Using message content to group messages

Abstract

In a message grouping application, the broker/ESB architecture allows the messages mid-flow to pause and collecting them into groups according to a correlation string that is calculated from the content of the messages. Furthermore, minimum/maximum quantity and timeout constraints are applied to the group. Once a collection, as a group of related messages, is deemed complete, they are combined into one message and routed or transformed as directed in their combined content. This scheme allows message processing to be batched according to the combined business meaning of multiple inputs.

1 . A system of grouping messages using message content, said system comprising:
 a collector node; and   a first-in-first-out queue;   wherein a message is processed in a distributed network;   said message is transformed;   said message is routed;   said message is collected into a first group at said collector node, based on a user configurable criteria;   wherein said collector node comprises dynamic input terminals;   said dynamic input terminals receives said message;   wherein the name and number of said dynamic input terminals are configurable by said user;   a correlation path is used to determine a first location and to extract a first value from the content of said message;   a first correlation string is determined, based on said extracted first value and a correlation pattern;   said first correlation string is compared with a second correlation string, to find a common correlation string;   said message received from said dynamic input terminals mid-flow is paused, to process said message in collection;   said collector node groups incoming messages into a collection, based on said common correlation string;   said collector node holds said collection in said first-in-first-out queue;   wherein said collection in a first-in-first-out queue has a set of event handlers;   wherein each of said set of event handlers corresponds to one of said dynamic input terminals;   one of said set of event handlers either accepts said message or rejects said message;   in case said one of said set of event handlers accepts said message, said message becomes a part of said collection;   in case said one of said set of event handlers rejects said message, another one of said set of event handlers associated with the same input for the next earliest collection in said first-in-first-out queue checks said message;   in case said message is rejected by all of said set of event handlers, a new collection is added to the end of said first-in-first-out queue, to accept said message;   based on said user configurable criteria, it is determined whether said collection is ready for propagation;   wherein said user configurable criteria comprises:   a quantity threshold for the number of messages in said collection;   an event handler timeout threshold;   a collection expiry for maximum collection timeout;   a correlation path; and   said correlation pattern;   wherein completed collections are sent to an out terminal; and   expired collections are sent to an expired terminal.