REDUCING LATENCY IN PERFORMING A TASK AMONG DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

• US 20120151003A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimecast Services Limited (Mimecast Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mimecast North America, Inc. (Mimecast Limited)
• Inventors: Murray, Neil Hamilton, Tyler, Simon Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions

Abstract

Among other things, at a client computer system in communication with a computer network, a request object is generated that includes logic to control the handling of requests. At least one of the requests depends on (for example, simply by being part of a sequence) a result of at least one of the other of the requests. The request object is sent to a server computer system that is in communication with the computer network. A response object is received that includes results of at least some of the requests.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising

reducing latency between a beginning and an end of a task that is to be performed between at least two systems coupled to a network, and in which performance of the task involves at least two steps to be communicated, from one of the systems, to be handled by another of the systems,

one of the two steps having a dependency related to the handling of the other of the two steps,

the reducing of the latency including:

forming a package that encompasses at least two of the steps and includes logic that will control the handling of the one step at the other system, based on the dependency related to the handling of the other step at the other system, and

sending the package in a single communication over the network from the one system to the other system and receiving one or more corresponding results from the other system.

2. The method of claim 1 in which one of the systems comprises a client, and the other of the systems comprises a server.

3. The method of claim 1 in which at least one of the requests is handled by accessing a database at the other system.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the two requests have an order in which they are to be handled.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the package comprises an object for use in an object-oriented programming system.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the logic is interpretable at the other system.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the result is received from the other system all at once.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the result is received from the other system incrementally as the requests are handled.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the dependency comprises a sequencing.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the handling of the one step at the other system includes primitive operations to be performed at the other system, and a database transaction may extend across two or more of the primitive operations, or across two or more packages sent to the other system, or both.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the included logic includes instructions for optimizing searches based on the location of records in a distributed database or data store.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising

at a client computer system in communication with a computer network,

generating a request object comprising logic to control the handling of a plurality of requests, at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests;

transmitting the request object to a server computer system in communication with the computer network; and

receiving one or more response objects comprising results of at least some of the plurality of requests.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the request object comprises at least one reference to an executable function available at the server computer system.

14. The method of claim 12 in which at least one of the requests does not depend on a result of any of the other requests.

15. The method of claim 12 in which at least one of the plurality of requests comprises a database query and at least one of the results comprises a result of the database query.

16. The method of claim 12 in which at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests comprises:

a second request depending on data generated by a function associated with a first request.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the second request does not execute depending on a value represented by the data generated by the function associated with the first request.

18. The method of claim 12 in which the results are returned incrementally as the requests are handled.

19. The method of claim 12 in which the results are returned all at once after all the requests are handled.

20. The method of claim 12 in which the dependence comprises a sequencing.

21. The method of claim 12 in which the included logic includes instructions for optimizing searches based on the location of records in a distributed database or data store.

22. A system comprising

a client computer system in communication with a computer network, comprising

a processor configured to generate a request object comprising logic to control the handling of a plurality of requests and to enable a server computer system to sequence or decide on execution of the requests, at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests;

and

a network interface configured to transmit the request object to a server computer system in communication with the computer network, and configured to receive a response object comprising results of at least some of the plurality of requests.

23. The system of claim 22 in which the request object comprises at least one reference to an executable function available at the server computer system.

24. The system of claim 22 in which at least one of the requests does not depend on a result of any of the other requests.

25. The system of claim 22 in which at least one of the plurality of requests comprises a database query and at least one of the results comprises a result of the database query.

26. The system of claim 22 in which at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests comprises:

a second request depending on data generated by a function associated with a first request.

27. The system of claim 26 in which the second request does not execute depending on a value represented by the data generated by the function associated with the first request.

28. The system of claim 22 in which the results are returned incrementally as the requests are handled.

29. The system of claim 22 in which the results are returned all at once after all the requests are handled.

30. The system of claim 22 in which the dependence comprises a sequencing.

31. The system of claim 22 in which the included logic includes instructions for optimizing searches based on the location of records in a distributed database or data store.

32. Computer readable media storing software comprising instructions executable by a client computer system in communication with a computer network to cause the client computer system to perform operations comprising:

generating a request object comprising logic to control the handling of a plurality of requests, at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests;

transmitting the request object to a server computer system in communication with the computer network; and

receiving a response object comprising results of at least some of the plurality of requests.

33. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the request object comprises at least one reference to an executable function available at the server computer system.

34. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which at least one of the requests does not depend on a result of any of the other requests.

35. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which at least one of the plurality of requests comprises a database query and at least one of the results comprises a result of the database query.

36. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which at least one of the requests depending on a result of at least one of the other of the requests comprises:

a second request depending on data generated by a function associated with a first request.

37. The computer readable media of claim 36 in which the second request does not execute depending on a value represented by the data generated by the function associated with the first request.

38. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the results are returned incrementally as the requests are handled.

39. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the results are returned all at once after all the requests are handled.

40. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the instructions are defined in an object-oriented programming language.

41. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the request object is defined in an object-oriented programming language.

42. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the dependence comprises a sequencing.

43. The computer readable media of claim 32 in which the included logic includes instructions for optimizing searches based on the location of records in a distributed database or data store.