Increasing capacity in a topic-subscription messaging system

Abstract

A technique increases capacity in a topic-subscription messaging system. The technique involves, during a first time period, operating a first topic structure of the system. The first topic structure includes a first topic and a plurality of first subscriptions coupled with the first topic. The technique further involves, during a second time period, providing a second topic structure which includes a second topic and a plurality of second subscriptions coupled with the second topic. The technique further involves, during a third time period, providing a link from the second topic structure to the first topic structure making (i) the second topic structure a parent to the first topic structure and (ii) the first topic structure a child to the second topic structure, the link conveying messages from a particular second subscription of the second topic structure to the first topic of the first topic structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 while a child topic of a messaging system is executable to convey messages, creating a parent topic for the messaging system;   creating a parent subscription that subscribes to the parent topic; and   coupling the parent subscription to the child topic to enable a relay of messages from the parent subscription to the child topic.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating another parent subscription that subscribes to the parent topic to increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system.   
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2  wherein the parent subscription and the other parent subscription forms at least a portion of a set of parent subscriptions subscribing to the parent topic; and
 wherein the method further comprises:
 while the parent topic is executable to convey messages to the set of parent subscriptions subscribing to the parent topic, creating a third topic for the messaging system, 
 creating a third subscription that subscribes to the third topic, and 
 coupling the third subscription to the parent topic to enable a relay of messages from the third subscription to the parent topic. 
 
 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 creating other third subscriptions that subscribe to the third topic to further increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system.   
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 creating another child topic; and   coupling the parent subscription to the other child topic to enable a relay of messages from the parent subscription to the other child topic.   
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 5 , further comprising:
 creating another set of child subscriptions that subscribes to the other child topic to further increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system.   
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 while the child topic is executable to convey messages from a sender to a set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic, receiving a test message at the parent topic from the sender, and   providing the test message from the parent topic to the parent subscription to enable relaying of the test message from the parent subscription to the child topic.   
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 while the child topic is executable to convey messages from the sender to the set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic, relaying the test message from the parent subscription to the child topic.   
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 conveying messages, which were sent by the sender to the child topic, from the child topic to the set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic before and after the test message is relayed from the parent subscription to the child topic.   
     
     
         10 . Electronic apparatus, comprising:
 memory; and   control circuitry coupled with the memory, the memory storing instructions that, when carried out by the control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to perform a method of:
 while a child topic of a messaging system is executable to convey messages, creating a parent topic for the messaging system, 
 creating a parent subscription that subscribes to the parent topic, and 
 coupling the parent subscription to the child topic to enable a relay of messages from the parent subscription to the child topic. 
   
     
     
         11 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the method further comprises:
 creating another parent subscription that subscribes to the parent topic to increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system. 
 
     
     
         12 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 11  wherein the parent subscription and the other parent subscription forms at least a portion of a set of parent subscriptions subscribing to the parent topic; and
 wherein the method further comprises:
 while the parent topic is executable to convey messages to the set of parent subscriptions subscribing to the parent topic, creating a third topic for the messaging system, 
 creating a third subscription that subscribes to the third topic, and 
 coupling the third subscription to the parent topic to enable a relay of messages from the third subscription to the parent topic. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein the method further comprises:
 creating other third subscriptions that subscribe to the third topic to further increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system. 
 
     
     
         14 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 11  wherein the method further comprises:
 creating another child topic; and 
 coupling the parent subscription to the other child topic to enable a relay of messages from the parent subscription to the other child topic. 
 
     
     
         15 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 14  wherein the method further comprises:
 creating another set of child subscriptions that subscribes to the other child topic to further increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system. 
 
     
     
         16 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 10  wherein the method further comprises:
 while the child topic is executable to convey messages from a sender to a set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic, receiving a test message at the parent topic from the sender, and 
 providing the test message from the parent topic to the parent subscription to enable relaying of the test message from the parent subscription to the child topic. 
 
     
     
         17 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 16  wherein the method further comprises:
 while the child topic is executable to convey messages from the sender to the set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic, relaying the test message from the parent subscription to the child topic. 
 
     
     
         18 . The electronic apparatus as in  claim 17  wherein the method further comprises:
 conveying messages, which were sent by the sender to the child topic, from the child topic to the set of child subscriptions subscribing to the child topic before and after the test message is relayed from the parent subscription to the child topic. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 while an initial topic of a messaging system is executable to convey messages to a set of initial subscriptions coupled to the initial topic, creating a subsequent topic for the messaging system;   creating a subsequent subscription that subscribes to the subsequent topic; and   configuring the subsequent subscription to forward messages from the subsequent topic to the initial topic to increase subscription capacity provided by the messaging system.   
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 adding new initial subscriptions to the set of initial subscriptions to increase a number of subscriptions in the messaging system; and   adding new subsequent subscriptions to the subsequent topic to further increase the number of subscriptions in the messaging system.