Processing information using a hive of computing engines including request handlers and process handlers

• US 20070011226A1
• Filed: 09/07/2002
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appistry Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Appistry Incorporated
• Inventors: Lozano, Roberto, Groner, Michael, Semones, Guerry, Hinni, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

A hive of computing engines, typically including request handlers and process handlers, is used to process information. One implementation includes a request region including multiple request handlers and multiple processing regions, each typically including multiple process handlers. Each request handler is configured to respond to a client service request of a processing job, and if identified to handle the processing job: to query one or more of the processing regions to identify and assign a particular process handler to service the processing job, and to receive a processing result from the particular process handler. Each of the process handlers is configured to respond to such a query, and if identified as the particular process handler: to service the processing job, to process the processing job, to update said identified request handler with state information pertaining to partial processing of said processing job, and to communicate the processing result to the identified request handler.

Claims

1. A system for processing information, the system comprising:

a request region including a plurality of request handlers; and

a plurality of processing regions, each of the plurality of processing regions including a plurality of process handlers;

wherein each of the plurality of request handlers is configured to respond to a client service request for a processing job, and if identified to handle the processing job;

(a) to query one or more of the processing regions to identify and assign a particular process handler to service the processing job, and (b) to receive a processing result from the particular process handler; and

wherein each of the process handlers within said one or more of the processing regions is configured to respond to said query, and if identified as the particular process handler;

(a) to service the processing job, (b) to process the processing job, and (c) to communicate the processing result to said identified request handler.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the process handlers is configured to update said identified request handler with state information pertaining to partial processing of said processing job;

and each of the plurality of request handlers is configured to receive said state information.

3. The system of claim 1, where the processing job includes a reference or identification of a process flow, the process flow identifies one or more processing sets, each of said one or more processing sets identifying a beginning state, a task, and one or more ending states.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the process handlers is configured to update said identified request handler with state information pertaining to a particular set of said one or more processing sets after processing the particular set;

and wherein each of the plurality of request handlers is configured to receive said state information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of processing regions is identified as being in one of a plurality of territories.

6. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of computing devices, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices includes a different one of said plurality of process handlers, and each of said plurality of request handlers is included in a different one of the plurality of computing devices.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of task handlers;

wherein said process the processing job includes assigning a task identified with the processing job to a particular one of the plurality of task handlers and receiving the processing result from the particular one of the plurality of task handlers.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of task handlers;

wherein said process the processing job includes;

identifying a particular task handler of the plurality of task handlers, assigning a task identified with the processing job to the particular task handler, and receiving the processing result from the particular task handler.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said identifying the particular task handler includes sending a multicast task request message and in response, receiving from a subset of the plurality of task handlers a task response message, one of said task response messages being received from the particular task handler.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein less than all of the plurality of task handlers is permitted to execute the task identified with the processing job.

11. A method for processing information, the method comprising:

receiving a service request message for a processing job from a client;

responding to the service request message including sending a service response message to the client;

receiving from the client a processing job message for the processing job;

sending a processing request message based on the processing job to a plurality of process handlers;

receiving processing responses from a subset of the plurality of process handlers;

selecting a first process handler of the subset of the plurality of process handlers;

initiating the processing job on the first process handler;

receiving a first set of state information from the first process handler for the processing job;

sending a second processing request message based on the processing job to a second plurality of process handlers;

receiving second processing responses from a subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

selecting a second process handler of the subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

forwarding the first set of state information to the second process handler;

receiving a final set of state information from the second process handler; and

sending a result message based on the final set of state information to the client.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising identifying a timeout or error condition after receiving the first set of state information;

wherein said sending the second processing request message is performed in response to said identifying the timeout or error condition.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said selecting the first particular process handler is performed based on a territory identified with the first particular process handler.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said sending the processing request message based on the processing job to the plurality of process handlers comprises sending a multicast message including the processing request message.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said initiating the processing job on the first process handler includes sending a message to the first process handler.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving a first acknowledgement message from the first process handler after said initiating the processing job on the first process handler; and

in response to said receiving the job received acknowledgement message, sending a second acknowledgement message to the client.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving a result received acknowledgement message from the client; and

in response to said receiving the result received acknowledgement message, sending a client received result acknowledgement message to the second process handler.

18. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instruction for performing steps comprising:

receiving a service request message for a processing job from a client;

responding to the service request message including sending a service response message to the client;

receiving from the client a processing job message for the processing job;

sending a processing request message based on the processing job to a plurality of process handlers;

receiving processing responses from a subset of the plurality of process handlers;

selecting a first process handler of the subset of the plurality of process handlers;

initiating the processing job on the first process handler;

receiving a first set of state information from the first process handler for the processing job;

sending a second processing request message based on the processing job to a second plurality of process handlers;

receiving second processing responses from a subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

selecting a second process handler of the subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

forwarding the first set of state information to the second process handler;

receiving a final set of state information from the second process handler; and

sending a result message based on the final set of state information to the client.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said steps include identifying a timeout or error condition after receiving the first set of state information;

wherein said sending the second processing request message is performed in response to said identifying the timeout or error condition.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said selecting the first particular process handler is performed based on a territory identified with the first particular process handler.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said sending the processing request message based on the processing job to the plurality of process handlers comprises sending a multicast message including the processing request message.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said initiating the processing job on the first process handler includes sending a message to the first process handler.

23. An apparatus for processing information, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a service request message for a processing job from a client;

means for responding to the service request message including sending a service response message to the client;

means for receiving from the client a processing job message for the processing job;

means for sending a processing request message based on the processing job to a plurality of process handlers;

means for receiving processing responses from a subset of the plurality of process handlers;

means for selecting a first process handler of the subset of the plurality of process handlers;

means for initiating the processing job on the first process handler;

means for receiving a first set of state information from the first process handler for the processing job;

means for sending a second processing request message based on the processing job to a second plurality of process handlers;

means for receiving second processing responses from a subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

means for selecting a second process handler of the subset of the second plurality of process handlers;

means for forwarding the first set of state information to the second process handler;

means for receiving a final set of state information from the second process handler; and

means for sending a result message based on the final set of state information to the client.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for selecting the first particular process handler includes means for identifying a territory identified with the first particular process handler.

25. A method for processing applications, the method comprising:

a client communicating a service request to a plurality of request handlers;

a subset of the plurality of request handlers responding to the service request, said responding including communicating a response to the client;

the client receiving one or more of said responses;

the client selecting a particular request handler of the subset of the plurality of request handlers based on said received one or more of said responses;

the client submitting a processing job to the particular request handler;

the particular request handler generating a processing request based on the processing job;

the particular request handler communicating the processing request to a plurality of process handlers;

a subset of the plurality of process handlers responding to the processing request, said responding including communicating a processing request response to the particular request handler;

the particular request handler receiving one or more of said processing request responses;

the particular request handler selecting a particular process handler of the plurality of process handlers based on said received one or more of processing request responses; and

the particular request handler submitting the processing job to the particular process handler.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising:

the particular process handler updating the particular request handler with a first set of state information corresponding to a first subset of processing of the processing job;

the particular process handler returning a result of after completion of processing the processing job to the particular request handler; and

the particular request handler sending the result to the client.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising:

the particular process handler updating the particular request handler with a first set of state information corresponding to a first subset of processing of the processing job;

the particular request handler sending to a second process handler a completion job request of the processing job from the state indicated in the first set of state information;

the second process handler completing the processing job;

the second process handler returning a result of after said completing the processing job to the particular request handler; and

the particular request handler sending the result to the client.

28. A system for processing information comprising:

a network; and

a plurality of hive engine coupled to the network, each of the plurality of hive engines belonging to one of a plurality of processing regions, and a subset of the hive engines belonging to a request region;

wherein each hive engine belonging to one of the plurality of processing regions includes;

means for responding to a request region request for processing a client job, means for processing the client job, and means for sending processing state or result information to a hive engine belonging to the request region; and

wherein each hive engine belonging to the request region includes;

means for responding to client requests for processing the client job, means for assigning the client job to one of said plurality of hive engines, and means for receiving said processing state or result information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each hive engine belonging to the request region includes:

means for monitoring the progress of the client job; and

means for assigning continued processing of the client job from a partially completed state to a second hive engine belonging to one of the plurality of processing regions.

30. The system of claim 29, where the client job includes a reference or identification of a process flow, the process flow identifies one or more processing sets, each of said one or more processing sets identifying a beginning state, a task, and one or more ending states.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the plurality of hive engines maintains a copy of the process flow.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein each hive engine includes means for maintaining a processing region leader for each of the plurality of processing regions.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each processing region leader includes means for identifying a senior processing region leader.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the senior processing region leader includes means to add one of the plurality of hive engines to the request region.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein each processing region leader includes means for splitting a corresponding processing region of the plurality of processing regions into two processing regions including a new processing region within the plurality of processing regions.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein each processing region leader includes means to add one of the plurality of hive engines to the request region.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein said means for maintaining the processing region leader for each of the plurality of processing regions includes means for performing a heartbeat pattern.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of processing regions is identified as being in one of a plurality of territories.

39. The system of claim 28, wherein each hive engine includes:

hive software, and means for updating said hive software.

40. The system of claim 28, wherein each hive engine includes:

means for starting up; and

means for joining a particular one of the plurality of processing regions.