METHOD AND SYSTEM USING A TEMPORARY OBJECT HANDLE

• US 20110061052A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cullen, Paul, Hickson, Andrew, Reece, Stuart, Longerstaey, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals

Abstract

A method and system are provided for using a temporary object handle. A method at a resource manager includes: receiving an open temporary handle request from an application for a resource object, wherein a temporary handle can by asynchronously invalidated by the resource manager at any time; and creating a handle control block at the resource manager for the object, including an indication that the handle is a temporary handle. The method then includes: responsive to receiving a request from an application to use a handle, which has been invalidated by the resource manager, sending a response to the application that the handle is invalidated.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for using a temporary object handle at a resource manager, comprising:

receiving an open temporary handle request from an application for a resource object, wherein a temporary handle can by asynchronously invalidated by the resource manager at any time; and

allocating a handle control block at the resource manager for the object including an indication that the handle is a temporary handle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from an application to use a handle which has been invalidated by the resource manager; and

sending a response to the application that the handle is invalidated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising referencing the handle control block to an object control block as an indirect reference to the object.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the resource manager asynchronously invalidating the temporary handle by indicating in the handle control block that the handle is invalid.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising de-referencing the handle control block from the object control block.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an open temporary handle request has a priority attribute and the resource manager invalidates any existing temporary handle on the resource object with a lower priority attribute to allow the higher priority request.

7. A computer-implemented method for using a temporary object handle by an application, the method comprising:

an application requesting a temporary handle to be opened on a resource object, wherein the temporary handle is subject to being asynchronously invalidated by a resource manager at any time; and

indicating that a handle open on the resource object is a temporary handle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein an application requesting a temporary handle is able to cope with the resource object being made unavailable and receiving a handle invalidated response.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a resource manager managing the resource object makes the resource object unavailable.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a use of the temporary handle by the application when it is invalid results in a handle invalidated response to the application.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein on receiving a handle invalidated response, the application requests a new handle referencing the resource object.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein an application requesting a temporary handle includes a priority attribute and the resource manager invalidates any existing temporary handle on the resource object with a lower priority attribute to allow the higher priority request.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

program code stored on the computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor provides a handle for referencing a resource object by an application, wherein the handle is a temporary handle that can be asynchronously invalidated by a resource manager of the resource object whilst the application owning the temporary handle is active.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the handle includes a priority attribute indicating that a resource manager should invalidate any existing temporary handle on the resource object with a lower priority attribute to allow the higher priority request.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code comprises codes that when executed by the processor performs one or more of the following functions:

receiving an open temporary handle request from an application for a resource object, wherein a temporary handle can by asynchronously invalidated by the resource manager at any time;

allocating a handle control block at the resource manager for the object including an indication that the handle is a temporary handle.

receiving a request from an application to use a handle which has been invalidated by the resource manager;

sending a response to the application that the handle is invalidated.

referencing the handle control block to an object control block as an indirect reference to the object;

the resource manager asynchronously invalidating the temporary handle by indicating in the handle control block that the handle is invalid.

de-referencing the handle control block from the object control block;

wherein an open temporary handle request has a priority attribute and the resource manager invalidates any existing temporary handle on the resource object with a lower priority attribute to allow the higher priority request.

16. A system for referencing a resource object, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and having code that executes to provide a resource manager managing a resource object referenced by an application, wherein the resource manager includes;

an open handle request receiver;

a handle manager for creating a handle control block with an indication that a handle is a temporary handle and referencing an object control block; and

a handle closing mechanism.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the resource manager comprises a handle invalidated response mechanism for responding to an application attempting to use an invalidated handle.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein an application opening the temporary handle is able to cope with the resource object being made unavailable.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the handle closing mechanism indicates at the handle control block that it is invalidated and de-references it from the object control block.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a priority component, wherein an open temporary handle request has a priority attribute and the resource manager invalidates any existing temporary handle on the resource object with a lower priority attribute to allow the higher priority request.