SuspendMailbox and ResumeMailbox Messages

This guide explains the SuspendMailbox and ResumeMailbox messages in Proto.Actor. These are system-level messages used to manage the state of an actor’s mailbox.

SuspendMailbox

The SuspendMailbox message is a built-in system message in Proto.Actor used to suspend an actor’s mailbox. When an actor receives a SuspendMailbox message, the actor’s mailbox is paused, preventing it from processing any further messages until it is resumed. This can be useful for temporarily halting an actor’s operations while a supervisor decides what action to take.

ResumeMailbox

The ResumeMailbox message is a built-in system message in Proto.Actor used to resume an actor’s mailbox that has been previously suspended. When an actor receives a ResumeMailbox message, the actor’s mailbox is resumed, allowing it to continue processing messages. This typically occurs after the supervisor has made a decision regarding the actor’s state.

Use Cases

These messages are primarily used for supervision purposes:

• Supervision Control: Temporarily suspending an actor’s mailbox while the supervisor evaluates and decides the appropriate action (e.g., restart, stop, escalate).

Note to Users

These messages are system-level constructs and are not intended for direct interaction by users. They are managed internally by the Proto.Actor framework to ensure proper supervision and stability of actor operations.

Conclusion

By utilizing the SuspendMailbox and ResumeMailbox messages, the Proto.Actor framework can effectively manage the state of an actor’s mailbox during supervision, providing robust control over message processing and actor lifecycle management.