Systems and methods for using metrics to control throttling and swapping in a message processing system

• US 7,412,513 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sriram, Balasubramanian, Maybee, Paul, Saha, Sanjib, Graber, Lee, Levanoni, Yossi, Mehta, Bimal Kumar, Smith, Kevin Bowen, Musayev, Eldar Azerovich
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOUZON, LAJUANIA N
• Application Number:
  US10/714,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

A system and method of using metrics to control throttling and swapping in a message processing system is provided. A workload status of a message processing system is determined, and the system polls for a new message according to the workload status. The message processing system identifies a blocked instance and calculates an expected idle time for the blocked instance. The system dehydrates the blocked instance if the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for improving the efficiency of a message processing system, comprising:

determining a workload of a message processing system by accessing performance data regarding the message processing system, and determining, using the performance data, the workload with respect to a system operating parameter;

polling for a new message at a frequency according to the workload status, wherein the frequency is inversely proportional to the workload and, if the workload is above a predetermined limit, polling only for a new non-activation message;

identifying a blocked instance being processed by the message processing system;

calculating an expected idle time for the blocked instance by;

accessing performance data for the message processing system;

determining a length of time the blocked instance has been idle; and

generating the expected idle time based on the performance data and length of time the blocked instance has been idle;

dehydrating the blocked instance if the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

updating the workload according to the dehydration of the instance; and

updating the threshold according to the workload.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed performance data is memory usage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed performance data is processor power in use by the message processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the polling step is carried out at one of a first or second frequencies, wherein the first frequency is greater than the second frequency.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polling step further comprises polling only for a new non-activation message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance data is assigned according to a predetermined criterion if no performance data is accessible.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the blocked instance is a first instance, and the performance data comprises a recorded idle time of a second instance.

8. A method for managing a workload of a message processing system, comprising:

determining the workload of the message processing system;

polling for a new message at a frequency, wherein the frequency is inversely proportional to the workload and, if the workload is above a predetermined limit, polling only for a new non-activation message;

identifying a blocked instance being processed by the message processing system and, if the blocked instance has no executable segments;

calculating an expected idle time for the blocked instance based on performance data relating to the message processing system by;

accessing performance data for the message processing system;

determining a length of time the blocked instance has been idle; and

generating the expected idle time based on the performance data and length of time the blocked instance has been idle;

determining whether the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold and, if so,

dehydrating the blocked instance;

updating the workload according to the dehydration; and

updating the performance data according to the polling of the new message.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions for performing a method for improving the efficiency of a message processing system, the method comprising:

determining a workload of a message processing system by accessing performance data regarding the message processing system, and determining, using the performance data, the workload with respect to a system operating parameter;

polling for a new message at a frequency according to the workload status, wherein the frequency is inversely proportional to the workload and, if the workload is above a predetermined limit, polling only for a new non-activation message;

identifying a blocked instance being processed by the message processing system;

calculating an expected idle time for the blocked instance by;

accessing performance data for the message processing system;

determining a length of time the blocked instance has been idle; and

generating the expected idle time based on the performance data and length of time the blocked instance has been idle;

dehydrating the blocked instance if the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

updating the workload according to the dehydration of the instance; and

updating the threshold according to the workload.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the accessed performance data is memory usage.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the accessed performance data is processor power in use by the message processing system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the polling step is carried out at one of a first or second frequencies, wherein the first frequency is greater than the second frequency.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the polling step further comprises polling only for a new non-activation message.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the performance data is assigned according to a predetermined criterion if no performance data is accessible.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the blocked instance is a first instance, and the performance data comprises a recorded idle time of a second instance.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for managing a workload of a message processing system, the method comprising:

determining the workload of the message processing system;

polling for a new message at a frequency, wherein the frequency is inversely proportional to the workload and, if the workload is above a predetermined limit, polling only for a new non-activation message;

identifying a blocked instance being processed by the message processing system and, if the blocked instance has no executable segments;

calculating an expected idle time for the blocked instance based on performance data relating to the message processing system by;

accessing performance data for the message processing system;

determining a length of time the blocked instance has been idle; and

generating the expected idle time based on the performance data and length of time the blocked instance has been idle;

determining whether the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold and, if so,

dehydrating the blocked instance;

updating the workload according to the dehydration; and

updating the performance data according to the polling of the new message.