Patent ID: 7454475

Claim:
A method of grouping messages using message content, said method comprising the steps of: processing a message in a distributed network; transforming said message; routing said message; collecting said message into a first group at a collector node, based on a user configurable criteria; wherein said collector node comprises dynamic input terminals; said dynamic input terminals receiving said message; wherein the name and number of said dynamic input terminals are configurable by said user; using a correlation path to determine a first location and to extract a first value from the content of said message; determining a first correlation string, based on said extracted first value and a correlation pattern; comparing said first correlation string with a second correlation string, to find a common correlation string; pausing said message received from said dynamic input terminals mid-flow, to process said message in collection; said collector node grouping incoming messages into a collection, based on said common correlation string; said collector node holding said collection in a 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 accepting said message or rejecting said message; in case said one of said set of event handlers accepts said message, said message becoming 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 checking said message; in case said message is rejected by all of said set of event handlers, adding a new collection to the end of said first-in-first-out queue, to accept said message; determining whether said collection is ready for propagation, based on said user configurable criteria; 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; sending completed collections to an out terminal; and sending expired collections to an expired terminal.