Method and system for migrating connections between receive-any and receive-direct threads

• US 6,175,879 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mohammed, Mazhar N., Shah, Bharat, Goertzel, Mario C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/790,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 709/304, 709/100-108, 709/330, 709/223, 709/310-332, 709/204
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields

Abstract

A method and mechanism for efficiently handling connections in a computer system between client sockets and data sockets of a server. The server includes a receive-any thread having a socket mask associated therewith to listen for new connection requests and for activity on data sockets handled thereby. The server further includes receive-direct threads associated with at least some of the data sockets for handling data communication. When a receive-direct connection has no activity for a period of time, the connection is migrated to a receive-any connection. When a receive-any connection becomes active, the connection is migrated to a receive-direct connection if a receive-direct thread is available.

Claims

1. A method of migrating a connection to a server between a receive-direct thread and a listening thread configured to listen for new connections, comprising:

calling a function from the receive-direct thread, the function receiving data on the connection and timing out when the connection had no activity for a period of time;

returning to the receive-direct thread from the function, the function providing information indicative of whether data was received or the connection had no activity; and

migrating the connection to the listening thread when the information indicates the connection had no activity for a period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection is associated with a data socket in the server, and wherein migrating the connection to the listening thread includes adding information referencing the socket to a set of socket information associated with the listening thread.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein migrating the connection to the listening thread includes unblocking the listening thread.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the server includes a plurality of other receive-direct threads and a counter tracks the receive-direct thread associated with the connection and the other receive-direct threads, and wherein migrating the connection to the listening thread includes modifying the counter to indicate that the connection is no longer associated with the receive-direct thread.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting data activity on a second connection to the listening thread, creating a second receive-direct thread, and migrating the second connection to the second receive-direct thread.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting data activity on a second connection to the listening thread, determining a level of data activity on the second connection, and if the level of activity on the second connection meets a threshold amount of activity, migrating the second connection to a second receive-direct thread.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting data activity on a second connection to the listening thread, determining if a receive-direct thread is available, and if a receive-direct thread is available, migrating the second connection to a second receive-direct thread.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a request for a new connection on the listening thread, accepting the connection as an other connection, determining if at least one other receive-direct thread is available, and if at least one other receive-direct thread is available, migrating the second connection to the other receive-direct thread.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the listening thread handles requests for new connections on at least one listening socket.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the listening thread comprises a receive-any thread that handles requests for new connections on a plurality of listening sockets of different protocols.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the listening thread and receive-direct thread receive remote procedure call data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the listening thread and receive-direct thread receive DCOM method call data.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein the information referencing the data socket includes a pointer to a data structure, and adding information referencing the socket to a set of socket information includes adding the pointer to an array of pointers.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the second connection is associated with a second data socket in the server, and wherein migrating the second connection to the second receive-direct thread includes removing information referencing the second data socket from a set of socket information associated with the listening thread.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein migrating the second connection to a second receive-direct thread includes creating the second receive-direct thread.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein determining if a receive-direct thread is available includes comparing a counter of receive-direct threads against a quota of receive-direct threads.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein migrating the connection to the listening thread includes modifying data in the data structure referenced by the pointer to indicate that the connection is associated with the listening thread.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the information referencing the second data socket includes a pointer to a data structure, and wherein removing information referencing the second socket to a set of socket information includes removing the pointer from an array of pointers.

20. The method of claims 15 wherein the information referencing the second data socket includes a pointer to a data structure, and wherein migrating the connection to the second receive-direct thread includes modifying data in the data structure referenced by the pointer to indicate that the connection is associated with the second receive-direct thread.

21. In a computer system including a client socket connected via a virtual connection with a data socket of a server, a mechanism for handling the connection, comprising:

a receive-direct thread associated with the data socket for handling communication on the connection;

a listening thread configured to listen for new connections;

a set of socket information associated with the listening thread;

means for detecting when the connection has no activity for a period of time; and

means for moving information referencing the data socket associated with the receive-direct thread to the set of socket information associated with the listening thread when the connection has no activity for a period of time.

22. The mechanism of claim 21 further comprising a data structure corresponding to the data socket, wherein the information referencing the data socket comprises a pointer to the data structure and the set of socket information comprises an array of pointers, and wherein the means for moving information referencing the socket includes means for adding the pointer to the array of pointers.

23. The mechanism of claim 21 further comprising means for unblocking the listening thread.

24. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the server includes a plurality of other receive-direct threads and further comprising a counter of the receive-direct threads.

25. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the listening thread includes means for detecting data activity on a second connection thereto, means for creating a second receive-direct thread in response to detecting data activity, and means for migrating the second connection to the second receive-direct thread.

26. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the listening thread includes means for handling requests for new connections on at least one listening socket.

27. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the listening thread comprises a receive-any thread that includes means for handling requests for new connections on a plurality of listening sockets of different protocols.

28. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the listening thread and receive-direct thread receive remote procedure call data.

29. The mechanism of claim 21 wherein the listening thread and receive-direct thread receive DCOM method call data.

30. The mechanism of claim 22 further comprising means for modifying data in the data structure referenced by the pointer to indicate that the connection is associated with the listening thread.

31. The mechanism of claim 23 wherein the set of socket information includes a reference to a synchronization socket, and wherein the means for unblocking the listening thread includes means for writing information to the synchronization socket.

32. A method for handling a connection, comprising:

providing a set of at least one listening thread, each listening thread configured to listen for new connections;

providing a set of at least one receive-direct thread;

migrating the connection from a first listening thread of the set thereof to a first receive-direct thread of the set thereof when a level of activity is achieved on the connection; and

migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread to one listening thread of the set thereof when a level of inactivity is achieved.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread to one listening thread of the set thereof when a level of inactivity is achieved includes blocking at the receive-direct thread until a period of time is achieved.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread to one listening thread of the set thereof includes migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread back to the first listening thread.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the set of at least one listening threads includes the first listening thread and at least one other thread, and wherein migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread to one listening thread of the set thereof includes migrating the connection from the first receive-direct thread to another listening thread of the set thereof.

36. The method of claim 32 further comprising creating the connection at the first listening thread.

37. The method of claim 32 further comprising closing the connection.

38. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 32.

39. A method for handling a connection, comprising:

providing a listening thread to listen for new connections and receive data on existing connections, the listening thread listening for requests for new connections on a plurality of different protocols;

receiving data on a connection at the listening thread; and

migrating the connection from the listening thread to a receive-direct thread such that further data on the connection is received for handling by the receive-direct thread.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising, detecting at the receive-direct thread a level of inactivity on the connection, and in response to detecting the level of inactivity, migrating the connection from the receive-direct thread to the listening thread.

41. The method of claim 39 further comprising creating the connection at the first listening thread.

42. The method of claim 39 further comprising tracking to which thread the connection has been migrated.

43. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 39.

44. A system for handling data connections, comprising:

a listening thread configured to listen for new connections;

a receive-direct thread configured to handle data received from at least one of a plurality of connections, the listening thread migrating a first connection to the receive-direct thread to handle data received on the first connection;

a mechanism configured to detect activity on the first connection and to provide information to the receive-direct thread corresponding to a level of inactivity; and

the receive-direct thread receiving the information corresponding to the level of inactivity from the mechanism, and in response, migrating the first connection to the listening thread.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the receive-direct thread becomes available upon migrating the first connection to the listening thread, and wherein the listening thread migrates a second connection to the receive-direct thread to handle data received on the second connection when the receive direct thread is available.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein the receive-direct thread comprises a resource in a pool of receive-direct threads, and wherein a number representing available receive-direct threads in the pool is adjusted when the receive direct thread becomes available or is used.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein the mechanism configured to detect activity on the first connection and to provide information to the receive-direct thread corresponding to a level of inactivity comprises a blocking function, and wherein the blocking function wakes the receive-direct thread and indicates thereto whether the thread was awoken in response to activity or inactivity.

48. The system of claim 44 further comprising a synchronization socket for waking the listening thread when the receive-direct thread receives the information corresponding to the level of inactivity being achieved.

49. The system of claim 44 further comprising at least one data structure configured to track to which thread the connection has been migrated.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein at least one data structure comprises a socket mask.