SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING ADAPTIVE BUSY WAIT IN A COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150169367A1
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Falco, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,558,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A system and method can support queue processing in a computing environment such as a distributed data grid. A thread can be associated with a queue in the computing environment, wherein the thread runs on one or more microprocessors that support a central processing unit (CPU). The system can use the thread to process one or more tasks when said one or more tasks arrive at the queue. Furthermore, the system can configure the thread to be in one of a sleep state and an idle state adaptively, when there is no task in the queue.

Claims

1. A method for supporting queue processing in a computing environment, comprising:

associating a thread with a queue in the computing environment, wherein the thread runs on one or more microprocessors;

using the thread to process one or more tasks when said one or more tasks arrive at the queue; and

adaptively configuring the thread to be in one of a sleep state and an idle state, when there is no task in the queue.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing said one or more microprocessors to support one or more central processing units (CPUs)

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

allowing said one or more CPUs to switch to another thread when the thread is in a sleep state, and

awakening the thread from the sleep state when a task arrives at the queue.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state and awakening the thread from the sleep state, based on an operating system (OS) function.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

allowing the thread to spin said one or more CPUs when the thread is in the idle state.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a cost for putting the thread in the idle state based on a workload on the queue.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state and waking the thread up from the sleep state with a cost for putting the thread in the idle state.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

configuring the thread to be in a sleep state if the total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state is smaller than the cost for putting the thread in the idle state; and

configuring the thread to be in an idle state if otherwise.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a thread pool, wherein the thread pool includes a plurality of threads running on the one or more microprocessors.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

allowing each said thread to determine independently whether it should be in a sleep state or an idle state.

11. A system for supporting asynchronous message processing in a distributed data grid, comprising:

one or more microprocessors;

a thread, running on one or more microprocessors, wherein the thread is associated with a queue in the computing environment, wherein the thread operates to

process one or more tasks when said one or more tasks arrive at the queue; and

be configured adaptively in one of a sleep state and an idle state, when there is no task in the queue.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

said one or more microprocessors supports one or more central processing units (CPUs)

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

said one or more CPUs is allowed to switch to another thread when the thread is in a sleep state, and

the thread is awakened from the sleep state when a task arrives at the queue.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

the thread operates to obtain a total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state and waking the thread up from the sleep state, based on an operating system (OS) function.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

the thread operates to spin said one or more CPUs when the thread is in the idle state.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

the thread operates to obtain a cost for putting the thread in the idle state based on a workload on the queue.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

the thread operates to compare a total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state and awakening the thread from the sleep state with a cost for putting the thread in the idle state.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the thread is configured to be in a sleep state when the total cost for putting the thread in the sleep state is smaller than the cost for putting the thread in the idle state; and

the thread is configured to be in an idle state if otherwise.

19. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a thread pool, wherein the thread pool includes a plurality of threads running on the one or more microprocessors, and wherein each said thread is allowed to determine independently whether it should be in a sleep state or an idle state.

20. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to perform the steps comprising:

associating a thread with a queue in the computing environment, wherein the thread runs on one or more microprocessors;

using the thread to process one or more tasks when said one or more tasks arrive at the queue; and

adaptively configuring the thread to be in one of a sleep state and an idle state, when there is no task in the queue.