Dependency Graph Parameter Scoping

• US 20090089552A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ab Initio Software Corporation
• Inventors: Inchingolo, Frank, Stanfill, Craig W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/433 Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A number of tasks are defined according to a dependency graph. Multiple parameter contexts are maintained, each associated with a different scope of the tasks. A parameter used in a first of the tasks is bound to a value. This binding includes identifying a first of the contexts according to the dependency graph and retrieving the value for the parameter from the identified context.

Claims

1. A method for checking parameter access including:

accepting a specification of an ordering constraint for a plurality of tasks, in which at least some of the tasks are not ordered relative to one another;

for each of one or more parameters, identifying the tasks that access those parameters; and

checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters by the identified tasks according to the specification of the ordering constraint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accepting the specification of the ordering constraint includes accepting a specification of a dependency graph.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the tasks that access a parameter includes processing declarations for the tasks.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters includes determining scopes of instances of one of the parameters, and whether a plurality of the scopes include a task that references the parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 further including identifying the referenced parameter as an ambiguous parameter if a plurality of the scopes include the task that references the parameter.

6. Software stored on a computer-readable medium including instructions for causing a computer system to:

accept a specification of an ordering constraint for a plurality of tasks, in which at least some of the tasks are not ordered relative to one another;

for each of one or more parameters, identify the tasks that access those parameters; and

check for potential conflict in the access to the parameters by the identified tasks according to the specification of the ordering constraint.

7. The software of claim 6 wherein accepting the specification of the ordering constraint includes accepting a specification of a dependency graph.

8. The software of claim 6 wherein identifying the tasks that access a parameter includes processing declarations for the tasks.

9. The software of claim 6 wherein checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters includes determining scopes of instances of one of the parameters, and whether a plurality of the scopes include a task that references the parameter.

10. The software of claim 9 further including instructions for causing the computer system to identify the referenced parameter as an ambiguous parameter if a plurality of the scopes include the task that references the parameter.

11. A task managing system including:

a task manager definition module configured to accept a specification of an ordering constraint for a plurality of tasks, in which at least some of the tasks are not ordered relative to one another; and

a task manager static checking module, having access to the specification, configured to

for each of one or more parameters, identify the tasks that access those parameters; and

check for potential conflict in the access to the parameters by the identified tasks according to the specification of the ordering constraint.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein accepting the specification of the ordering constraint includes accepting a specification of a dependency graph.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein identifying the tasks that access a parameter includes processing declarations for the tasks.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters includes determining scopes of instances of one of the parameters, and whether a plurality of the scopes include a task that references the parameter.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the task manager static checking module is further configured to identify the referenced parameter as an ambiguous parameter if a plurality of the scopes include the task that references the parameter.

16. A task managing system including:

means for accepting a specification of an ordering constraint for a plurality of tasks, in which at least some of the tasks are not ordered relative to one another;

means for identifying, for each of one or more parameters, the tasks that access those parameters; and

means for checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters by the identified tasks according to the specification of the ordering constraint.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein accepting the specification of the ordering constraint includes accepting a specification of a dependency graph.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein identifying the tasks that access a parameter includes processing declarations for the tasks.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein checking for potential conflict in the access to the parameters includes determining scopes of instances of one of the parameters, and whether a plurality of the scopes include a task that references the parameter.

20. The system of claim 19 further including means for identifying the referenced parameter as an ambiguous parameter if a plurality of the scopes include the task that references the parameter.