MESSAGE PROCESSING NODE AND DATABASE IN A MESSAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

There is provided a method of operating a message processing node in a message processing system. Upon receipt of a message for a transaction referring to an object for which a record is stored in a database (300), a request is sent to the database to lock the record for the object (302). Where the record is unlocked, a message is received from the database indicating that the request to lock the record is successful (304) and the received message for the transaction is processed (306). Where the record has been locked previously by another message processing node, a message is received from the database indicating that the request to lock the record is unsuccessful and identifying the message processing node to which the record is locked (308) and the received message for the transaction referring to the object is forwarded to the identified message processing node (310).