Submitting jobs in a distributed computing environment

• US 20040044718A1
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Haas, Andreas U.J., Ferstl, Friedrich F.X., Davidson, Shannon V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

Method and system for submitting computing jobs in a distributed computing environment including receiving a job request with an instruction to execute a computing job, selecting a job handler for handling the computing job based on selection information and submitting the computing job to the selected job handler. The invention can be embodied in a client unit, thus providing a decentralized distribution of computing jobs and avoiding bottlenecks in the distribution of computing jobs for example in a computing grid.

Claims

1. Client for submitting computing jobs in a distributed computing environment, including

an input section for receiving a job request including an instruction to execute a computing job;

a selection section for obtaining selection information specifying a job handler for handling the computing job; and

a submission section for submitting the computing job to the selected job handler.

2. Client of claim 1, wherein the selection information includes configuration information specifying a job distribution policy and wherein the selection section is arranged to select the job handler based on the job distribution policy.

3. Client of claim 2, wherein the job distribution policy specifies for each of a plurality of job handlers at least one of:

a time period wherein a distribution of a computing job is allowed;

a group membership required;

communication characteristics available (incl. security level);

a network capacity of a network between the respective job handler and the client;

a prestaging capability (prearranging for execution);

an availability of data; and

system characteristics.

4. Client of claim 2, wherein the job distribution policy specifies for each of a plurality of job handlers the availability of services, the services including at least one of:

a reporting service;

a monitoring service (online);

a steering service; and

a billing service.

5. Client of at least one of the claims 1-4, wherein the selection section is arranged to obtain a job profile of the computing job and to select the job handler based on the job profile.

6. Client of claim 5, wherein the job profile includes at least one of:

a memory capacity;

a number of processing units required;

required software licences;

special resource (e.g. graphic rendering);

a type of operations to be performed in connection with the computing job;

a security level required for the computing job;

a priority of the computing job;

a cost limit;

a time limit; and

a speed requirement.

7. Client of claim 5, wherein the client includes a plurality of predetermined standard job profiles for a plurality of standard job types.

8. Client of at least one of the claims 1-7, wherein the submission section is arranged to transmit an interrogation message to the selected job handler and to receive an offer message from the selected job handler indicating whether the job handler can handle the job or not;

and to transmit the job request to a job broker, if the selected job handler cannot handle the job.

9. Client of at least one of the claims 1-8, wherein

the selection section is arranged to identify a plurality of job handlers suitable for handling the job based on the job profile and the configuration information;

and

the submission section is arranged to transmit an interrogation message to the each of the selected job handlers and to receive an offer message from each of the selected job handlers at least indicating whether the job handlers can handle the job or not.

10. Client of at least one of the claims 8 and 9, wherein the offer messages indicate execution details on at least one element of the job profile and the selection section is arranged to identify one of the plurality of available job handlers based on the offer messages as winning job handler.

11. Client of at least one of the claims 8-10, wherein the offer messages indicate execution details on at least one element of the job distribution policy and wherein the selection section is arranged to update the job distribution policy based on the offer messages.

12. Client of at least one of the claims 1-11, wherein the selection section is arranged to identify a plurality of job handlers suitable for handling the computing job and to receive a user selection instruction of one of the identified job handlers.

13. Client of at least one of the claims 1-12, wherein the selection unit is arranged to forward the job request to a job broker and wherein the job broker is arranged to select a job handler and to inform the client on the selected job handler;

and wherein the submission means is arranged to submit the computing job to the selected job handler.

14. Client of at least one of the claims 1-13, wherein the job handler is one of

a control unit of a first computing cluster, the first computing cluster including the client;

a control unit of a second computing cluster, the second computing cluster not including the client;

a processing unit of the first computing cluster associated with the client; and

a job broker associated with the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

15. Client of at least one of the claims 1-14, wherein the job handler is arranged to instruct a computing resource to execute the computing job.

16. Client of at least one of the claims 1-15, wherein the distributed computing environment is constituted by a computing grid including at least one of the group consisting of:

a plurality of computer clusters;

at least two computer clusters using different operating systems; and

a plurality of storage devices.

17. Client of at least one of the claims 1-16, wherein the submission section is arranged to transfer information required for or during execution of the computing job to the job handler.

18. Client of at least one of the claims 1-17, wherein the job request is one of:

received from a local source accessed by the client;

generated using a graphical user interface; and

generated during execution of a software controlled application.

19. Client of at least one of the claims 1-18, wherein the client is constituted by a thin client including a client processing module and a server processing module, wherein the client processing module is adapted to receive a job request and the server processing module is arranged to perform operations for selecting a job handler.

20. System including a plurality of computing devices for handling computing jobs, including a plurality of clients according to one of the claims 1-19.

21. Method for submitting computing jobs in a distributed computing environment, including

receiving a job request including an instruction to execute a computing job;

obtaining selection information specifying a job handler for handling the computing job; and

submitting the computing job to the selected job handler.

22. Method of claim 21, including specifying a job distribution policy and selecting the job handler based on the job distribution policy.

23. Method of claim 22, wherein the job distribution policy specifies for each of a plurality of job handlers at least one of:

a time period wherein a distribution of a computing job is allowed;

a group membership required;

communication characteristics available (incl. security level);

network capacity of a network between the respective job handler and the client;

prestaging capability (prearranging for execution) availability of data;

system characteristics.

24. Method of claim 22, wherein the job distribution policy specifies for each of a plurality of job handlers the availability of services, the services including at least one of:

a reporting service;

a monitoring service (online);

a steering service; and

a billing service.

25. Method of at least one of the claims 21-24, including obtaining a job profile of the computing job and to select the job handler based on the job profile.

26. Method of claim 25, wherein the job profile includes at least one of:

a memory capacity;

a number of processing units required;

required software licences;

special resource (e.g. graphic rendering);

a type of operations to be performed in connection with the computing job;

a security level required for the computing job;

a priority of the computing job;

a cost limit;

a time limit; and

a speed requirement.

27. Method of claim 25, including a plurality of predetermined standard job profiles for a plurality of standard job types.

28. Method of at least one of the claims 21-27, including transmitting an interrogation message to the selected job handler and receiving an offer message from the selected job handler indicating whether the job handler can handle the job or not;

and transmitting the job request to a job broker, if the selected job handler cannot handle the job.

29. Method of at least one of the claims 21-28, including

identifying a plurality of job handlers suitable for handling the job based on the job profile and the configuration information;

and

transmitting an interrogation message to the each of the selected job handlers; and

receiving an offer message from each of the selected job handlers at least indicating whether the job handlers can handle the job or not.

30. Method of at least one of the claims 28 and 29, wherein the offer messages indicate execution details on at least one element of the job profile and including identifying one of the plurality of available job handlers based on the offer messages as winning job handler.

31. Method of at least one of the claims 28-30, wherein the otter messages indicate execution details on at least one element of the job distribution policy and including updating the job distribution policy based on the offer message.

32. Method of at least one of the claims 21-31, including identifying a plurality of job handlers suitable for handling the computing job and to receive a user selection instruction of one of the identified job handlers.

33. Method of at least one of the claims 21-32, including forwarding the job request to a job broker and wherein the job broker selects a job handler and informs the client on the selected job handler;

and including submitting the computing job to the selected job handler.

34. Method of at least one of the claims 21-33, wherein the job handler is one of:

a control unit of a first computing cluster, the first computing cluster including the client;

a control unit of a second computing cluster, the second computing cluster not including the client;

a processing unit of the first computing cluster associated with the client; and

a job broker associated with the first computing cluster and the second computing cluster.

35. Method of at least one of the claims 21-34, wherein the job handler instructs a computing resource to execute the computing job.

36. Method of at least one of the claims 21-35, wherein the distributed computing environment is constituted by a computing grid including at least one of the group consisting of:

a plurality of computer clusters;

at least two computer clusters using different operating systems; and

a plurality of storage devices.

37. Method of at least one of the claims 21-36, including transferring information required for or during execution of the computing job to the job handler.

38. Method of at least one of the claims 21-37, wherein the job request is one of:

received from a local source accessed by the client;

generated using a graphical user interface; and

generated during execution of a software controlled application.

39. Method of at least one of the claims 21-38, wherein the client is constituted by a thin client including a client processing module and a server processing module, wherein the client processing module receives a job request the server processing module performs operations for selecting a job handier.

40. A program having instructions adapted to cause data processing means to carry out the method of at least one of the claims 21-39.

41. A data structure having instructions adapted to cause data processing means to carry out the method of at least one of the claims 21-39.

42. A data stream having instructions adapted to cause data processing means to carry out the method of at least one of the claims 21-39.

43. A computer readable medium, in which a program is embodied, where the program is to make a computer execute the method of at least one of the claims 21-39.

44. A computer program product comprising the computer readable medium according to claim 43.