Method and system for message transfer session management

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method and system for managing transfer of message packets in a session between first and second nodes in a message queuing system that utilizes a session acknowledgment protocol to coordinate the two-way flow of message packet transmission.
When a session is initiated, each of the two nodes specifies a session acknowledgment timeout period and a transmission window size.
During the session, the first node transmits multiple message packets up to the window size set by the second node and stops to wait for a session acknowledgment from the second node.
The second node sends a session acknowledgment when the session acknowledgment timeout period set by the first node has expired, or when the number of packets received but not yet acknowledged has reached the window size.
The session acknowledgment may either be sent as a separate message packet or piggyback on a message packet sent by the second node to the first node.
A window-size field in the session acknowledgment allows the receiving node to set a new window size to dynamically adjust the incoming data flow.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a "multi-ping" mechanism implemented with asynchronous message delivery allows an administrator to check the operating status of multiple computers in the message queuing system.
A ping-originator application sends echo request messages to a plurality of remote computers at one time.
The echo response messages from the remote computers are sent to a response queue.
An administration application reads the echo response messages and displays the operating status of the remote computers for viewing by the administrator.
The advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: