Method for managing programs with attribute information and developing loaded programs

• US 5,561,802 A
• Filed: 11/30/1994
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yasuo, Koizumi, Minoru, Kasashima, Hirokazu, Mori, Kinji, Kawano, Katsumi, Orimo, Masayuki, Nakai, Kozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry D.
• Application Number:
  US08/351,166
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/375, 395/500, 395/200, 395/650, 395/700, 395/800, 395/200.03, 364/550
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/28 for polarising used in stereoscopes G02B30/25
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/604 Polarised screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Attribute information of programs developed by processors in a distributed processing system include I/O data for defining I/O operation of the programs, which is given in a program description form. A correlation of the programs is checked based on the content of the attribute information. Program generation information, program content information and program modification information are added to the sharedly developed programs and they are updated in the course of development.

Claims

1. A method for developing programs by at least one processor in a distributed processing system for sharing execution of a series of steps of programs in a plurality of processors interconnected by a transmission line, said method comprising the steps, executed by a computer, of:

(a) inputting a source program including attribute information which includes information representing content of input data and content of output data of said source program in a processor, said attribute information being information required by any one of said processors to execute and test said source program;

(b) generating an executable program module in response to said source program;

(c) transmitting said generated executable program module along with said attribute information over said transmission line, by said processor; and

(d) loading said transmitted executable program module together with said attribute information for execution in any one of the other processors.

2. A method for developing programs according to claim 1, further comprising the step, executed by a computer of:

checking relation of input and output data of programs in said one of the other processors based on said attribute information transmitted with said executable program module.

3. A method for developing programs according to claim 1 wherein each processor loads a message including said transmitted executable program module, required by said processor, based on said attribute information transmitted with said executable program module included in said message.

4. A method for developing programs according to claim 1 further comprising the step, executed by a computer, of:

preparing a table for correlating the programs based on said attribute information.

5. A method for developing programs according to claim 1 wherein said attribute information includes information for testing said executable program module.

6. A method for developing programs according to claim 1 further comprising the steps, executed by a computer, of:

wherein said attribute information includes program generation information, program content information and program modification information added thereto, over said transmission line;

modifying said executable program module based on said attribute information transmitted with said executable program module in said one of the other processors, and updating the content of said attribute information in accordance with the modification; and

retransmitting the modified executable program module over the transmission line.

7. A method for developing a program in a distributed processing system for sharing processing of a series of steps of one job of a plurality of processors connected to a common transmission medium, said distributed processing system including means for sending information from said processors to said common transmission medium, means for receiving information necessary to execute a program stored in each of the processors, from said common transmission medium, and means for detecting the reception of all information necessary for execution, for executing the program by using the information as input information, and for sending execution result information to said common transmission medium, said method comprising the steps, executed by a computer, of:

receiving a source program including attribute information including information representing contents of input and output data of said source program in a processor, said attribute information being information required by any one of said processors

generating, based on said source program, an executable program along with program generation information representing the number of modifications of said source program, program content information representing content of said source program and program modification information representing content of the modifications of said source program and transmitting said executable program along with said information over said common transmission medium; and

modifying said executable program in each of the processors based on said information transmitted along with said executable program, updating said program generation information, program content information and program modification information, and retransmitting said executable program along with said updated information over said common transmission medium.

8. A method for developing programs by at least one processor in a distributed processing system for sharing execution of a series of steps of programs in a plurality of processors interconnected by a transmission line, said method comprising the steps, executed by a computer, of:

(a) adding to a source program describing steps, attribute information including information representing content of input data and content of output data of said source program in a processor and test information for use in testing said source program, said attribute information being information required by said processor to execute and test said program;

(b) generating an executable program module in said processor based on said source program;

(c) testing a relation between said executable program module and other programs in said processor based on the information representing content of input data and content of output data of said source program to detect an abnormal relation;

(d) transmitting said executable program module together with said attribute information over said transmission line, by said processor;

(e) loading said transmitted executable program module together with said attribute information in any one of the other processors; and

testing a relation between said loaded executable program module and other programs in the one of the other processor to detect an abnormal relation; and

(f) executing said loaded executable program module based on said attribute information.

9. A method for developing programs according to claim 8, wherein said testing step comprises the step, executed by a computer, of:

checking relation of input and output data of said loaded executable program module and said other programs based on said attribute information of said programs.

10. A processor for developing programs in a distributed processing system having a plurality of processors interconnected by a transmission line for sharing execution of a series of steps of programs, comprising:

a compiler for inputting a source program including attribute information which includes information representing content of input data and content of output data of said source program, said attribute information being information required to execute and test said source program and generating an executable program module in response to said source program;

means for transmitting said generated executable program module along with said attribute information over said transmission line; and

means for loading an executable program module together with said attribute information from said transmission line for execution.

11. A processor for developing programs according to claim 10, wherein said attribute information includes program generation information, program content information and program modification information added thereto, over said transmission line;

and

wherein said processor further comprises;

means for modifying said executable program module based on said attribute information transmitted with said executable program module, updating the content of said attribute information in accordance with the modification and retransmitting the modified executable program over the transmission line.

12. A processor for developing a program in a distributed processing system having a plurality of processors connected to a common transmission medium for sharing processing of a series of steps of one job, comprising:

means for sending information from said processor to said common transmission medium;

means for receiving information necessary to execute a program stored in said processor from said common transmission medium;

means for detecting the reception of all information necessary for execution of a program executing the program by using the information as input information, and sending execution result information to said common transmission medium;

a compiler for receiving a source program including attribute information which includes information representing contents of input and output data of said source program, said attribute information being information required by said processor, generating, based on said source program, an executable program along with program generation information representing the number of modifications of said source program, program content information representing content of said source program and program modification information representing content of the modifications of said source program, and transmitting said executable program along with said information over said common transmission medium; and

means for modifying an executable program from said common transmission medium based on information transmitted along with said executable program, updating program generation information, program content information and program modification information included in said information and retransmitting said executable program along with said updated information over said common transmission medium.

13. A processor for developing programs in a distributed processing system having a plurality of processors interconnected by a transmission line for sharing execution of a series of steps of programs, comprising:

a compiler for adding to a source program attribute information including information representing content of input data and content of output data of said source program and test information for use in testing said source program, said attribute information being information required by said processor to execute and test said source program and generating an executable program module based on said source program;

means for transmitting said executable program module together with said attribute information over said transmission line;

means for loading an executable program module together with said attribute information from said transmission line;

means for testing a relation between said loaded executable program module and other programs stored in said processor to detect an abnormal relation; and

means for executing said loaded executable program module if an abnormal relation is not detected based on said attribute information.