System and method for targeting commands to concurrent computing units executing a concurrent computing process

• US 20070300048A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Muellers, Peter D., Benevento, Audrey, Thomas, Kristin
• Granted Patent: US 9,405,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3404 for parallel or distributed programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/38 Concurrent instruction execution, e.g. pipeline or look ahead
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A graphical user interface for a concurrent computing environment that conveys the concurrent nature of a computing environment and allows a user to monitor the status of a concurrent process being executed on multiple concurrent computing units is discussed. The graphical user interface allows the user to target specific concurrent computer units to receive commands. The graphical user interface also alters the command prompt to reflect the currently targeted concurrent computing units.

Claims

1. A method for targeting a command to a concurrent computing unit executing an instance of a concurrent computing process, the method comprising:

executing a plurality of instances of a concurrent computing process, each instance of the plurality of instances of the concurrent computing process executing on one of a plurality of concurrent computing units;

providing a user interface for the concurrent computing environment, the user interface including a command prompt that indicates at least one of the plurality of concurrent computing units as a target for a user-entered command; and

altering the target for a user-entered command, the command prompt altering to reflect the alteration of the target.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to all of the concurrent computing units.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to a selected one of the plurality of concurrent computing units.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to a selected group of more than one of the plurality of concurrent computing units.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to all concurrent computing units that are stopped at a breakpoint.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to concurrent computing units identified by a sequential labeled range.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection tool used to alter the target of a command is a combo box control in a toolbar.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection tool used to alter the target of a command is a keystroke combination.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the instances of the concurrent computing processes originate from a program, at least a subset of the program written in a MATLAB-compatible language.

10. A system for targeting a command to a concurrent computing unit executing a concurrent computing process, comprising:

a plurality of concurrent computing units, each concurrent computing unit executing an instance of a concurrent computing process;

a user interface for a concurrent computing environment, the user interface including a command prompt that indicates at least one of the plurality of concurrent computing units as a target for a user-entered command; and

a selection tool enabling the user to alter the target.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each of the concurrent computing units are distributed computing units.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the concurrent computing units is a processor.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is at least one of a CPU, a core in a multi-core CPU, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a hardware accelerator, a cluster of processing units, and a grid of processing units.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the concurrent computing units is a virtual computing unit.

15. A tangible physical medium for use with a computing device, the tangible physical medium holding computer-executable instructions for targeting a command to a concurrent computing unit executing a concurrent computing process, the instructions comprising:

instructions for executing a plurality of instances of the concurrent computing process, each instance of the plurality of instances of the concurrent computing process executing in one of a plurality of concurrent computing units;

instructions for providing a user interface for the concurrent computing environment, the user interface including a command prompt that indicates at least one of the plurality of concurrent computing units as a target for a user-entered command; and

instructions for altering the target for a user-entered command, the command prompt altering to reflect the alteration of the target.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to all of the concurrent computing units.

17. The medium of claim 15 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to a selected one of the plurality of concurrent computing units.

18. The medium of claim 15 wherein a selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to a selected group of more than one of the plurality of concurrent computing units.

19. The medium of claim 18 wherein the selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to all concurrent computing units that are stopped at a breakpoint.

20. The medium of claim 18 wherein the selection tool is used to alter the target of a command to concurrent computing units identified by a sequential labeled range.

21. The medium of claim 15 wherein a selection tool used to alter a target of a command is a combo box control in a toolbar.

22. The medium of claim 15 wherein a selection tool used to alter a target of a command is a keystroke combination.

23. The medium of claim 15 wherein one or more of the concurrent computing processes originate from a program, at least a subset of the program written in a MATLAB-compatible language.