Distribution of XML documents/messages to XML appliances/routers
View Patent ↗XML appliances/routers may be organized to implement one or more XML distribution rings to enable XML documents/messages to be distributed efficiently. The rings may be logical or physical. The XML distribution rings enable the XML documents/messages to be exchanged without requiring the XML appliances/routers to run a routing protocol to determine how XML documents/messages should be distributed through the network. Documents may be transmitted in one way on the ring or may be transmitted in both directions around the ring to enable the ring to tolerate failure of an XML appliance/router. Each XML appliance/router will receive all XML documents/messages and will make routing decisions for those clients that have provided the XML appliance/router with XML subscriptions. The subscriptions may be formed according to the XPath standard or in another manner.
1. A method of distributing information formatted in a markup language in a network of network nodes interconnected by communication links, the network nodes being configured:
to make routing decisions for the information formatted in the markup language by applying markup language subscription information to the information formatted in the markup language; and
to forward the information formatted in the markup language toward subscribing clients according to the markup language subscription information;
the method comprising:
establishing a network topology in the network of network nodes for the distribution of the information formatted in the markup language between the network nodes;
coupling subsets of subscribing clients to the network respective originating network nodes;
enabling the respective originating network nodes to transmit information formatted in the markup language on the network; and
operating the network nodes:
to receive markup language subscription information from respective subsets of subscribing clients;
to locally apply the markup language subscription information to respective information formatted in the markup language;
to select respective information formatted in the markup language to be forwarded to respective subsets of subscribing clients without exchanging markup language subscription information between network nodes; and
to forward the selected information formatted in the markup language toward respective subscribing clients according to the markup language subscription information submitted by the subscribing clients.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network topology comprises at least one set of serially connected network nodes.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein enabling the respective originating network nodes to transmit information formatted in the markup language on the network comprises configuring the network nodes to transmit the information formatted in the markup language in either direction between serially connected network nodes.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one set of serially connected network nodes comprises at least one distribution ring.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein enabling the respective originating network nodes to transmit information formatted in the markup language on the network comprises configuring the network nodes to transmit the information formatted in the markup language in either direction on the at least one distribution ring.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein enabling the respective originating network nodes to transmit information formatted in the markup language on the network comprises configuring the network nodes to transmit the information formatted in the markup language in both directions on the at least one distribution ring.
7. The method of claim 4 , comprising terminating the transmission of information formatted in the markup language on the distribution ring.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein terminating the transmission of information formatted in the markup language on the distribution ring comprises terminating the transmission of respective information formatted in the markup language at a respective originating network node which transmitted the respective information formatted in the markup language onto the distribution ring.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network topology is a logical network topology.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the network nodes are interconnected by a physical network including intermediate network elements and the network nodes are configured to transmit the information formatted in the markup language between network nodes by tunneling the information formatted in the markup language across the physical network.
11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one distribution ring comprises at least one logical distribution ring.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network nodes are interconnected by a physical network including intermediate network elements and the network nodes are configured to transmit the information formatted in the markup language between network nodes by tunneling the information formatted in the markup language across the physical network.
13. The method of claim 1 , comprising terminating the transmission of respective information formatted in the markup language at a respective network node.
14. The method of claim 13 , comprising terminating the transmission of the respective information formatted in the markup language at the respective network node when the respective network node determines that respective information formatted in the markup language need not be distributed further on the network.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network topology is established administratively.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network topology is established by a network management program.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the network topology is established by a network management program using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information formatted in the markup language comprises messages formatted in the markup language.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information formatted in the markup language comprises documents formatted in the markup language.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the markup language is Extensible Markup Language (XML).