System and method for synchronizing execution of a batch of threads

• US 20020124241A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Melamed, Douglas, Grey, James, Bellin, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 6,971,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

A method for creating a computer program to be executed by a plurality of threads, in which the method utilizes a technique for execution synchronization referred to herein is a batch synchronization section. According to this technique, a plurality of threads may be associated with one another as a “batch” of threads. Each thread in the plurality (batch) of threads may execute the computer program simultaneously. The batch synchronization section may specify a portion of the computer program for which the execution of the portion by the plurality of threads is to be synchronized. In one embodiment different types of batch synchronization sections may be specified, wherein each type of batch synchronization section performs a different type of execution synchronization. In one embodiment the method may enable execution synchronization behavior for multiple concurrent executions of a test executive test sequence to be specified. The test sequence may include one or more batch synchronization sections. Multiple threads may each execute an instance of the test sequence to concurrently to test a group of units under test, and the batch synchronization sections may coordinate the execution of the multiple threads where necessary.

Claims

1. A method for creating a computer program to be executed by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:

receiving input specifying functionality for the computer program, wherein said input specifying the functionality includes input specifying a batch synchronization section that defines execution synchronization behavior for threads associated with a batch object;

creating program instructions in response to the input specifying the functionality for the computer program;

wherein, when the program instructions are executed by the plurality of threads, the program instructions are operable to;

programmatically associate each of the plurality of threads with the batch object;

synchronize execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object, according to the execution synchronization behavior defined by the batch synchronization section.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies program functionality;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object comprises synchronizing execution of the program functionality specified in the batch synchronization section.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an enter point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object comprises causing each thread to block at the enter point until all other threads associated with the batch object arrive at the enter point.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an exit point and functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object further comprises;

causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

causing each thread to block at the exit point until all other threads associated with the batch object arrive at the exit point.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein said causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point comprises causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point in parallel.

6. The method of claim 4,

wherein said causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point comprises causing one thread at a time to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein a priority order is assigned to each thread associated with the batch object;

wherein said causing one thread at a time to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point comprises causing the threads to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point in priority order.

8. The method of claim 3,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an exit point and functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object further comprises;

causing exactly one thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

causing each of the other threads to skip the functionality between the enter point and the exit point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the plurality of threads executing the program instructions;

wherein the execution of the plurality of threads is synchronized according to the execution synchronization behavior defined by the batch synchronization section.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies program functionality;

wherein said batch synchronization section defining execution synchronization behavior comprises the batch synchronization section defining execution synchronization behavior for executing the program functionality specified by the batch synchronization section;

wherein said synchronizing the execution of the plurality of threads according to the execution synchronization behavior defined by the batch synchronization section comprises synchronizing the execution of the program functionality associated with the batch synchronization section.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) useable to specify the batch synchronization section;

wherein said input specifying the batch synchronization section is specified via the GUI.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the GUI is useable to specify an enter point and an exit point for the batch synchronization section;

wherein said input specifying the batch synchronization section includes input to the GUI specifying an enter point and input to the GUI specifying an exit point.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein said input specifying the batch synchronization section comprises input specifying a type for the batch synchronization section;

wherein the batch synchronization section defines execution synchronization behavior for threads associated with the batch object according to the specified type for the batch synchronization section.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the specified type of batch synchronization section is one from the group consisting of:

a serial batch synchronization section;

a parallel batch synchronization section; and

a one-thread-only batch synchronization section.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies program functionality;

wherein the batch synchronization section defines one of the following types of execution synchronization behavior for the program functionality specified in the batch synchronization section;

serial execution;

parallel execution;

one-thread-only execution.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein the computer program comprises a test sequence;

wherein said receiving input specifying functionality for the computer program comprises receiving input specifying a plurality of steps for the test sequence.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input specifying creation of the batch object.

20. The memory medium of claim 19,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies program functionality;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object comprises synchronizing execution of the program functionality specified in the batch synchronization section.

21. The memory medium of claim 19,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an enter point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object comprises causing each thread to block at the enter point until all other threads associated with the batch object arrive at the enter point.

22. The memory medium of claim 21,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an exit point and functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object further comprises;

causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

causing each thread to block at the exit point until all other threads associated with the batch object arrive at the exit point.

23. The memory medium of claim 22,

wherein said causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point comprises causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point in parallel.

24. The memory medium of claim 22,

wherein said causing each thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point comprises causing one thread at a time to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point.

25. The memory medium of claim 21,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies an exit point and functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

wherein said synchronizing execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object further comprises;

causing exactly one thread to execute the functionality between the enter point and the exit point;

causing each of the other threads to skip the functionality between the enter point and the exit point.

26. The memory medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions executable to:

display a graphical user interface (GUI) useable to specify the batch synchronization section;

wherein said input specifying the batch synchronization section is specified via the GUI.

27. The memory medium of claim 26,

wherein the GUI is useable to specify an enter point and an exit point for the batch synchronization section;

wherein said input specifying the batch synchronization section includes input to the GUI specifying an enter point and input to the GUI specifying an exit point.

28. The memory medium of claim 19,

wherein the batch synchronization section specifies program functionality;

wherein the batch synchronization section defines one of the following types of execution synchronization behavior for the program functionality specified in the batch synchronization section;

serial execution;

parallel execution;

one-thread-only execution.

18. A method for creating a computer program to be executed by a plurality of threads, the method comprising:

receiving input specifying a first portion of functionality for the computer program;

receiving input specifying a second portion of functionality for the computer program;

receiving input specifying an enter point for the second portion of functionality;

receiving input specifying an exit point for the second portion of functionality;

creating executable program instructions in response to the input;

associating a plurality of threads with the enter point;

the plurality of threads executing the program instructions, wherein said executing comprises;

each thread executing until arriving at the enter point for the second portion of functionality and then blocking at the enter point until all other threads associated with the enter point have arrived at the enter point;

one or more threads executing the second portion of functionality until arriving at the exit point;

each thread that arrives at the exit point blocking at the exit point until all other threads associated with the enter point have arrived at the exit point.

19. A memory medium for creating a computer program to be executed by a plurality of threads, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive input specifying functionality for the computer program, wherein said input specifying the functionality includes input specifying a batch synchronization section that defines execution synchronization behavior for threads associated with a batch object;

create program instructions in response to the input specifying the functionality for the computer program;

wherein, when the program instructions are executed by the plurality of threads, the program instructions are operable to;

programmatically associate each of the plurality of threads with the batch object;

synchronize execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object, according to the execution synchronization behavior defined by the batch synchronization section.

29. A system for creating a computer program to be executed by a plurality of threads, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing program instructions;

wherein the processor is operable to execute the program instructions to;

receive input specifying functionality for the computer program, wherein said input specifying the functionality includes input specifying a batch synchronization section that defines execution synchronization behavior for threads associated with a batch object;

create program instructions in response to the input specifying the functionality for the computer program;

wherein, when the program instructions are executed by the plurality of threads, the program instructions are operable to;

programmatically associate each of the plurality of threads with the batch object;

synchronize execution of the batch synchronization section for each thread associated with the batch object, according to the execution synchronization behavior defined by the batch synchronization section.