Shared queue structure for data integrity

Abstract

A shared queue is provided to allow any of a plurality of systems to process messages received by clients of a data processing environment. A received message is enqueued onto the shared queue. Any of the plurality of systems having available processing capacity can retrieve the message from the shared queue and process the message. A response to the message, where appropriate, is enqueued onto the shared queue for delivery back to the client. A unique list structure is provided to implement the queue. The list structure is comprised of a plurality of sublists, or queue types. Each queue type is divided into a plurality of list headers. List entries, containing data from the received messages, are chained off of the list headers. A common queue server is used to interface to the queue and to store messages thereon. The common queue server stores message data in storage buffers, and then transfers this data to the list entries. Thus, common queue server coordinates the enqueuing of data onto the shared queue.