Distributed communication system with categorized resources

• US 6,415,333 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vasell, Jesper
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/207,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/310, 709/313, 709/315, 709/316
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5011 Pool
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function

Abstract

A distributed communication system includes a number of nodes, each including a number of resources, which nodes are interconnected by an interconnection network. Distributed applications are executed through sending messages between resources in the nodes. The resources are categorized into a number of function types. Resources grouped into one and the same function type are functionally equivalent at least to a given extent so that a number of function type instances are provided for each function type. Each node includes an information holding device keeping information about which function type instances correspond to a given function type and distribution functions associated with the information holding device for selecting a receiving function type instance among the available instances. A resource sending a message only has to give the function type as address information, and the distribution function selects which function type instance will be the receiver.

Claims

1. A distributed communication system comprising a number of nodes, each of which comprises a number of resources, and which nodes are interconnected by an interconnection network, distributed applications being executed through sending of messages between resources in said nodes, wherein

the resources are categorized or grouped into a number of function types, resources grouped into one and the same function type being functionally equivalent at least to a given extent so that a number of function type instances, each corresponding to a particular resource, are provided for each function type, each node comprises information holding means keeping information about which resources/function type instances correspond to a given function type, distribution functions being associated with said information holding means, and distribution functions for selecting a receiving function type instance among the instances available in the information holding means, and

a resource of a sending node sending a message only gives the function type of the resource as address information, and the distribution function selects which resource/function type instance will be the receiver among the function type instances associated with the input function type so that messages from a sending resource are sent independently of the location of the resources with which a sending resource communicates as well as independently of the number and names thereof, wherein the distribution function executes in the same context as the sending resource, is specific for a particular application function, and is supplied and registered by a particular application function.

2. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein the resources comprise processing resources and/or input/output resources and/or storing resources.

3. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information holding means are continuously updated so that in each node information about which resources of at least a number of function types actually are available for messages addressing the corresponding function types so that information about added/removed nodes is provided, thus making the application sending the message scalable.

4. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information carrier protocol is TCP/IP.

5. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein messages are sent on by the distribution function to a selected resource/function type instance using common location transparent message passing.

6. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein a number of distribution functions are predefined.

7. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein a resource intending to send a message to a given function type invokes a send operation comprising information about the message and the function type.

8. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein through invoking a connect operation for each of a number of function types with which a node intends to communicate, a general reference is provided for subsequent send operation commands.

9. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein the functionality of the distributed application sending messages is decoupled from the configuration of the distributed application.

10. A distributed communication system according to claim 3, wherein the number of resources/function type instances varies at runtime so that the system scales automatically, enabling use of newly added resources/adaptation to loss of one or more resources.

11. A distributed communication system according claim 1, wherein a function type is given by the association of a global name, and all instances of the same function type execute the same function.

12. A distributed communication system according to claim 7, wherein the distribution function is provided by an application and invoked by the send operation.

13. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein the information holding means comprises a distribution state table and a distribution function table containing the resources/function type instances available for each of a number of function types.

14. A distributed communication system according to claim 13, wherein for each function type in the distribution state table a function handle means is provided containing a function type name, an associated distribution function and the function type instances/resources, including at least an instance name.

15. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein distributed function can scale without the application having to be rewritten or recompiled.

16. A distributed communication system according to claim 1, wherein for maintaining coherent information in all nodes, a separately executing distribution service is provided.

17. A node in a distributed communication system comprising a number of resources and communicating with other nodes via an interconnection network, wherein the resources of the system are grouped into a number of function types, resources grouped into the same function type form function type instances of said function type and at least to a given extent are functionally equivalent, information holding means are provided for holding information about which resources/function type instances correspond to a given function type, a number of distribution functions are associated with said information holding means, said distribution functions being used for selecting which resource/function type instance will be the receiver of a particular message, and only function type information is given as address information when a node sends a message, wherein each distribution function executes in the same context as a sending resource, is specific for a particular application function, and is supplied and registered by a particular application function.

18. A node according to claim 17, wherein location transparent message passing is used for sending a message to a selected function type instance.

19. A node according to claim 17, wherein the information holding means comprises a distribution state table containing the resources or function type instances available for each of a number of function types.

20. A node according claim 19, wherein for each function type in the distribution state table a function handling means is provided containing a function type name, an associated distribution function and the function type instances including at least an instance name for each instance.

21. A method for sending messages in a distributed communication system comprising a number of nodes interconnected by an interconnection network, wherein each node comprises a number of resources, the method comprising the steps of:

grouping the resources of the system into a number of function types depending on functionality,

storing information about the resources grouped depending on functionality in information holding means in each node,

giving the function type as address information when a message is to be sent to a resource of a given function type,

invoking a distribution function,

said distribution function using the message, the information in the information holding means and optional application defined information to select a particular instance, wherein the distribution function executes in the same context as the sending resource, is specific for a particular application function, and is supplied and registered by a particular application function,

returning the selected instance, and

sending the message location transparently to the selected instance.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of continuously updating the information holding means so that in each node information about which particular function type instances of at least a number of function types actually are available for messages addressing the corresponding function types is provided, enabling scaling up/down in runtime.

23. A method of providing communication among applications executing at resources located at a number of different nodes in a network interconnecting said nodes, wherein the actual node locations are transparent to the applications, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining in storing means in each node information about resources which, depending on their functionality, are grouped into a number of function types,

accessing a distribution function by giving the function type of a resource intended as a receiver of a message,

said distribution function using the information in the information holding means relating to said function type, the message and a selection algorithm to select a particular function type instance as receiver of the message, wherein the distribution function executes in the same context as the sending resource, is specific for a particular application function, and is supplied and registered by a particular application function, and

sending the message to the selected function type instance using location transparent message passing.