Computer system and method for sharing a job with other computers on a computer network using IP multicast

• US 6,356,929 B1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRN Business Trust
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haumont, Jeffery David, Gall, Thomas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/287,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 709/6, 709/201, 709/206, 709/204, 709/220, 709/221, 709/218, 455/3.1
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership

Abstract

A computer system on a network uses IP multicast to recruit other computer stems to share in the processing of a job. If a computer system on the network wants to be available to process shared jobs, it first registers for job sharing by invoking an IP multicast router at a particular IP address. All messages sent to the IP multicast router are broadcast to all computer systems that are registered with the router. When a computer system has ajob to share, it recruits other computer systems to help process the job by sending a message to the IP multicast router that corresponds to a request to share the job. The candidate computer systems that receive the recruiter'"'"'s broadcast determine if they can share the job according to one or more job sharing parameters. These parameters may relate to the job itself, network performance, security, or other criteria for sharing. If a computer system meets the parameters for taking on the particular job, it responds to the recruiter. If the recruiter still needs help (e.g., if not enough candidate systems have responded yet), the recruiter grants the response and delivers the job to the computer system. The computer system then performs the job (or task) and returns the results to the recruiter.

Claims

1. A networked computer system comprising:

a plurality of computer systems that each includes;

a network interface that couples each computer system via a network to a common network resource, the common network resource transmitting messages to other computer systems on the network via IP multicast and receiving messages from other computer systems on the network via IP multicast;

a memory; and

a job sharing processor residing in the memory, the job sharing processor comprising;

a user interface that is used to set at least one acceptance parameter that determines whether the computer system may receive a job from the other computer systems on the network, the user interface also being used to set at least one recruiting parameter assigned to a specific job to be shared in the computer system;

a registration mechanism for registering a computer system to be a job sharing candidate;

a job recruiter that broadcasts to job sharing processors in the other computer systems via the common network resource when the job sharing processor has a job to be shared; and

a job acceptor that responds to broadcasts from job recruiters in the other computer systems if the computer system can receive the job to be shared from one of the other computer systems according to the at least one acceptance parameter and according to the at least one recruiting parameter assigned to the job to be shared, wherein the at least one recruiting parameter includes;

at least one job attribute that defines at least one characteristic of the job to be shared;

at least one network attribute that defines network performance requirements that job sharing candidates must meet to accept the job to be shared; and

at least one security attribute that defines security requirements that job sharing candidates must meet to accept the job to be shared.

2. A computer-implemented method for sharing jobs on a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first computer system on the network;

registering the first computer system for job sharing, making the first computer system a job sharing candidate;

a user defining at least one parameter for a job to be shared on the network;

the first computer system on the network broadcasting to the other computer systems via IP multicast that the first computer system has the job to be shared;

each other computer system on the network responding to the broadcast from the first computer system to accept the job to be shared if all of the following are true;

the computer system needs more work;

the computer system detects that an insufficient number of computer systems have responded to the broadcast from the first computer system; and

the computer system satisfies all of the following;

at least one job attribute that defines at least one characteristic of the job to be shared;

at least one network attribute that defines network performance requirements that candidate computer systems on the network must meet to accept the job to be shared; and

at least one security attribute that defines security requirements that candidate computer systems on the network must meet to accept the job to be shared.

3. A program product comprising:

(A) a job sharing processor comprising;

(A1) a user interface that is used to set at least one acceptance parameter that determines whether the computer system may receive a job from the other computer systems on the network, the user interface also being used to set at least one recruiting parameter assigned to a specific job to be shared in the computer system;

(A2) a registration mechanism for registering a computer system to be a job sharing candidate;

(A3) a job recruiter that broadcasts to the job sharing processors in other computer systems via IP multicast when the job sharing processor has a job to be shared; and

(A4) a job acceptor that responds to broadcasts from a job recruiter in the other computer systems via IP multicast if the computer system can receive the job to be shared from one of the other computer systems according to the at least one acceptance parameter and according to the at least one recruiting parameter assigned to the job to be shared, wherein the at least one recruiting parameter includes;

at least one job attribute that defines at least one characteristic of the job to be shared;

at least one network attribute that defines network performance requirements that job sharing candidates must meet to accept the job to be shared; and

at least one security attribute that defines security requirements that job sharing candidates must meet to accept the job to be shared; and

(B) signal bearing media bearing the job sharing processor.