Distributing processing apparatus, method, and system

• US 8,103,771 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shinichi, Hirose, Yukiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICKERSON, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US10/549,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,547 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/203, 709/226, 709/208, 718102-108, 710 15- 19, 455/453
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for performing, in response to a user'"'"'s operation, reliable and effective distributed processing among a plurality of information processing apparatuses interconnected through a network. A main processor writes information data about an operating status of its own apparatus as an apparatus data in a main memory connected to the information processing controller, and transmits the apparatus data to another apparatus in response to a request from the other apparatus. Accordingly, an information processing apparatus checks the operating status of its own and other information processing apparatuses, selects an information processing apparatus for executing a computer program in response to the user'"'"'s operation, and causes the selected apparatus to execute the computer program.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which is coupled to a plurality of other information processing apparatuses through a network, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

(a) collect information regarding resources and operating statuses of the other information processing apparatuses;

(b) create an apparatus information table by;

(i) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, transmitting one of a plurality of first software cells to said other information processing apparatus, said transmitted first software cell including a direct memory access command, each of said other information processing apparatuses being configured to execute said transmitted direct memory access command, the apparatus information table including;

(A) apparatus data associated with all the other information processing apparatuses when the information processing apparatus is in a master status; and

(B) identifications associated with all the other information processing apparatuses and the master/slave statuses associated with all the other information processing apparatuses on the network when the information processing apparatus is in a slave status, the first software cells requesting transmissions of information regarding the other information processing apparatuses; and

(ii) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, receiving one of a plurality of second software cells as a reply from said other information processing apparatus, said received second software cell including a status return command;

(c) exchange information regarding capability with the other information processing apparatuses by transmitting one of the first software cells which includes information regarding own apparatus as the reply to the other information processing apparatus if the information processing apparatus receives one of the second software cells which requests the transmission of information regarding the information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; and

(d) upon connection to the network of an additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collect classification identification information of said information processing apparatus, said classification identification information indicating at least one of a feature and a function of said information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus data includes information processing apparatus identification information which is generated when powering on said information processing apparatus;

(e) compare information regarding a resource required to execute a function program, with information regarding the resource and the operating status in the apparatus information table; and

(f) specify one of the information processing apparatuses capable of executing the function program if the function program retained in the information processing apparatus is executed; and

(g) transmit one of the first software cells which requests an execution of the function program to the specified information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

upon connection to the network of the additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collect information regarding a resource and an operating status of the additional information processing apparatus and update the apparatus information table.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the other information processing apparatus has a plurality of processors for processing the function program; and

the instructions further cause the processor to collect information regarding a resource and an operating status of each of the plurality of processors in the other information processing apparatus, and save the information in the apparatus information table.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information processing apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus is generated by the information processing apparatus based at least in part on one or more of:

(i) a date; and

(ii) a time, of powering on of the information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon disconnection from the network of an information processing apparatus in a master status, at least one of the other information processing apparatuses in a slave status changes to a master status based, at least in part, on a comparison of the information processing apparatus identification information of said information processing apparatus which changes status and the information processing apparatus identification information of all the other information processing apparatuses.

6. A method of operating an information processing apparatus which is coupled to a plurality of other information processing apparatuses through a network, the method comprising:

(a) collecting information regarding resources and operating statuses of the other information processing apparatuses;

(b) creating an apparatus information table by;

(i) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, transmitting one of a plurality of first software cells to said other information processing apparatus, said transmitted first software cell including a direct memory access command, each of said other information processing apparatuses being configured to execute said transmitted direct memory access command, the apparatus information table including;

(A) apparatus data associated with the other information processing apparatuses when the information processing apparatus is in a master status; and

(B) identifications associated with the other information processing apparatuses and the master/slave statuses associated with the other information processing apparatuses on the network when the information processing apparatus is in a slave status, the first software cells requesting transmissions of information regarding the other information processing apparatuses; and

(ii) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, receiving one of a plurality of second software cells as a reply from said other information processing apparatus, said received second software cell including a status return command;

(c) exchanging information regarding capability with the other information processing apparatuses by transmitting one of the first software cells which includes information regarding own apparatus as the reply to the other information processing apparatus if the information processing apparatus receives one of the second software cells which requests the transmission of information regarding the information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus;

(d) upon connection to the network of an additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collecting classification identification information of said information processing apparatus, said classification identification information indicating at least one of a feature and a function of said information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus data includes information processing apparatus identification information which is generated when powering on said information processing apparatus;

(e) comparing information regarding a resource required to execute a function program, with information regarding the resource and the operating status in the apparatus information table;

(f) specifying one of the information processing apparatuses capable of executing the function program if the function program retained in the information processing apparatus is executed; and

(g) transmitting one of the first software cells which requests an execution of the function program to the information processing apparatus specified.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6, further comprising, upon connection to the network of the additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collecting information regarding a resource and an operating status of the additional information processing apparatus and updating the apparatus information table.

8. The information processing method according to claim 6, further comprising collecting information regarding a resource and an operating status of each of the plurality of processors, and saving the information in the apparatus information table, wherein the other information processing apparatus has a plurality of processors for processing the function program.

9. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein information processing apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus is generated by the information processing apparatus based at least in part on one or more of:

(i) a date; and

(ii) a time, of powering on of the information processing apparatus.

10. The information processing method according to claim 6, further comprising determining, upon disconnection from the network of an information processing apparatus in a master status, at least one of the other information processing apparatuses in a slave status to change to a master status based, at least in part, on a comparison of the information processing apparatus identification information of said information processing apparatus which changes status and the information processing apparatus identification information of all the other information processing apparatuses;

and

changing the determined information processing apparatus status to master status.

11. An information processing system in which one information processing apparatus and another information processing apparatus are coupled through a network, the one information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

(a) collect information regarding resources and operating statuses of the other information processing apparatuses;

(b) create an apparatus information table by;

(i) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, transmitting one of a plurality of first software cells to said other information processing apparatus, said transmitted first software cell including a direct memory access command, each of said other information processing apparatuses being configured to execute said transmitted direct memory access command, the apparatus information table including;

(A) apparatus data associated with the other information processing apparatuses when the one information processing apparatus is in a master status; and

(B) identifications associated with the other information processing apparatuses and the master/slave statuses associated with the other information processing apparatuses on the network when the one information processing apparatus is in a slave status, the first software cells requesting transmissions of information regarding the other information processing apparatuses; and

(ii) for each of the other information processing apparatuses, receiving one of a plurality of second software cells as a reply from said other information processing apparatus, said received second software cell including a status return command;

(c) exchange information regarding capability with the other information processing apparatuses by transmitting one of the first software cells which includes information regarding own apparatus as the reply to the other information processing apparatus if the information processing apparatus receives one of the second software cells which request the transmission of information regarding the information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; and

(d) upon connection to the network of an additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collect classification identification information of said information processing apparatus, said classification identification information indicating at least one of a feature and a function of said information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus data includes information processing apparatus identification information which is generated when powering on said information processing apparatus;

(e) compare information regarding a resource required to execute a function program, with information regarding the resource and the operating status in the apparatus information table; and

(f) specify one of the information processing apparatuses capable of executing the function program if the function program retained in the information processing apparatus is executed; and

(g) transmit one of the first software cells which requests an execution of the function program to the specified information processing apparatus.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

upon connection to the network of the additional information processing apparatus which was not previously connected to the network, collect information regarding a resource and an operating status of the other information processing apparatus and update the apparatus information table.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein:

the other information processing apparatus has a plurality of processors for processing the function program; and

the instructions further cause the processor to collect information regarding a resource and an operating status of each of the plurality of processors in the other information processing apparatus, and save the information in the apparatus information table.

14. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein information processing apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus is generated by the information processing apparatus based at least in part on one or more of:

(i) a date; and

(ii) a time, of powering on of the information processing apparatus.

15. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein, upon disconnection from the network of an information processing apparatus in a master status, at least one of the other information processing apparatuses in a slave status changes to a master status based, at least in part, on a comparison of the information processing apparatus identification information of said information processing apparatus which changes status and the information processing apparatus identification information of all the other information processing apparatuses.