JOB PROCESSING SYSTEM, METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20110078297A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Systems, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Information Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: TAMURA, Mineyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/9994 Distributed or remote access

Abstract

A job processing system has first to third servers. The first server has a job generation program for generating jobs as requested. The second server has a storage device for storing attribute information on and a file for use in processing each job generated by the first server, a management table for managing job management information on each job by assigning a unique ID to each job, and a queue control program for registering job management information in the management table, referring to the management table, and registering the file for and attribute information on each job in the storage device. The third server has one or more job processing programs for processing jobs acquired from the second server, batch control program for acquiring jobs from the second server and issuing responses concerning the processed jobs, and a storage device for storing attribute information on and a file for each job acquired.

Claims

1. A job processing system for processing jobs using a plurality of servers, comprising:

a first server having a first program control unit that generates jobs when requested;

a second server that manages the jobs generated by the first server, the second server having a storage device that stores attribute information on the jobs and files for use in processing the jobs, a management table that manages management information for the jobs by assigning a unique ID to each of the jobs, and a second program control unit that registers job management information in the management table, refers to the job management information registered in the management table, and registers the files for and attribute information on the jobs in the storage device; and

a plurality of third servers that successively acquire and process jobs managed by the second server, the third servers each having one or more job processing programs that process the jobs acquired from the second server, a third program control unit that acquires jobs from the second server and issuing responses concerning the processed jobs, and a storage device that stores attribute information on and files for the acquired jobs;

wherein the plurality of third servers successively make inquiries about job processing to the second server;

wherein, every time an inquiry is received from any of the third servers, the second server refers to the management table and determines whether there is a job which can be processed by the inquiring third server and, when there is such a job, transmits attribute information on and a file for the job to the inquiring third server;

wherein, after acquiring the attribute information on and file for the job from the second server, the third server executes a corresponding one of the job processing programs and processes the job by referring to the attribute information and the file, and the third program control unit transmits the file and the attribute information reflecting a result of processing the job to the second server; and

wherein the second program control unit of the second server stores the attribute information and the file acquired from the third server in the storage device and updates the management table.

2. The job processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of third servers have the job processing programs for processing a plurality of different types of jobs and are divided into a plurality of classes corresponding to a plurality of job types;

wherein the attribute information on each of the jobs includes information on a class specified for each of the jobs and information on job processing priority within the specified class;

wherein the management table holds information on the class specified for each of the jobs and information on the job processing priority within the specified class; and

wherein the second program control unit refers to the management table and, when there are jobs which can be processed by the inquiring third server for processing jobs of one class within which job processing priority is specified, assigns such jobs to the inquiring third server complying with the job processing priority.

3. The job processing system according to claim 1, wherein the management table holds information including job IDs, job classes for job classification, priority within each of the job classes, program information for use in processing the jobs, and a status of each job assigned to the third servers.

4. The job processing system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information includes job IDs for job identification, job names, job classes, priority within each of the job classes, and program information for use in processing the jobs.

5. A job processing method for processing jobs using a plurality of servers, comprising the steps of:

generating in a first server jobs according to requests received via a network;

storing in a second server attribute information on each of the jobs generated by the first server and a file for use in processing each of the jobs in a storage device and managing management information on each of the jobs by assigning a unique ID in a management table;

making inquiries about job processing to the second server in a plurality of third servers for processing jobs;

referring to the management table every time an inquiry is received from any of the third servers and determining whether there is a job which can be processed by the inquiring third server and transmitting attribute information on and a file for the job to the inquiring third server when there is such a job according to the determination;

executing in the third server a corresponding one of the job processing programs after acquiring the attribute information on and file for the job from the second server and processing the job by referring to the attribute information and the file and transmitting the file and the attribute information reflecting a result of processing the job to the second server; and

storing in the second server the attribute information and the file acquired from the third server in the storage device and updating the management table.

6. The job processing method according to claim 5,

wherein the plurality of third servers have the job processing programs for processing a plurality of different types of jobs and are divided into a plurality of classes corresponding to a plurality of job types;

wherein the attribute information on each of the jobs includes information on a class specified for each of the jobs and information on job processing priority within the specified class;

wherein the management table holds information on the class specified for each of the jobs and information on the job processing priority within the specified class; and

wherein the second server refers to the management table and, when there are jobs which can be processed by the inquiring third server for processing jobs of one class within which job processing priority is specified, assigns such jobs to the inquiring third server complying with the job processing priority.

7. The job processing method according to claim 5, wherein the management table holds information including job IDs, job classes for job classification, priority within each of the job classes, program information for use in processing the jobs, and a status of each job assigned to the third servers.

8. The job processing method according to claim 5, wherein the attribute information includes job IDs for job identification, job names, job classes, priority within each of the job classes, and program information for use in processing the jobs.

9. A collection of programs for managing job processing executed by a plurality of servers, comprising:

a first program that, in a first server, generates jobs according to requests for processing received via a network;

a second program that, in a second server, stores attribute information on each of the jobs generated by the first server and a file for use in processing each of the jobs in a storage device and manages management information on each of the jobs by assigning a unique ID in a management table, which, every time an inquiry is received from any of the third servers, refers to the management table and determines whether there is a job processible by the inquiring third server and, when there is such a job, transmits attribute information on and a file for the job to the inquiring third server, and that stores the attribute information and the file acquired from the third server in the storage device and updates the management table; and

a third program that, in each of a plurality of third servers for processing the jobs, makes inquiries about job processing to the second server, stores and manages the attribute information on and the file for each job acquired from the second server, updates, after executing the corresponding job processing program, the attribute information on and the file for each job, and transmits the attribute information and the file reflecting the result of processing each job to the second server.

10. The collection of programs according to claim 9,

wherein the third program for processing a plurality of different types of jobs and are divided into a plurality of classes corresponding to a plurality of job types;

wherein the attribute information on each of the jobs includes information on a class specified for each of the jobs and information on job processing priority within the specified class;

wherein the management table holds information on the class specified for each of the jobs and information on the job processing priority within the specified class; and

wherein the second program refers to the management table and, when there are jobs which can be processed by the inquiring third server for processing jobs of one class within which job processing priority is specified, assigns such jobs to the inquiring third server complying with the job processing priority.

11. The collection of programs according to claim 9, wherein the second program manages the management table that holds information including job IDs, job classes for job classification, priority within each of the job classes, program information for use in processing the jobs, and a status of each job assigned to the third servers.

12. The collection of programs according to claim 9, wherein the attribute information includes job IDs for job identification, job names, job classes, priority within each of the job classes, and program information for use in processing the jobs.