QUEUED TRANSACTION PROCESSING WITH 
WEB SERVICE RELIABLE MESSAGING 
 
 
 
 
A.C. SURIARACHCHI 
 
This Dissertation was submitted to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the 
University of Moratuwa  in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MSc  in 
Computer Science specializing in Software Architecture 
 
 
Department of Computer Science and Engineering 
University of Moratuwa 
February 201 0 
 
 
 
96424 
 
 
ABSTRACT 
With the popularity of the distributed business applications, the application data is distributed in various physical 
storages. However most of the business transactions require to update data stored in more than one storage. hence 
updating two data storages reliably is a common problem for most of the distributed business applications. 
 
Queued transaction processing is a concept widely used to achieve such a processing model using intermediate 
queues to transfer messages reliably. In such a system at the client side, both updating the client storage and writing 
the message to be sent to the client side message queue happens in the same distributed transaction. Similarly at the 
server side reading the message from the server side queue and updating the sever storage happens in the same 
distributed transaction. Bur such a system may have interoperability problems if client and server use different types 
of technologies. 
Web services are used to communicate among the heterogeneous systems by passing SOAP messages using 
standard transport mechanisms like http. Web services can reliably communicate by using WS-Reliable messaging 
specification(WS-RM). WS-RM uses concepts of Reliable messaging source (RMS) and Reliable messaging 
destination ( RMD) between which it guarantees reliable massage delivery. 
 
By combining these two concepts, we introduce an approach to solve the above mentioned problem in an 
interoperable manner using WS-RM ..,to communicate between nodes while keeping RMS and RMD as 
intermediate storages. In our model reliable message delivery happens in three phases. First both updating 
application client storage and writing message to the RMS happens in the same distributed transaction. Then WS-
RM protocol reliably transfers the message to RMD at the server side . Finally- at the server reading the message 
from the RMD and updating  the server storage happens in the same distributed transaction. The middleware 
software entity that we developed to encapsulate this approach is called Mercury which implements WS-RM 
protocol. 
 
 
DECLARATION 
"The work included in thi.s report was done by me, and only by me, and the work has 
not been submitted for any other academic qualification at any institution" 
____ __ QJ ~{J>~J~L ___ ___________________ __ 
Name: A.C. Suriarachchi (08H254P) 
Date: 2010.02.26 
.... 
"I certify that the declaration above by Lite candidate is true to the best of my knowledge 
and that this dissertation is acceptable for evaluation for the Degree of M.Sc in 
Computer Science specializing in Software Architecture" 
....... 
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
I wish to sincerely thank my supervisors Mr. Paul Fremantle and Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana for 
providing me the research idea and supervision of my work continuously. They provided me 
necessary guidance, various levels of requirements and encouragement to fulfill my objective. 
I would also like to thank Dr Sri nath Perera who reviewed my work and provided me 
valuable feedback. I am also grateful to Prof. Gihan Oias and Dr Sanath Jayasena who worked 
as the course coordinators, and provided valuable feed hack at various levels of the pr~jecl. I 
would like to extend my thank to all the academic staff of the University of Moratuwa for the 
great work they did for us during the course of study. 
No student can survive in a university without the help of their fellow students to discuss 
ideas, share opinions, and to make time spent in the lab and all round enjoyable experience. T 
would be grateful for all M.Sc 08 colleagues for the corporation given to the successful 
completion of my project involvements. 
I must also be grateful to my parents and brothers for the encouragement they provided to 
follow the Msc. I wish to express my gratitude to all my colleagues at WS02 who have 
enormously helped to learn a lot about web services and distributed systems . 
.., 
~ 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
DECLARJ\ TION ..................................................................................................... ....... .................. i 
ABSTRACT ...................................... ............ ............. ... .................................................. ................. ii 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. iii 
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ iv 
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ vi 
LIST OF ABBREYIATIONS ....................................................................................................... viii 
Chapter I Introduction ..................................................................................................................... I 
1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... I 
1.2 Abstract Problen1 .................................................................................................................. 2 
1.3 Method of study .................................................................................................................... 3 
1.4 Previous work ............................................ .. ......................................................................... 3 
1.5 Expected rcsu It. .......................... , .......................................................................................... 3 
Chapter 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 4 
2.1 Web service standards .......................................................................................................... 5 
2.1.1 SOAP ............................................................................................................................ 5 
2.1.2 WS-Addressing ............................................................................................................. 5 
2.1.3 WS-Reliable messaging ................................................................................................ 6 
2.2 Transactions and messaging standards ................................................................................. 9 
2.2.1 2PC ............................................................................................................................... 9 
... 
2.2. 2 X/ Open distributed transaction standards ................................................................... I 0 
2.2.3 JTA ............................................................................................................................. 11 
2.3 WS-Transactions ................................................................................................................. 13 
2.3.1 WS-Coordination ........................................................................................................ 13 
< 
2.3.2 WS-Atorrlic transactions ............................................................................................. 15 
2.3.3 WS-BussinessActivity .............................................................. ~ ............................... 15 
2.4 Queued Transaction processing .......................................................................................... 16 
2.5 Different types of reliable web services .............................................................................. 16 
2.5.1 Using Message Oriented Middlt.!warc for Reliable Web Services Messaging ........... 16 
2.5.2 Three facets of Reliability .......................................................................................... 17 
2.5.3 Reliable messaging for web services .......................................................................... I? 
2.5.4 Assessn1ent ................................................................................................................. 18 
2.6 Transactions and messaging ............................................................................................... 20 
2.6.1 MQ Integrating Transactions ...................................................................................... 20 
2.6.2 Message delivery transactions .................................................................................... 20 
2.6.3 Message processing transactions ................................................................................ 21 
2.6.4 Full messaging transactions ........................................................................................ 22 
-IV-
2.7 Middleware mediated transactions ..................................................................................... 22 
2. 7.1 D-sphere ..................................................................................................................... 23 
Chapter 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 25 
3.1 Previous Solution ................................................................................................................ 25 
3.2 Proposed Solution ............................................................................................................... 26 
3.3 Alternative Solutions .......................................................................................................... 27 
3.3.1 Integrate WS-RM protocol with the client storage and server storage hy taking 
then1 as RMS and RMD ....................................................................................................... 27 
3.3.2 Use the same transaction to update both application level storages and WS-RM 
storages ................................................................................................................................ 28 
3.4 Solution Architecture .......................................................................................................... 29 
3.4.1 State n1achine model ................................................................................................... 29 
3.4.2 Run time Architecture ................................................................................................ 36 
3.4.3 Storage API ................................ ................................................................................ 40 
3.4.4 Other issues and solutions .......................................................................................... 45 
Chapter 4 Use case scenarios ......................................................................................................... 46 
4.llnMernory ........................................................................................................................... 47 
4.l.l ln Only invocation ...................................................................................................... 47 
4.1.2 In Out lnvocation ........................................................................................................ 48 
4.1.3 Fault Ilandling ............................................................................................................ 49 
4.2 Persistence .......................................................................................................................... 49 
4.2.lln Only Invocation ..................................... "! ....... : ........................................................ 50 
4.2.2 In Out Invocation and Fault Handling ........................................................................ 51 
4.3 JTA .............................................. , ...................................................................................... 52 
4.3.1 In Only Invocation ...................................................................................................... 55 
Chapter 5 Observations & Results ........................ • ......................................................................... 57 
Chapter 6 Conclusion & Future Work ........................................................................................... 59 
-. 
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 61 
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LIST OF FIGURES 
Figure 1-1 Abstract Proble1n ...................................................................................................... 2 
'figure 2-1 Reliable Messaging Model ............................................................ .......... ................. 7 
Figure 2-2 Reliable Messaging Protocol .................................................................................... 7 
Figure 2-3 Coordinator States .................................................................................................... 9 
figure 2-4 Participant States .... .. .............................................................................................. 10 
Figure 2-5 X/Open Distributed Transaction Standards ............................................................ II 
figure 2-6 JTA Overview ........................................................................................................ 12 
Figure 2-7 WS Coordination Framework ................................................................................ 14 
Figure 2-8 Queued Transaction Processing ............................................................................. 16 
Figure 2-9 MQ Integrating Transactions .................................................................................. 20 
Figure 2-10 Message Delivery Transactions ............................................................................ 21 
Figure 2-11 Message Processing Transactions ........................... .......................... ................... 22 
Figure 2- 12 Application Without 0 -sphcrc ........................................... ................ ..... ............. 23. 
Figure 2-13 Application With D-sphcrc ............................. ..... .................................... ............ 23 
Figure 2-14 0 -sphere Architecture .................................... ... ................................................... 24 
Figure 3-1 Previous Solution ................................................................................................... 25 
Figure 3-2 Proposed Solution .................................................................................................. 26 
Figure 3-3 Integrate Persistence Storage with RM Storages ................................................... 27 
Figure 3-4 Using the same Transaction ................................................................................... 28 
.., 
figure 3-5 RMSSequence Events ............................................................................................ 29 
Figure 3-6 RMSSequence State~ ................................................................... .......... ................. 30 
Figure 3-7 RMSSequence State Machine ................................................................................ 31 
Figure 3-8 RMDSequence Events ............................................................................................ 31 
. 
Figure 3-9 RMDSequence States ............................................................................................. 32 
Figure 3-10 RMDSequence State Machine .................................................... -:-:~ ....................... 33 
Figure 3- 11 InvokerBuffer Events ........................................................................................... 34 
Figure 3-12 Invoker Buffer States ............................................... ................................ ............. 35 
Figure 3-13 Invoker Buffer State Machine ........................................ : ...................................... 35 
rigure 3-14 InOnly Messages Runtime ................................................................. .... ...... ........ 36 
Figure 3-15 InOut Messages Runtime ..................................................................................... 38 
Figure 3-16 Fault Handling Runtime ....................................................................................... 39 
Figure 3-17 Storage API .......................................................................................................... 40 
Hgure 3-18 lnMemory Implementation .................................................................................. 41 
Figure 3-19 Persistence Implementation .................................................................................. 42 
Figure 3-20 Database Design ................................................................................................... 44 
Figure 4-1 InMen1ory Invocation ............................................................................................. 47 
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Figure 4-2 In Only Client ......................................................................................................... 47 
Figure 4-3 TnMen1ory In Out Client. ........................................................................................ 48 
Figure 4-4 SendAsynchornousMessagc Method ..................................................................... 48 
Figure 4-5 Fault Message Receiver ......................................................................................... 49 
Figure 4-6 Using Persistence Storage .......................................... ............................................ 49 
Figure 4-7 Persistence Storage Configuration ......................................................................... 50 
Figure 4-8 Persistence In Only Client ...................................................................................... 50 
Figure 4-9 Persistence In Only McssagcRcceivcr ................................................................... 51 
Figure 4-10 Persistence Callback llandlcr Methods ................................................................ 52 
Figure 4-11 JT A Invocation ..................................................................................................... 52 
Figure 4-12 JT A Storage Configuration .................................................................................. 53 
Figure 4-13 Atomikos JT A Connection Manager .................................................................... 54 
Figure 4-14 JT A In On I y Client ............................................................................................... 55 
Figure 4-15 InvokerWorker ..................................................................................................... 56 
... 
'"10o; 
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ws 
WS-RM 
RMS 
RMD 
2PC 
JTA 
JTS 
SOAP 
RPC 
MOM 
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 
Web Service 
Web Service Reliable Messaging 
Reliable Messaging Source 
Reliable Messaging Destination 
Two Phase Commit 
Java Transaction API 
Java Transaction Service 
Simple Object Access Protocol 
Remote Procedure Calls 
Message Oriented Middlcwan.: 
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... 
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