Method for managing termination of a multi-processing software application

• US 5,801,690 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fumarolo, Arthur L., Ayoub, Ramy P., Maher, John William
• Primary Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/772,238
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 395/672, 395/676, 395/181, 395/182.22, 395/678, 345/329, 345/335
• US Class Current: 715/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3017 where the computing system is implementing multitasking multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

A computer system (110) has a multi-processing software application operating (200) thereon. There are multiple client processes (221-228) concurrently operating as components of the multi-processing software application (200). Termination of the multi-processing software application (200) results from individual decisions made at each client process (221-228). If a particular client process determines that another client process is inoperable (530), the particular client process continues operation when the inoperable process is designated non-mandatory (550, 510), and terminates operation when the inoperable process is designated mandatory (550, 580, 598). Furthermore, when the inoperable process is designated single-instance mandatory and belongs to a particular process class, the particular client process continues operation unless it is the only member of the process class operating (580, 590, 595, 598). As each client process operates using this termination procedure, the ultimate effect is on the multi-processing software application itself.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a multi-processing software application operating thereon, the multi-processing software application having a plurality of client processes concurrently operating as components thereof, a method of managing termination of the multi-processing software application, the method comprising the steps of:

at each instant client process of the plurality of client processes operating in a normal execution mode;

determining that a particular client process, selected from among the plurality of client processes, is not operating in a normal execution mode;

continuing operation of the instant client process when the particular client process is a designated non-mandatory client process; and

terminating operation of the instant client process when the particular client process is a designated mandatory client process, such that the instant client process no longer executes;

wherein collective termination of each instant client process of the plurality of client processes operating in a normal execution mode terminates operation of the multiprocessing software application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, at each instant client process of the plurality of client processes, terminating operation of the instant client process when the particular client process is a designated single-instance mandatory client process, and is of a particular class and there are no other client processes, of the plurality of client processes, that is of the particular class, and that is operating in a normal execution mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of, at each of the plurality of client processes, continuing operation of the instant client process when the particular client process is designated single-instance mandatory client process, and is of a particular class and there is at least one other client process, of the plurality of client processes, that is of the particular class, and that is operating in normal execution mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of continuing operation comprises the step of generating, by the multi-processing software application, an operator notification message indicating a reduced-functionality mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of designating each of the plurality of client processes as one of a non-mandatory client process, a mandatory client process, and a single-instance mandatory client process, based on impact of the particular client process on the multi-processing software application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining, comprises the steps of:

storing, by each of the plurality of client processes, identification information on at least some of the plurality of client processes; and

monitoring execution status of each of the plurality of client processes based on the identification information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of continuing operation comprises the step of operating in a reduced functionality mode when the particular client process is not operating in a normal execution mode and the particular client process is a designated non-mandatory client process.

8. In a computer system having a multi-processing software application for a radio communication system console operating thereon, a method of managing termination of the multi-processing software application, the method comprising the steps of:

concurrently executing a plurality of client processes on the computer system as components of the multi-processing radio communication system console software application;

designating each of the plurality of client processes as one of a non-mandatory client process, a mandatory client process, and a single-instance mandatory client process, based on impact of termination on the multi-processing software application;

at each instant client process of the plurality of client processes operating in normal execution mode;

determining that a particular client process, selected from among the plurality of client processes, is not executing in a normal execution mode;

continuing execution of the instant client process when one of;

the particular client process is a designated non-mandatory client process; and

the particular client process is designated as single instance mandatory client process and is of a particular class, and there is at least one other client process, that is of the particular class, and that is operating in a normal execution mode;

terminating execution of the instant client process when one of;

the particular client process is a designated mandatory client process; and

the particular client process is a designated single-instance mandatory client process and is of a particular class and there is no other client process, from the plurality of client processes, that is of the particular class, and that is operating in a normal execution mode;

wherein collective termination of the plurality of client processes terminates operation of the multiprocessing software operation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of continuing operation comprises the step of generating, by the multi-processing radio communication system console software application, an operator notification message indicating a reduced-functionality mode.

10. In a computer system having a multi-processing software application, the multi-processing software application having a plurality of client processes concurrently operating as components thereof, at a first client process selected from the plurality of client processes, a method of determining when to terminate, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring an execution status for a second client process selected from among the plurality of client processes;

determining that the second client process is not executing in a normal executing mode;

continuing operation of the first client process when the second client process is a designated non-mandatory client process, such that the multi-processing software functions in a reduced functionality mode;

terminating operation of the first client process when the second client process is a designated mandatory client process, such that the first client process no longer executes;

terminating operation of the first client process when the second client process is a designated single-instance mandatory client process and is of a particular class, and there is no other single-instance mandatory client process operating that is of the particular class.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of continuing operation of the first client process when the second client process is a designated single-instance mandatory client process and is of a particular class, and there is at least one other single-instance mandatory client process operating that is of the particular class.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of continuing operation comprises the step of generating, by the software application, a user notification message indicating a reduced-functionality mode.