Method, System and Computer Program for Collecting Information with a Self-Adaptive Approach

• US 20080140830A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ottaviano, Paolo, Perri, Caterina, Di Palma, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A solution is proposed for implementing a self-adapting reconciliation process. Multiple user accounts are defined on different endpoints for accessing protected resources thereof; a server centralizes the definition of the user accounts on a single point of control which is then synchronized with user account definitions on the endpoints. A dynamic reconciliator, interposed between the server and the endpoints, receives any request from the server for a reconciliation process to be completed in a predefined time-frame. The reconciliator collects the required information from the endpoints and determines an optimal time pattern for the processing of the information by the server over the time-frame according to an estimated amount of information expected to be received and an estimated workload distribution of the server in the time-frame. The reconciliator transmits the information to the server according to this time pattern.

Claims

1. A method for collecting information in a data processing system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of information items, the information items being provided by a plurality of source entities of the system for processing by a target entity of the system within a predefined time-frame;

monitoring the information items being provided in previous time-frames;

estimating a total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame according to the monitored information items;

monitoring a processing capability of the target entity;

estimating a distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame according to the monitored processing capability;

determining a time pattern for the processing of the information items by the target entity in the time-frame according to the total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame and the distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame; and

causing the target entity to process the information items according to the time pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the information items comprises:

receiving the information items from the source entities on an intermediate entity of the system; and

wherein causing the target entity to process the information items comprises;

transmitting the information items from the intermediate entity to the target entity according to the time pattern.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein receiving the information items comprises:

gathering the information items in a global queue for transmission to the target entity.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein receiving the information items comprises:

receiving a batch of information items from each source entity, and

splitting each batch into the corresponding information items.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein splitting each batch into corresponding information items comprises:

discarding each information item of the batch being unchanged with respect to a previous batch being received previously from the same source entity.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a current number of the information items being already provided in the time-frame; and

correcting the time pattern according to the current number.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein monitoring comprises:

detecting an excess condition wherein the current number exceeds a residual number equal to the difference between the total number and a processed number of the information items being already caused to be processed, the time pattern being corrected in response to the detection of the excess condition according to an excess number of the current number with respect to the residual number.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the time-frame is split into a plurality of time-slots, and wherein, for each time-slot, calculating the time pattern comprises:

calculating a target number of the information items to be processed by the target entity in the time-slot, the target number being calculated by distributing the total number throughout the time-slots according to the capability distribution, and wherein causing the target entity to process the information items comprises causing the target entity to process the target number of the information items in the time-slot.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, for each time-slot, correcting the time pattern comprises:

increasing the total number by a correction value, the correction value being calculated by distributing the excess number throughout the remaining time-slots according to the capability distribution.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the timeframe consists of a predefined deadline for completing the collection, the target entities providing the information items repeatedly during the time-frame.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information items are indicative of user accounts managed by the source entities, the central entity storing a central repository with a consolidated version of the information items, and wherein the processing of the information items is a reconciliation of the central repository with the information items provided by the source entities.

12-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A system for collecting information in a data processing system, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

provide a plurality of information items, the information items being provided by a plurality of source entities of the system for processing by a target entity of the system within a predefined time-frame;

monitoring the information items being provided in previous time-frames;

estimating a total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame according to the monitored information items;

monitoring a processing capability of the target entity;

estimating a distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame according to the monitored processing capability;

determining a time pattern for the processing of the information items by the target entity in the time-frame according to the total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame and the distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame; and

causing the target entity to process the information items according to the time pattern.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to provide the information items by:

receiving the information items from the source entities on an intermediate entity of the system; and

transmitting the information items from the intermediate entity to the target entity according to the time pattern.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the processor to receive the information items by:

gathering the information items in a global queue for transmission to the target entity.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the processor to receive the information items by:

receiving a batch of information items from each source entity, and

splitting each batch into the corresponding information items.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

monitor a current number of the information items being already provided in the time-frame; and

correct the time pattern according to the current number.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor to monitor the current number of information items being already provided in the time-frame by:

detecting an excess condition wherein the current number exceeds a residual number equal to the difference between the total number and a processed number of the information items being already caused to be processed, the time pattern being corrected in response to the detection of the excess condition according to an excess number of the current number with respect to the residual number.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the time-frame is split into a plurality of time-slots, and wherein, for each time-slot, the instructions cause the processor to calculate the time pattern by:

calculating a target number of the information items to be processed by the target entity in the time-slot, the target number being calculated by distributing the total number throughout the time-slots according to the capability distribution, and wherein causing the target entity to process the information items comprises causing the target entity to process the target number of the information items in the time-slot.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein, for each time-slot, the instructions cause the processor to correct the time pattern by:

increasing the total number by a correction value, the correction value being calculated by distributing the excess number throughout the remaining time-slots according to the capability distribution.

23. The system according to claim 15, wherein the time-frame consists of a predefined deadline for completing the collection, the target entities providing the information items repeatedly during the time-frame.

24. The system according to claim 15, wherein the information items are indicative of user accounts managed by the source entities, the central entity storing a central repository with a consolidated version of the information items, and wherein the processing of the information items is a reconciliation of the central repository with the information items provided by the source entities.

25. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to:

provide a plurality of information items, the information items being provided by a plurality of source entities of the system for processing by a target entity of the system within a predefined time-frame;

monitoring the information items being provided in previous time-frames;

estimating a total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame according to the monitored information items;

monitoring a processing capability of the target entity;

estimating a distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame according to the monitored processing capability;

determining a time pattern for the processing of the information items by the target entity in the time-frame according to the total number of the information items expected to be provided in the time-frame and the distribution of the processing capability of the target entity in the time-frame; and

causing the target entity to process the information items according to the time pattern.