Object Distributed Computer Processing System and Method

• US 20110238722A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Inventors: Presley, Matthew T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

A computer system and method are provided for making modifications to runtime coding of object-oriented software that enables distributed execution by automatically modifying object class definitions as the objects are loaded into the executing process. The code modifications cause instances of the classes to interact with a distributed runtime system that allows all objects to be transparently migrated between processes, thereby permitting load balancing and periodic maintenance, without manual recoding of the application source code and without need for a priori knowledge of the program flow.

Claims

1. A method for distributing processing of an application comprising at least first and second objects in a network having at least local and remote processes, each of the first and second objects having pre-existing class definitions, the method comprising the steps of:

upon loading the application, modifying the pre-existing class definitions to generate modified class definitions;

instantiating instances of the first and second objects on the local process using the modified class definitions;

initiating a runtime system on each of the local and remote processes;

coordinating the runtime systems on the local and remote processes to migrate the second object instance to the remote process while generating an object proxy for the second object instance on the local process; and

executing the first object instance including invoking the second object instance, invocation of the second object instance being mediated by the runtime systems on the local and remote processes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified class definitions of each of the first and second object instances includes a call to the runtime system to identify and initiate tracking of the first and second object instances.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified class definitions of each of the first and second object instances includes a call to the runtime system for each function that invokes another object instance during execution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime systems of the local and remote processes apply a lock to the second object instance during invocation by the first object instance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the first object instance including invoking the second object instance comprises calling the runtime system on the local process to determine the location of the second object instance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the first object instance including invoking the second object instance comprises:

executing the first object instance to invoke the object proxy on the local process;

executing a call by the object proxy to the runtime system on the local process;

transferring information required to invoke the second object instance from the runtime system on the local process to the runtime system on the remote process; and

executing the second object instance on the remote process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a result from execution of the second object instance on the remote process to the object proxy via the runtime systems on the remote and local processes; and

returning the result from the object proxy to the first object instance.

8. The method claim 1, wherein the migrating the second object instance to the remote process further comprises balancing processor loads between the local and remote processes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising coordinating the runtime systems on the local and remote processes to migrate the first object instance to the remote process while generating an object proxy for the first object instance on the local process.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after migrating the first object instance to the remote process, shutting down the local process for maintenance without disrupting execution of the application.

11. A computer system that enables distributed processing of an application comprising at least first and second objects using first and second processes, the computer system comprising:

a programmed application comprising at least first and second objects, each of the first and second objects having pre-existing class definitions;

a class modifier routine programmed to modify the pre-existing class definitions to generate modified class definitions upon loading the application;

a runtime system programmed to identify and track at least the second object instance, to migrate the second object instance from the first process to the second process, and to generate an object proxy on the first process corresponding to the second object instance on the second process; and

at least one processor configured to execute the programmed application, the class modifier routine, and the first and second processes, the processor configured to execute an instance of the runtime system associated with each of the first and second processes and to execute the first object instance including invoking the second object instance, invocation of the second object instance being mediated by instances of the runtime system associated with each of the first and second processes.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to execute the class modifier routine so that the modified class definitions of each of the first and second object instances includes a call to the runtime system to identify and initiate tracking of the first and second object instances.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to execute the class modifier routine so that the modified class definitions of each of the first and second object instances includes a call to the runtime system for each function that invokes another object instance during execution.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to execute the runtime system associated with each of the first and second processes to apply a lock to the second object instance during invocation by the first object instance.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to execute the first object instance including invoking the second object instance by calling the runtime system on the first process to determine the location of the second object instance.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to execute the first object instance including invoking the second object instance by:

executing the first object instance to invoke the object proxy on the first process;

executing a call by the object proxy to the runtime system on the first process;

transferring information required to invoke the second object instance from the runtime system associated with the first process to the runtime system associated with the second process; and

executing the second object instance on the second process.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor further is configured to execute the first object instance including invoking the second object instance by:

communicating a result from execution of the second object instance on the second process to the object proxy via the runtime systems associated with the first and second processes; and

returning the result from the object proxy to the first object instance.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to migrate the second object instance to the second process, thereby enabling balancing of loads between the first and second processes.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor further is configured to coordinate execution of the runtime systems associated with the first and second processes to migrate the first object instance to the second process while generating an object proxy for the first object instance on the first process.

20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the computer system further comprises a second processor, the second processor configured to enable migration of the first and second object instances to the second processor.