Reducing contention in an environment using optimistic locks

• US 20060031360A1
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cobbett, Michael, Banks, Andrew David James
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Contention in a distributed processor computer system with a replicated message environment is reduced. The system comprises processor consumers intercommunicating via a server interface that receives a message from a producer. The server favors one consumer, marks the message accordingly, communicates the marked message to the system, and delays the processing in another consumer beyond a predetermined time, for example the time normally taken to process a message.

Claims

1. A method for message distribution in a multiple processor system, comprising:

generating a message in a producer processor for processing by a consumer processor;

nominating the consumer processor to process the message based on predetermined criteria;

encoding the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor; and

communicating the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to each processor in the multiple processor system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising encoding the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for a non-nominated consumer processor to process the message if a notice of consumption of the message is not received within the predetermined time delay.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating a notice of consumption to each processor in the multiple processor system when the message is processed.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions, and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising instructing the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the nominating the consumer and arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions is conducted by a master server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the message having the first indication after a predetermined period of time;

nominating another consumer processor to process the message; and

encoding the original message, without the first indication, with another indication of the another nominated consumer processor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the nominating the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.

9. A system for message distribution in a multiple processor system, comprising:

a producer processor for generating a message for processing by a consumer processor; and

a message manager for receiving the message generated by the producer processor and nominating the consumer processor to process the message based on predetermined criteria, encoding the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor; and

communicating the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to each processor in the multiple processor system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the message manager encodes the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for an un-nominated consumer processor to process the message if a notice of consumption of the message is not received within the predetermined time delay.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the consumer processor that processes the message communicates a notice of consumption to each processor in the multiple processor system when the message is processed.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprises a master server for arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions, and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the master server instructs the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the message manager nominates the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein for message distribution in a multiple processor system, the computer usable medium program code comprising:

computer usable program code for generating a message in a producer processor for processing by a consumer processor;

computer usable program code for nominating the consumer processor to process the message based on predetermined criteria;

computer usable program code for encoding the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor; and

computer usable program code for communicating the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to each processor in the multiple processor system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer usable program code for encoding the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for an un-nominated consumer processor to process the message if a notice of consumption of the message is not received within the predetermined time delay.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising computer usable program code for communicating a notice of consumption to each processor in the multiple processor system when the message is processed.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising computer usable program code for arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising computer usable program code for instructing the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer usable program code for removing after a predetermined period of time the message having the first indication;

nominating another consumer processor to process the message; and

encoding the original message, without the first indication, with another indication of the another nominated consumer processor.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said computer usable program code for nominating the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.