Reducing contention in an environment using optimistic locks

• US 7,886,022 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cobbett, Michael, Banks, Andrew David James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu Ha T
• Application Number:
  US11/156,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/218, 709/248, 709/203, 709/208, 709/209, 709/217, 340/825, 710/110, 712/31, 700/3
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Contention in a distributed processor computer system with a replicated message environment is reduced. The system comprises processor consumers intercommunicating via a server interface that receives a message from a producer. The server favors one consumer, marks the message accordingly, communicates the marked message to the system, and delays the processing in another consumer beyond a predetermined time, for example the time normally taken to process a message.

Claims

1. A method for message distribution in a multiple processor system having multiple processors, comprising:

generating a message in a producer processor;

nominating only a single consumer processor from the multiple processors to process the message based on predetermined criteria;

encoding the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor;

communicating the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to all of the processors in the multiple processor system;

removing the message having the first indication upon not received a notice of consumption within a predetermined period of time;

nominating another consumer processor to process the message; and

encoding the original message, without the first indication, with another indication of the another nominated consumer processor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

encoding the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for a non-nominated consumer processor to process the message upon a notice of consumption of the message not being received within the predetermined time delay.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

communicating a notice of consumption to all of the processors in the multiple processor system upon the message being processed.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising

arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions, and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising

instructing the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein

the nominating the consumer processor and arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions is conducted by a master server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the nominating the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.

8. A system for message distribution in a multiple processor system having multiple processors, comprising:

a producer processor for generating a message; and

a message manager configured to

receive the message generated by the producer processor,

nominate only a single consumer processor to process the message based on predetermined criteria, and

encode the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor;

communicate the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to all of the processors in the multiple processor system,

remove the message having the first indication upon not received a notice of consumption within a predetermined period of time,

nominate another consumer processor to process the message, and

encode the original message, without the first indication, with another indication of the another nominated consumer processor.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein

the message manager encodes the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for an un-nominated consumer processor to process the message upon a notice of consumption of the message not being received within the predetermined time delay.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein

the consumer processor that processes the message communicates a notice of consumption to all of the processors in the multiple processor system upon the message being processed.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprises

a master server for arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions, and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein

the master server instructs the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein

the message manager nominates the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.

14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions embodied therein for message distribution in a multiple processor system having multiple processors, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a message distribution system, causing the message distribution system to perform:

generating a message in a producer processor;

nominating only a single consumer processor from the multiple processors to process the message based on predetermined criteria;

encoding the message with a first indication of the nominated consumer processor;

communicating the message with the indication of the nominated consumer processor to all of the processors in the multiple processor system;

removing the message having the first indication upon not received a notice of consumption within a predetermined period of time;

nominating another consumer processor to process the message; and

encoding the original message, without the first indication, with another indication of the another nominated consumer processor.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 further comprising

encoding the message with a second indication of a predetermined time delay for a non-nominated consumer processor to process the message upon a notice of consumption of the message not being received within the predetermined time delay.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 further comprising

communicating a notice of consumption to all of the processors in the multiple processor system upon the message being processed.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising

arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions, and selecting a consumption to be made durable.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising

instructing the consumer processor with the consumption not made durable to roll back.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein

the nominating the consumer processor and arbitrating between at least two notices of consumptions is conducted by a master server.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein

the nominating the consumer processor is based on a desired consumer processor basis.