Managing parameters for graph-based computations

• US 20070011668A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Larson, Brond, Wholey, J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Ordering parameters in a graph-based computation includes determining a desired first ordering of a set of parameters associated with graph elements in a computation graph; determining an ordering constraint for the set of parameters; and determining a second ordering of the set of parameters that satisfies the ordering constraint according to the desired first ordering.

Claims

1. A method for ordering parameters in a graph-based computation including:

determining a desired first ordering of a set of parameters associated with graph elements in a computation graph;

determining an ordering constraint for the set of parameters; and

determining a second ordering of the set of parameters that satisfies the ordering constraint according to the desired first ordering.

2. The method of claim 1, further including accepting a specification of the computation graph wherein the desired first ordering is based on an order in which the graph elements appear in the specification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph imposes the ordering constraint.

4. The method of claim 1, further including determining values of the parameters according to the second ordering.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining values of the parameters includes prompting for user input.

6. The method of claim 5, further including:

determining a parameter value for a first of the parameters based on a user response to the prompting, and

executing the graph using the determined parameter value as the value for the first parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the ordering constraint includes determining dependencies between values of the parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ordering constraint includes ordering a first parameter after a second parameter if the first parameter depends on the second parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordering constraint correspond to one or more directed acyclic graphs, wherein each vertex of the one or more directed acyclic graphs corresponds to a parameter in the set.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second ordering includes performing a topological sort of the parameters in the set based on the ordering constraint.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein satisfying the ordering constraint according to the desired first ordering includes preserving a similarity to the first ordering for at least some parameters that are not required to be reordered to satisfy the ordering constraint.

12. Software stored on a computer-readable medium, for ordering parameters in a graph-based computation, the software including instructions for causing a computer system to:

determine a desired first ordering of a set of parameters associated with graph elements in a computation graph;

determine an ordering constraint for the set of parameters; and

determine a second ordering of the set of parameters that satisfies the ordering constraint according to the desired first ordering.

13. A system for ordering parameters in a graph-based computation, the system including:

means for determining a desired first ordering of a set of parameters associated with graph elements in a computation graph;

means for determining an ordering constraint for the set of parameters; and

means for determining a second ordering of the set of parameters that satisfies the ordering constraint according to the desired first ordering.