Patent ID: 8112450

Claim:
A method implemented at an initiator messaging endpoint that includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, implement the method for prioritizing the communication of messages with a destination messaging endpoint, the method comprising: an act of an initiator messaging endpoint, which includes one or more processors, initiating a plurality of communications sessions with one or more destination messaging endpoints, including a first communications session and a second communications session, wherein each of the plurality of communications sessions are established to exchange a plurality of messages between the initiator messaging endpoint and a corresponding destination messaging endpoint; an act of the initiator messaging endpoint establishing relative session priorities for each of the plurality of communications sessions based on defined configuration rules for the initiator messaging endpoint, the relative session priorities used by the initiator messaging endpoint to determine how to prioritize sending messages over each of the plurality of communications sessions and how to prioritize pulling received messages from one or more queues, wherein the relative session priorities include: (i) a higher session priority for messages sent and received as part of the first communications session; and (ii) a lower session priority for messages sent and received as part of the second communications session; an act of the initiator messaging endpoint prioritizing sending messages across sessions by sending at least a first message sent over the first communications session in preference to sending at least a second message over the second communications session, based on the relative session priorities at the initiator messaging endpoint; and an act of the initiator messaging endpoint prioritizing receiving messages across sessions by retrieving at least a first message received over the first communications session from a queue corresponding to the first communications session in preference to retrieving at least a second message received over the second communications session from a queue corresponding to the second communications session, based on the relative session priorities at the initiator messaging endpoint.