Patent ID: 8185912

Claim:
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of automatically lowering, for a primary queue instance, a priority setting that is used by a load balancing algorithm to distribute messages between a plurality of parallel queue instances that includes the primary queue instance, the method comprising: retrieving characteristics of the primary queue instance including a number of messages entering the primary queue instance during a period of time, a number of messages exiting the primary queue instance during the period of time, and a number of application interfaces operating to remove the messages from the primary queue instance; calculating a message throughput for the primary queue instance using the number of messages entering the primary queue instance and the number of messages exiting the primary queue instance; determining that the message throughput is within a cautionary range bounded by an adequate throughput level and a low throughput level; determining that the number of application interfaces operating is greater than a first threshold number of application interfaces; determining that conditions associated with one or more parallel queue instances do not allow priority settings for the one or more parallel queue instances to be increased, and wherein a parallel queue instance and the primary queue instance facilitate transmission of a first type of message between a first program and a second program; determining that the number of application interfaces operating on each of the one or more parallel queue instances is above a second threshold number of application interfaces; and upon making the above determinations, decreasing the priority setting of the primary queue instance to a lower setting, thereby causing fewer messages to be sent to the primary queue instance.