Execution management method of program on reception side of message in distributed processing system

• US 6,282,578 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1996
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Atsushi, Nakashiro, Koki, Aizono, Takeiki, Mori, Kinji, Hirasawa, Shigeki, Kawano, Katsumi, Hashimoto, Hisashi, Orimo, Masayuki, Andou, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/668,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 709/300, 709/301, 709/302, 709/235, 709/310, 709/313, 709/318, 709/232, 709/228, 709/229, 340/825.21, 370/232, 370/314
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

In a distributed processing system including a plurality of programs distributed in a plurality of processing units and in which a program on reception side performs processing using a message transmitted from a program on transmission side, a management table for managing start of programs on reception side is provided in a processing unit in which the program on reception side is provided. A program utilizing the message transmitted from the transmission side is recognized and the recognized program is started at the start timing indicated in the management table. The start timing of the program set in the management table may be registered previously or the message may include information indicating the start timing.

Claims

1. A management method for program execution in a distributed processing system wherein a plurality of processors are connected via a network, a plurality of programs are distributed to said processors, and among said programs, a reception-side program on a side of receiving a message executes processing using said message transmitted from a transmission-side program on a side of transmitting said message, said method comprising the steps of:

adding, on said transmission-side program, information to said message to be transmitted from said transmission-side program, said information including a first piece of information indicating start timing at which said reception-side program starts to execute processing related to said message and a second piece of information indicating a priority level of said processing related to said message;

transmitting via said network, on said transmission-side program, said message to which said information has been added;

determining, on said reception-side program from said second piece of information indicating a priority level, whether or not said reception-side program is to execute said processing related to said message; and

executing, on said reception-side program, said processing related to said message at timing indicated by said first piece of information if it has been determined that said reception-side program is to execute said processing related to said message.

2. The management method for program execution according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a processor corresponding to said reception-side program, a plurality of messages via said network; and

determining, on said reception-side program, that processing related to a higher priority level is to be executed if an overlap in start timing of processing related to messages occurs among said plurality of messages.

3. The management method for program execution according to claim 1, wherein said first piece of information is related to one of a delayed time start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at a predetermined time after said message is received, a periodic start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at predetermined intervals, and a time start indicating a start time of said processing related to said message.

4. The management method for program execution according to claim 3, further comprising the step of deleting said message on said reception-side program when said processing related to said message has been executed, if said first piece of information of said message is one of said delayed time start and said time start.

5. The management method for program execution according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

adding, on said transmission-side program, another piece of information to said message, said another piece of information necessary for said reception-side program to determine whether or not to receive said message;

transmitting, on said transmission-side program, to said plurality of processors via said network said message to which said another piece of information has been added; and

determining, on said reception-side program using said another piece of information, whether or not said reception-side program is to receive said message.

6. The management method for program execution according to claim 5, wherein said another piece of information is a name of said reception-side program to execute said processing.

7. The management method for program execution according to claim 5, wherein said another piece of information is a content code indicating a content of said message.

8. A distributed processing system wherein a plurality of processors are connected via a network, a plurality of programs are distributed to said processors, and among said programs, a reception-side program on a side of receiving a message executes processing using said message transmitted from a transmission-side program on a side of transmitting said message, the system comprising:

means for adding information to said message to be transmitted from a processor corresponding to said transmission-side program, said information including a first piece of information indicating start timing at which said reception-side program starts to execute processing related to said message and a second piece of information indicating a priority level of said processing related to said message;

means for transmitting via said network said message to which said information has been added;

means for determining from said second piece of information indicating a priority level, whether or not said processing related to said message is to be executed; and

means for executing said processing related to said message at timing indicated by said first piece of information if said determining means has determined that said processing related to said message is to be executed.

9. The distributed processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of messages via said network; and

means for determining that processing related to a higher priority level be executed if an overlap in start timing of processing related to messages occurs among said plurality of messages.

10. The distributed processing system according to claim 9, wherein said first piece of information is related to one of a delayed time start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at a predetermined time after said message is received, a periodic start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at predetermined intervals, and a time start indicating a start time of said processing related to said message.

11. The distributed processing system according to claim 10, further comprising means for deleting said message when said processing related to said message has been executed, if the first piece of information of said message is one of said delayed time start and said time start.

12. The distributed processing system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for adding another piece of information to said message, said another piece of information necessary for said reception-side program to determine whether or not to receive said message; and

means for transmitting to said plurality of processors via said network said message to which said another piece of information has been added,

wherein said reception-side program determines, using said another piece of information, whether or not said reception-side program is to receive said message.

13. The distributed processing system according to claim 12, wherein said another piece of information is a name of said reception-side program to execute said processing.

14. The distributed processing system according to claim 12, wherein said another piece of information is a content code indicating a content of said message.

15. In a distributed processing system wherein a plurality of processors are connected via a network, a reception-side program on a side of receiving a message executes processing using said message transmitted from a transmission-side program on a side of transmitting said message, a processor in said distributed processing system comprising:

a storage unit for storing said transmission-side program, a first piece of information indicating a start timing at which said reception-side program starts to execute processing related to said message, and a second piece of information indicating a priority level of said processing related to said message; and

a processing unit connected to said storage unit and said network, for adding said first and second pieces of information to said message, and broadcasting via said network said message to which said first and second pieces of information have been added,

wherein a processor which received said message thus broadcast determines from said second piece of information indicating a priority level, whether or not said reception-side program is to execute said processing related to said message, and executes said processing related to said message at a timing indicated by said first piece of information if it has been determined that said processing related to said message is to be executed.

16. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 15, wherein said processor which received a plurality of messages thus broadcast determines that processing related to a higher priority level is to be executed if an overlap in start timing of processing related to messages occurs among said plurality of messages.

17. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 15, wherein said first piece of information is related to one of a delayed time start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at a predetermined time after said message is received, a periodic start indicating a start of said processing related to said message at predetermined intervals, and a time start indicating a start time of said processing related to said message.

18. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 17, wherein said processor which receives said message thus broadcast deletes said message when said processing related to said message has been executed, if the first piece of information of said message is one of said delayed time start and said time start.

19. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 15, wherein:

said processing unit adds another piece of information to said message, and broadcasts to a plurality of processors via said network said message to which said another piece of information has been added, said another piece of information necessary for said reception-side program to determine whether or not to receive said message; and

a processor which received said message thus broadcast determines, using said another piece of information, whether or not said reception-side program is to receive said message.

20. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 19, wherein said another piece of information is a name of said reception-side program to execute said processing.

21. The processor in said distributed processing system according to claim 19, wherein said another piece of information is a content code indicating a content of said message.