This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Message Sequence
Use a Message Sequence when you need to send one logical Message (130) that must be delivered as multiple physical Messages (130). Together all the messages in the sequence form a batch, but the batch is delivered as separate elements. Each Message (130) will have the following:
- A unique Message Sequence identity, such as a Correlation Identifier (215).
- A sequence number indicating the sequence of the particular message in the separated batch. The sequence could run from 1 to N or from 0 to N-1, where N is the total number of messages in the batch.
- Some flag or other indicator of the last message in the batch. This could also be achieved by placing a total on the first message to be sent.
On first considering the way the Actor model messages are sent and received, it may seem unnecessary to use a Message Sequence. Also discussed in Resequencer (264), Akka direct asynchronous messaging has the following characteristics, as applicable in a discussion of Message Sequence (217):
- Actor Batch-Sender sends messages M1, M2, M3 to Batch-Receiver.
Based on this scenario, you arrive at these facts:
- If M1 is delivered, it must be delivered before M2 and M3.
- If M2 is delivered, it must be delivered before M3.
- Since there is no (default) guaranteed delivery, any of the messages M1, M2, and/or M3, may be dropped, in other words, not arrive at Batch-Receiver.
Although sequencing is not a problem in itself, note that the problem arises if any one message sent from Batch-Sender does not reach Batch-Receiver. Thus, when multiple messages comprising a batch must be delivered to Batch-Receiver for the use case to complete properly, you must assume that Batch-Receiver will be required to interact with Batch-Sender if Batch-Receiver detects missing messages from the batch.
When designing the interactions between Batch-Sender and Batch-Receiver, it may work best to design Batch-Receiver as a Polling Consumer (362). In this case, the Batch-Sender tells the Batch-Receiver that a new batch is available, communicating the specifications of the batch. Then the Batch-Receiver asks for each messages in the batch in order. The Batch-Receiver moves to the next sequence in the batch only once the current message in the sequence is confirmed. The Batch-Receiver can perform retries as needed using schedulers, which is also discussed with regard to Polling Consumer (362).
Otherwise, if the Batch-Sender drives the process by sending the message batch in an enumerated blast, the Batch-Receiver must be prepared to request redelivery for any sequence that it doesn’t receive.