Distributed monitor timer service for use in a distributed computing environment

• US 6,279,034 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jung, Carey L., McNally, Michael, Vetter, Brian Jay, Jarriel, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/089,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/102, 709/223, 709/224, 709/228, 709/400, 705/9
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of managing time expressions for use by applications in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers. The method begins by defining a set of timers, with each timer preferably comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands. The set of timers is stored in a hierarchical namespace associated with the management server. Preferably, the timers and primitives are stored separately in the hierarchical namespace, with the primitives indexed by name for prompt retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of managing time expressions for use by applications in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising the steps of:

defining a set of timers, each timer comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands; and

storing the set of timers in a hierarchical namespace associated with the management server.

2. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 1 wherein the timers and primitives are stored separately in the hierarchical namespace.

3. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 2 wherein the primitives are indexed by name.

4. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 1 wherein at least a first timer and a second timer share at least one primitive.

5. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 1 wherein the logical operators are selected from the group of logical operators AND, OR, XOR and NOT.

6. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 1 wherein a primitive defines a cycle.

7. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 6 wherein the cycle is represented by an on/off transition pair that repeats at a given interval.

8. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 7 wherein the on/off transition pair is a given time period.

9. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 1 wherein a given set of timers comprise a schedule.

10. A method of managing time expressions in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising the steps of:

storing a set of timers in a hierarchical namespace associated with the management server, each timer comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands; and

selectively retrieving a timer for use in a local managed computer.

11. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 10 wherein the timers and primitives are stored separately in the hierarchical namespace.

12. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 10 wherein the primitives are indexed by name.

13. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 10 wherein the logical operators are selected from the group of logical operators AND, OR, XOR and NOT.

14. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 10 wherein given timers comprise a first level schedule.

15. The method of managing time expressions as described in claim 14 further including the step of logically combining at least a pair of first level schedules to generate a second level schedule.

16. A method of generating a master schedule for use by an application in a distributed computer network having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising the steps of:

defining at least first and second schedules from a set of timers organized in a hierarchical namespace associated with the management server, each timer comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands; and

combining the first and second schedules to form the master schedule.

17. The method as described in claim 16 wherein the first and second schedules are combined by a logical operation.

18. The method as described in claim 17 wherein the logical operation is a Boolean operation.

19. A hierarchical namespace, in computer-readable media, for use by applications in a distributed computer network to manage time expressions, the hierarchical namespace being associated with a management server in the distributed computer network, the management server servicing a set of managed computers, the hierarchical namespace comprising:

a set of timers each comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands;

wherein the timers and primitives are stored separately and the primitives are indexed by name.

20. The hierarchical namespace in computer-readable media as described in claim 19 wherein the logical operators are selected from the group of logical operators AND, OR, XOR and NOT.

21. The hierarchical namespace in computer-readable media as described in claim 19 wherein a primitive defines a cycle.

22. The hierarchical namespace in computer-readable media as described in claim 21 wherein the cycle is represented by an on/off transition pair that repeats at a given interval.

23. The hierarchical namespace in computer-readable media as described in claim 22 wherein the on/off transition pair is a given time period.

24. A computer program product for use in a computer connected in a distributed computing environment having a management server servicing a set of managed computers, comprising:

means for storing a set of timers in a hierarchical namespace associated with the management server, each timer comprising an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands; and

means for retrieving a timer for use in a local managed computer.

25. The computer program product as described in claim 24 further including means for updating a timer.

26. The computer program product as described in claim 24 wherein the retrieving means includes means for serializing and transmitting the timer to the local managed computer.

27. The computer program product as described in claim 24 further including means for computing a current state of a timer.

28. The computer program product as described in claim 24 further including means for computing a next transition time of a timer.

29. A computer connected within a distributed computing environment servicing a set of managed computers, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a hierarchical namespace supported in the memory for storing a set of timers;

means for specifying each timer as an expression of logical operators with a set of one or more primitives as operands; and

means responsive to a given request for retrieving a timer from the hierarchical namespace for use in a managed computer.