Notification method and apparatus in a data processing system

• US 20060031707A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ellsworth, Earle, Caplan, Jeffrey W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A method of, apparatus for, or storage device medium having instructions for publishing a first notification within a data processing system where the data processing system comprises a first source generating the first notification, a first destination device, and a second destination device. The source may be a storage unit, a printer, a processing unit, or any other device which is a component of the data processing system. The destination device is typically a monitor, a workstation, a computer, a PC, or other input/output type workstation. The method comprises of having the first destination device subscribe to receive notifications from the first source. In addition, the second destination device subscribes to receive the notifications serially republished from the first destination device. Upon the publication of a notification from the first source to the first destination device, the first destination device will publish the notification to the second destination device.

Claims

1. A method of publishing a first notification within a data processing system comprising a first source generating the first notification, a first destination device and a second destination device, the method comprising:

subscribing the first destination device to receive the first notification from the first source;

subscribing the second destination device to receive the first notification from the first destination device;

publishing the first notification from the first source to the first destination device; and

publishing the first notification from the first destination device to the second destination device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data processing system further comprises a second source generating a second notification, the method further comprising:

subscribing the second destination device to receive the second notification from the second source;

subscribing the first destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device;

publishing the second notification from the second source to the second destination device; and

publishing the second notification from the second destination device to the first destination device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data processing system further comprises a third destination device, the method further comprising:

subscribing the third destination device to receive the first notification and the second notification from the first destination device; and

publishing the first notification and the second notification from the first destination device to the third destination device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

detecting that the first destination device is subscribed to receive the second notification from the second destination device; and

autonomously subscribing the third destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscription of the first destination device causes the first source to publish the first notification at select periodic intervals.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscription of the first destination device causes the first source to publish the notification when a status of the first source changes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination device causes the first source to publish the notification upon receipt of a status request from the first destination device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of subscribing the second destination device to receive the first notification from the first destination device is initiated at the first destination device.

9. A data processing system comprising:

a first source generating a first notification;

a first destination device subscribed to the first source to receive the first notification from the first source; and

a second destination device subscribed to the first destination device to receive the first notification from the first destination device.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

a second source generating a second notification wherein the second destination device is subscribed to the second source to receive the second notification from the second source, and the first destination device is subscribed to the second destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 further comprising a third destination device subscribed to the first destination device to receive the first notification and the second notification from the first destination device.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 further comprising:

means for detecting that the first destination device is subscribed to receive the second notification from the second destination device; and

means for autonomously subscribing the third destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device.

13. An article of manufacture for use in programming a data processing system to publish a first notification wherein the data processing system comprises a first source generating the first notification, a first destination device and a second destination device, the article of manufacture comprising instructions for:

subscribing the first destination device to receive the first notification from the first source;

subscribing the second destination device to receive the first notification from the first destination device;

publishing the first notification from the first source to the first destination device; and

publishing the first notification from the first destination device to the second destination device.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the data processing system further comprises a second source generating a second notification, the article of manufacture further comprising instructions for:

subscribing the second destination device to receive the second notification from the second source;

subscribing the first destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device;

publishing the second notification from the second source to the second destination device; and

publishing the second notification from the second destination device to the first destination device.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the data processing system further comprises a third destination device, the article of manufacture further comprising instructions for:

subscribing the third destination device to receive the first notification and the second notification from the first destination device; and

publishing the first notification and the second notification from the first destination device to the third destination device.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 further comprising instructions for:

detecting that the first destination device is subscribed to receive the second notification from the second destination device; and

autonomously subscribing the third destination device to receive the second notification from the second destination device.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the instructions further cause the first source to publish the first notification at select periodic intervals.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the instructions further cause the first source to publish the notification when a status of the first source changes.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the instructions further cause the first source to publish the notification upon receipt of a status request from the first destination device.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the instructions provide that the step of subscribing the second destination device to receive the first notification from the first destination device is initiated at the first destination device.