DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM

• US 20130031157A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: McKee, Paul F., Fisher, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,753,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

A computing node in a distributed system comprising a processor and associated memory, said memory storing: software component code executable to provide a service to software components running on other computers in said distributed system; component monitoring code executable to generate an event message for distribution in said distributed system in response to the occurrence of an event pertaining to the performance of said software component; action request assembly code executable to store an assemblage of action requests received from other computers in said distributed system in reaction to the distribution of said event message in said memory; action request assemblage processing code executable to order and/or filter said assemblage of action request to generate a processed set of action requests for execution by said software component.

Claims

1. A method of operating a distributed system, said method comprising:

receiving action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in said distributed system;

collecting a plurality of actions requested of said managed entity in response to the occurrence of an event in said distributed system;

generating a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

operating said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising generating event messages for distribution in said distributed system in response to the occurrence of events pertaining to the performance of a software or hardware component of said distributed system.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising storing rules which set out one or more actions to be carried out by said managed entity in response to the generation of an event message in said distributed system.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said rules are accompanied by one or more conditions, and said action is requested only on said condition being met.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said managed entity is a software process or software application running on a computer.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said actions are calls to methods or procedures offered by said software to other software in said distributed system.

7. A method of operating a computing node in a distributed system, said method comprising:

receiving action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in said distributed system;

collecting a plurality of actions requested of said managed entity in response to the occurrence of an event in said distributed system;

generating a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

sending instructions to said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

8. A computer readable medium on which is encoded instructions executable by a computer to control said computer to:

Receive action sequence data representing one or more recommended sequences of actions for a managed entity in said distributed system;

Collect a plurality of actions requested of said managed entity in response to the occurrence of an event in said distributed system;

Generate a schedule of actions in accordance with said action sequence data; and

send instructions to said managed entity to perform actions in accordance with said schedule.

9. (canceled)

10. A computing node for use in a distributed system comprising:

a processor and associated memory, said memory storing;

software component code executable to provide a plurality of available actions to software components running on other computers in said distributed system;

action request assembly code executable to store, in said memory, an assemblage of requests for one or more of said actions made available by said software component;

action request assemblage processing code executable to order and/or filter said assemblage of action requests to generate a processed set of action requests for execution by said software component;

recommended action order reception code executable to receive order data indicative of a recommended order for carrying out two or more of said plurality of available actions;

wherein said action request assemblage processing code is executable to order at least some of said assemblage of actions requests in accordance with said order data.

11. A computing node for use in a distributed system comprising:

a processor and associated memory, said memory storing;

software component code executable to provide a plurality of available actions to software components running on other computers in said distributed system;

action request assembly code executable to store, in said memory, an assemblage of requests for one or more of said actions made available by said software component;

action request assemblage processing code executable to order and/or filter said assemblage of action requests to generate a processed set of action requests for execution by said software component monitoring code executable to generate an event message for distribution in said distributed system in response to the occurrence of an event pertaining to the performance of said software component, wherein said plurality of requests are received from other computers in said distributed system in reaction to the distribution of said event message.