Data conversion services and associated distributed processing system

• US 20040215829A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Byteweavr, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: United Devices, Inc. (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hubbard, Edward A., Mandyam, Sriram S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5017 Task decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

A method for providing data conversion services is disclosed for a distributed processing system. The distributed processing system identifies and utilizes the capabilities of distributed devices connected together through a wide variety of communication systems and networks and utilize those capabilities to organize, manage and distribute project workloads to the distributed devices.

Claims

1-17. -17 (cancelled)

18. A method of operating a distributed processing system to provide data conversion services, comprising:

coupling a server system to a network, the network configured to enable the server system to be coupled to M distributed devices, wherein the M distributed devices perform workloads for the distributed processing system;

receiving in the server system a request from a requesting device for a data conversion of a data set thereby generating a data conversion workload;

partitioning the data conversion workload into N partitioned data conversion workloads, wherein N is less than or equal to M; and

utilizing the server system to distribute the N partitioned data conversion workloads to N distributed devices selected from the M distributed devices to complete a data conversion of the data set.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending a software agent to each of the N distributed devices for performing the data conversion of one of the N partitioned data workloads.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving by the server system N completed data conversion results from the N distributed devices; and

assembling the N completed data conversion results thereby generating a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending the converted data set to the requesting device.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device and the data conversion of the data set reformats a content of a network site generating a reformatted content so that the reformatted content conforms to a protocol of the wireless device.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device server that first receives a request for a content from the network site from a content user wireless device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the N distributed devices receiving one of the N partitioned data conversion workloads communicates a completed data conversion result directly to the requesting device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the requesting device receiving the results of the N partitioned data conversion workloads assemblies the results into a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the N distributed devices are allocated to perform data conversion of data sets for requesting devices as with priority over other processing the N distributed devices may perform for the distributed processing system.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein M and N may be dynamically increased by the server system in response to a priority request from the requesting device to complete a data conversion of a data set in a specified time period.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein sizes of the N partitioned workloads are determined by the server system based on workload capability factors of the N distributed devices.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the N partitioned workloads are allocated to the N distributed devices on a size basis wherein ones larger of the N partitioned workloads are allocated to corresponding ones of the N distributed devices with larger workload capability factors.

30. A distributed processing system to provide data conversion services, comprising:

a server system coupled to a network, the network configured to enable the server system to be coupled to M distributed devices, wherein the M distributed devices perform workloads for the distributed processing system;

circuitry coupled to the server system for receiving a request from a requesting device for a data conversion of a data set thereby generating a data conversion workload;

circuitry coupled to the server system for partitioning the data conversion workload into N partitioned data conversion workloads, wherein N is less than or equal to M; and

circuitry coupled to the server system for distributing the N partitioned data conversion workloads to N distributed devices selected from the M distributed devices to complete a data conversion of the data set.

31. The distributed processing system of claim 30 further comprising circuitry for sending a software agent to each of the N distributed devices for performing the data conversion of one of the N partitioned data workloads.

32. The distributed processing system of claim 30 further comprising:

circuitry coupled to the server system for receiving by the server system N completed data conversion results from the N distributed devices; and

circuitry coupled to the server system for assembling the N completed data conversion results thereby generating a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

33. The distributed processing system of claim 32, wherein the converted data set is sent to the requesting device.

34. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device and the data conversion of the data set reformats a content of a network site generating a reformatted content so that the reformatted content conforms to a protocol of the wireless device.

35. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device server that first receives a request for a content from the network site from a content user wireless device.

36. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein each of the N distributed devices receiving one of the N partitioned data conversion workloads communicates a completed data conversion result directly to the requesting device.

37. The distributed processing system of claim 36, wherein the requesting device receiving the results of the N partitioned data conversion workloads assemblies the results into a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

38. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein the N distributed devices are allocated to perform data conversion of data sets for requesting devices as with priority over other processing the N distributed devices may perform for the distributed processing system.

39. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein M and N may be dynamically increased by the server system in response to a priority request from the requesting device to complete a data conversion of a data set in a specified time period.

40. The distributed processing system of claim 30, wherein sizes of the N partitioned workloads are determined by the server system based on workload capability factors of the N distributed devices.

41. The distributed processing system of claim 40, wherein the N partitioned workloads are allocated to the N distributed devices on a size basis wherein ones larger of the N partitioned workloads are allocated to corresponding ones of the N distributed devices with larger workload capability factors.

42. A computer program product operating within a server managing a distributed processing system for providing data conversion services, wherein the server system is coupled to a network, the network configured to enable the server system to be coupled to M distributed devices, wherein the M distributed devices perform workloads for the distributed processing system, the program product comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:

providing an incentive for M distributed devices to perform workloads for the distributed processing system;

receiving in the server system a request from a requesting device for a data conversion of a data set thereby generating a data conversion workload;

partitioning the data conversion workload into N partitioned data conversion workloads, wherein N is less than or equal to M; and

distributing the N partitioned data conversion workloads to N distributed devices selected from the M distributed devices to complete a data conversion of the data set.

43. The computer program product of claim 42 further comprising sending a software agent to each of the N distributed devices for performing the data conversion of one of the N partitioned data workloads.

44. The computer program product of claim 42 further comprising:

receiving by the server system N completed data conversion results from the N distributed devices; and

assembling the N completed data conversion results thereby generating a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

45. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising sending the converted data set to the requesting device.

46. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device and the data conversion of the data set reformats a content of a network site generating a reformatted content so that the reformatted content conforms to a protocol of the wireless device.

47. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the requesting device is a wireless device server that first receives a request for a content from the network site from a content user wireless device.

48. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein each of the N distributed devices receiving one of the N partitioned data conversion workloads communicates a completed data conversion result directly to the requesting device.

49. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein the requesting device receiving the results of the N partitioned data conversion workloads assemblies the results into a converted data set corresponding to the data set.

50. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the N distributed devices are allocated to perform data conversion of data sets for requesting devices as with priority over other processing the N distributed devices may perform for the distributed processing system.

51. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein M and N may be dynamically increased by the server system in response to a priority request from the requesting device to complete a data conversion of a data set in a specified time period.

52. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein sizes of the N partitioned workloads are determined by the server system based on workload capability factors of the N distributed devices.

53. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein the N partitioned workloads are allocated to the N distributed devices on a size basis wherein ones larger of the N partitioned workloads are allocated to corresponding ones of the N distributed devices with larger workload capability factors.