Supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based extensible markup language (XML) post processing engine (PPE)

• US 8,091,019 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Achilles, Heather D., Allen, Joseph H., Hoeweler, David J., Peters, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US12/358,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715235-238
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based XML PPE. The method may include inserting one or more constant Type-Length-Attributes (TLAs) into an output stream. The constant TLAs are inserted from one or more constant node-sets referenced from a constant table. The method may also include creating one or more variable node-sets. Each variable node-set includes one or more variable TLAs (TLAs saved from a base XML document) and is mapped to a variable table. The method may also include inserting one or more variable TLAs into the output stream inserted from one or more variable node-sets referenced from the variable table.

Claims

1. A method for supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based Extensible Markup Language (XML) Post Processing Engine (PPE), the method comprising:

compiling an XML Transformations (XSLT) stylesheet into a plurality of constant Type-Length-Attributes (TLAs) and PPE machine code;

storing at least a portion of the plurality of constant TLAs as constant node-sets in a buffer in communication with a PPE, each constant node-set comprising one or more constant TLAs, each constant TLA comprising a static XML text element;

inserting one or more constant TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into an output stream from the one or more constant node-sets stored in the buffer;

storing at least a portion of the plurality of variable TLAs as variable node-sets in the buffer, each variable node-set comprising one or more variable TLAs, each variable TLA comprising an XML variable value; and

inserting one or more variable TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into the output stream from the one or more variable node-sets stored in the buffer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing a base XML document into a TLA stream, the TLA stream comprising a plurality of variable TLAs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting an input stream from the group consisting of a constant TLA input stream, a variable TLA input stream, and a standard TLA input stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each constant node-set is mapped to a constant table and each variable node-set is mapped to a variable table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more variable TLAs and each of the one or more constant TLAs comprises a pointer to a linked list, the linked list configured to store text and comprising one or more memory blocks and a reference counter.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising freeing the one or more memory blocks of the linked list in response to the reference counter equaling zero.

7. An apparatus for supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based Extensible Markup Language (XML) Post Processing Engine (PPE), the apparatus comprising:

a compilation module configured to compile an XML Transformations (XSLT) stylesheet into a plurality of constant Type-Length-Attributes (TLAs) and PPE machine code and configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of constant TLAs as constant node-sets in a buffer in communication with a PPE, each constant node-set comprising one or more constant TLAs, each constant TLA comprising a static XML text element;

a constant insertion module configured to insert one or more constant TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into an output stream from a constant node-set stored in the buffer;

a variable creation module configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of variable TLAs as variable node-sets in the buffer, each variable node-set comprising one or more variable TLAs, each variable TLA comprising an XML variable value; and

a variable insertion module configured to insert one or more variable TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into the output stream from the one or more variable node-sets stored in the buffer,

wherein all or a portion of the compilation module, the constant insertion module, the variable creation module, and the variable insertion module comprise one or more of hardware circuits and executable code stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a parsing module configured to parse a base XML document into a TLA stream, the TLA stream comprising a plurality of variable TLAs.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a multiplexer module configured to select an input stream from the group consisting of a constant TLA input stream, a variable TLA input stream, and a standard TLA input stream.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each constant node-set is mapped to a constant table and each variable node-set is mapped to a variable table.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more variable TLAs and each of the one or more constant TLAs comprises a pointer to a linked list, the linked list configured to store text and comprising one or more memory blocks and a reference counter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a memory management module configured to free the one or more memory blocks of the linked list in response to the reference counter equaling zero.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more variable TLAs and each of the one or more constant TLAs further comprises a TLA indicator configured to indicate a TLA type.

14. A system for supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based Extensible Markup Language (XML) Post Processing Engine (PPE), the system comprising:

a buffer;

an XML Transformations (XSLT) stylesheet compiler in communication with the buffer, the XSLT stylesheet compiler configured to;

compile an XSLT stylesheet into a plurality of constant Type-Length-Attributes (TLAs) and PPE machine code;

store at least a portion of the plurality of constant TLAs as constant node-sets in the buffer, each constant node-set comprising one or more constant TLAs, each constant TLA comprising a static XML text element;

an XML accelerator card comprising;

a Post Processing Engine (PPE) in communication with the buffer, the PPE configured to;

insert one or more constant TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into an output stream from a constant node-set stored in the buffer;

store at least a portion of the plurality of variable TLAs as variable node-sets in the buffer, each variable node-set comprising one or more variable TLAs, each variable TLA comprising an XML variable value; and

insert one or more variable TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into the output stream from the one or more variable node-sets stored in the buffer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the XML accelerator further comprises an XML parser, the XML parser configured to parse a base XML document into a TLA stream, the TLA stream comprising a plurality of variable TLAs.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a multiplexer configured to select an input stream from the group consisting of a constant TLA input stream, a variable TLA input stream, and a standard TLA input stream.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein each constant node-set is mapped to a constant table and each variable node-set is mapped to a variable table.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more variable TLAs and each of the one or more constant TLAs comprises a pointer to a linked list, the linked list configured to store text and comprising one or more memory blocks and a reference counter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the XML accelerator is further configured to free the one or more memory blocks of the linked list in response to the reference counter equaling zero.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more variable TLAs and each of the one or more constant TLAs further comprises a TLA indicator configured to indicate a TLA type.

21. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product for supporting variable data structures and constant data structures in a hardware-based Extensible Markup Language (XML) Post Processing Engine (PPE), the computer program product comprising:

a parsing module configured to parse a base XML document into a plurality of variable Type-Length-Attributes (TLAs);

a compilation module configured to compile an XML Transformations (XSLT) stylesheet into a plurality of constant TLAs and PPE machine code and configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of constant TLAs as constant node-sets in a buffer in communication with a PPE, each constant node-set comprising one or more constant TLAs, each constant TLA comprising a static XML text element;

a constant insertion module configured to insert one or more constant TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into an output stream from a constant node-set stored in the buffer;

a variable creation module configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of variable TLAs as variable node-sets in the buffer, each variable node-set comprising one or more of the variable TLAs from the base XML document, each variable TLA comprising an XML variable value; and

a variable insertion module configured to insert one or more variable TLAs specified by the PPE machine code into the output stream from the one or more variable node-sets stored in the buffer.