Method of launching low-priority tasks

• US 7,356,820 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bower, Fred A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Lilian
• Application Number:
  US09/898,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 718100-108, 717/120, 709/200, 709/224, 709/226, 709/227, 709/202, 719/318
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task. Accordingly, a higher level task maintains its level of operation and spawns lower level tasks through the dispatcher in conjunction with the agent.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing tasks comprising:

a message manager operating at a high priority level receiving a message from a remote administrator within system firmware to launch a low priority task;

said message manager placing a message in a data structure shared between said message manager and a task manager operating at a low priority level;

said message manager communicating said low priority task to said task manager through said data structure, wherein the step of communicating said low priority task to said task manager includes setting a flag for signaling receipt of said message and said task manager reading said message in said data structure and launching said low priority task in response to said flag;

launching said low priority task received from said message manager in response to receipt of said message and absent a suspension selected from the group consisting of;

a system interrupt and a pause in a higher level task operation; and

resetting said flag following launch of said low priority task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of launching said lower priority task includes an agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving said message from said remote administrator includes a dispatcher.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said message manager maintains a level of operation.

5. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a message from a remote administrator within system firmware to launch a low priority level task, wherein receipt of said message is by a message manager operating at a higher priority level than said low priority level task;

storing said message in a data structure shared between said message manager and a task manager operating at a low priority level;

communicating said low priority level task to said task manager through said data structure;

setting a flag to indicate receipt of said message in said data structure to said task manager;

reading said message in said data structure and launching said low priority level task in response to said flag by said task manager including said task manager launching said low priority level task received from said message manager in response to said message and absent a suspension selected from the group consisting of;

a system interrupt and a pause in a higher level task operation; and

resetting said flag following launch of said low priority level task.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising said message manager maintaining a level of operation.