reliabilityVSAvoidtopic information of discarded messages

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (discard indication message) that carries topic information about discarded messages. This intermediary message acts as a mediator between the congestion detection point and the subscriber, providing the missing topic information that the simple discard flag cannot convey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where discard indication messages are sent back to subscribers to inform them of discarded messages and their topics. This feedback loop allows subscribers to take appropriate actions (such as requesting retransmission) based on the information provided about discarded messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the dataloss advisory message is broadcast to all clients in a brokerless system, then it notifies clients of message loss, but it does not contain the topics of the lost messages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage loss notificationVSAvoidtopic information of lost messages

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (discard indication message) that carries topic information about discarded messages. This intermediary message acts as a mediator between the congestion detection point and the subscriber, providing the missing topic information that the simple discard flag cannot convey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where discard indication messages are sent back to subscribers to inform them of discarded messages and their topics. This feedback loop allows subscribers to take appropriate actions (such as requesting retransmission) based on the information provided about discarded messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If the discard indication message contains only the topic portion without the body portion, then it optimizes resource usage during congestion, but it requires additional processing to reconstruct full message information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork bandwidth consumptionVSAvoidmessage reconstruction processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential topic portion from the full message, creating a lightweight discard indication message. This extraction principle allows the system to notify subscribers of message loss with minimal bandwidth consumption while still providing the critical information needed for subscribers to identify and request retransmission of the lost messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9515943B2Topic discard indication

Publication Date: 2016.12.06 SOLACE CORP

AI summary

In a message delivery system wherein messages having topic portion defining a topic and a body portion containing information relating to the defined topic are delivered to subscribers based on the topics associated with the messages, the messages are placed in a queue for delivery, and in the event of congestion one or more of the messages are replaced with discard indication messages containing the topics associated with the discarded messages without the corresponding body portions.