Patent ID: 7451211
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. In a computing system for communicating messages in a message exchange pattern that defines whether a message is valid or invalid based on a current state of the message exchange pattern, a method for enforcing the message exchange pattern by restricting the transmission of invalid messages which do not conform to the current state of the message pattern, so as to preserve network bandwidth and processing resources, the method comprising: storing a state transition tree for the message exchange pattern in which each node of the tree represents a state of the message exchange pattern and in which a transmission or a receipt of a message causes a state transition to an appropriate next node in the tree; tracking progress through the message exchange pattern by performing the following, based on the current state in the message exchange pattern, determining whether the request to transmit the message renders the message valid or invalid; when the message is determined to be a valid message given the current node, transmitting the message, and then updating the state information to represent the transmission of the message to the second computing system upon transmitting the message to the second computing system; transitioning the node to the appropriate next node in the tree; and saving the updated state information; and when it is determined that the message is not a valid message to be sent given the current node in the tree, preventing the transmission of the message and notifying the component that the message is not a valid message.