System for obtaining the state of network resources in a distributed computing environment

• US 5,793,977 A
• Filed: 04/30/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schmidt, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US08/640,365
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.1, 395/200.11, 395/200.5, 395/200.51, 395/200.52, 395/200.54
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for processing a request for a state of a resource in a distributed processing environment may in general terms comprise receiving an identification of a resource, and identifying a provider associated with an indicator of states of the resource. The system may further comprise obtaining the state of the resource. The state may be obtained by observing the state in memory shared with the indicator, or by retrieving the state from memory in which the state is contained, or by requesting and receiving the state from a remote provider, depending upon the particular resource.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network of computers arranged in a distributed computing environment;

a resource in said network of computers, said resource being movable in said network of computers and having one or more a states;

means for receiving a request for a state of said resource, said request comprising an identifier of said resource;

means for identifying a provider associated with an indicator of states of said resource, said indicator indicating the states of said resource and said provider obtaining the states from said indicator and providing it to said requester, said states being provided to said requester irrespective of whether the resource has changed location in the network;

means for initiating the operation of said indicator such that said indicator places said state in a memory device shared with said provider so that it may be observed by said provider; and

means for observing by said provider, said state in said shared memory device for obtaining a state of said resource from said indicator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifier indicates that said resource is of a prespecified resource type.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said means for identifying said provider comprises means for determining that providers associated with indicators of states of resources of said type are identified by identifiers of resources of said type.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for identifying said provider comprises means for determining said indicator from a database which correlates resources with providers of states of resources.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for obtaining said state comprises means for said provider to retreive said state periodically at a predetermined rate from a memory device containing data representative of the state of said resource.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for obtaining comprises:

means on a first node in said distributed computing environment for requesting said state from a provider of states associated with said indicator on a second node in said distributed computing environment, and

means for receiving said state from said provider.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving from said requester via a client communications module identification of said requester of said state; and

means for indicating to said requester via said client communications module said state to said requester.

8. In a network of computers, a system for processing a request from a requester for a state of a network resource on a distributed computing environment, said system comprising:

a client for receiving a request for a state of a resource;

an identifier in said request identifying a prespecified network resource;

an indicator of states of said resource; and

a provider connected to said client and associated with said indicator of states of said resource, said indicator indicating the states of said resource and said provider obtaining the states from said indicator and providing it to said requester, said states being provided to said requester irrespective of whether the resource has changed location in the network;

a shared memory device; and

said indicator initiates an operation placing the state of said resource in said shared memory device so that it may be observed by said provider, and said provider obtains said state of said resource from said indicator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said identifier indicates that said resource is of a prespecified resource type, and a query module for determining that said provider is identified by said identifier.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said query module comprises determining that providers associated with indicators of states of resources of said type are identified by identifiers of resources of said type such that the provider may be determined.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a configuration database which correlates providers with resources; and

wherein said provider determines said indicator from said configuration database.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

an interface to a memory device containing data representative of the state of said resource; and

wherein said provider retreives said state periodically at a predetermined rate from said memory device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said provider comprises:

a first event memory management daemon on a first node in said distributed computing environment for requesting said state over a peer communications module to a second node in said distributed computing environment;

a second event memory management daemon on said second node requesting said state associated with said indicator on said second node and sending said state to said first event memory management daemon over said peer communications module; and

wherein said first event memory management daemon receives said state from said secon event memory management daemon.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a client communications module receiving from said requester, an indication of said requester of said state; and

wherein said state is provided to said requester via said client communications module.