Program agent initiated processing of enqueued event actions

• US 7,565,662 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Sean J., Smith, Dan, Szekely, Benjamin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao; Diem K
• Application Number:
  US10/949,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 718/105, 709/203
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism

Abstract

An Event Manager receives events requiring action. The events are parsed into event action types which are placed in an Event Queue. Program agents in a pool of agents are dynamically instantiated and retired from the pool based on the number of queued events by type. Program agents, when available, initiate a search for a work entry on the Event Queue that is of a type that the agent can handle. When an agent finds work, the corresponding Event Queue entry is marked as assigned to the agent and the agent performs the action associated with the work entry.

Claims

1. A method in a computer program environment for handling programs events, the method comprising:

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action be performed; and

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue;

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more first agent actions, the first agent actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more second agent actions, the second agent actions comprising the second action to be performed, wherein responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined, wherein the first action to an action of a first action type, wherein the second action is an action of a second action type;

responsive to the first agent being available to perform the first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the first interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type, wherein the first interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the first interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed; and

responsive to the first action being assigned to the first agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the second agent being available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type wherein the second interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the second interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed; and

responsive to the second action being assigned to the second agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue during a predefined period of time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue and a number of total actions in the queue.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to a frequency of occurrence being less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the first agent determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to a frequency of occurrence being less than a predetermined low frequency, the first agent retiring itself based on the frequency determined.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing comprises:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

any one of the first agent or the second agent producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeding a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined; and

responsive to the number of program agents that can be instantiated being less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of program events, program events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

12. A system in a computer program environment for handling program events, the system comprising:

a network;

a first computer system in communication with the network wherein the computer system includes instructions to execute a method comprising;

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action be performed; and

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue;

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more first agent actions, the first agent actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more second agent actions, the second agent actions comprising the second action to be performed, wherein responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined, wherein the first action to an action of a first action type, wherein the second action is an action of a second action type;

responsive to the first agent being available to perform the first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the first interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type, wherein the first interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the first interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed; and

responsive to the first action being assigned to the first agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to the second agent being available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type, wherein the second interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the second interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed; and

responsive to the second action being assigned to the second agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue during a predefined period of time.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue and a number of total actions in the queue.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to a frequency of occurrence being less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined.

18. The system according to claim 12, further comprising parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing step comprising the further step of:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

20. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

any one of the first agent or the second agent producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

21. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeding a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined; and

responsive to the number of program agents that can be instantiated being less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of program events, program events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

22. A computer program product in a computer program environment for handling program events, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by a processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action be performed; and

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue;

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more first agent actions, the first agent actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more second agent actions, the second agent actions comprising the second action to be performed, wherein responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined, wherein the first action to an action of a first action type, wherein the second action is an action of a second action type;

responsive to the first agent being available to perform the first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the first interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type, wherein the first interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the first interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed; and

responsive to the first action being assigned to the first agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to the second agent being available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the event queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type, wherein the second interrogation comprises a request for work;

responsive to the second interrogation of the event queue determining that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed; and

responsive to the second action being assigned to the second agent, indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

24. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue.

25. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue during a predefined period of time.

26. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the determining step further comprises:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue and a number of total actions in the queue.

27. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to a frequency of occurrence being less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined.

28. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28 wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing step comprising the further step of:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

30. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising:

any one of the first agent or the second agent producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

31. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising:

determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to the frequency of occurrence exceeding a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents capable of performing the first action type based on the frequency determined; and

responsive to the number of program agents that can be instantiated being less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of program events, program events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

32. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising:

the first agent determining a frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

responsive to a frequency of occurrence being less than a predetermined low frequency, the first agent retiring itself based on the frequency determined.