Embedded distributed computing solutions

• US 8,127,038 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lary, David M., Park, Sunjae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Application Number:
  US12/046,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709217-219, 709/223, 709/230, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Methods and Systems are provided for participating in distributed computing. The distributed computing program instructions are embedded in content delivered to a client computer. The client computer renders the content delivered from the server and executes the program instructions generating solutions for datasets delivered from the server, thus participating in distributed computing.

Claims

1. A method of distributed computing, comprising:

embedding first program instructions in a first streaming content, the first program instructions being configured to compute a first calculation result for the distributed computing intended to solve a problem;

detecting at a server a first request sent from a first client for the first streaming content via a network;

sending the first streaming content and the first program instructions embedded in the first streaming content from the server to the first client in response to the first request, said first program instructions being configured to be executed at the first client;

receiving at the server the first calculation result of the first program instructions, said first calculation result being sent to the server from the first client;

embedding second program instructions in a second streaming content, the second program instructions being configured to compute a second calculation result for the distributed computing intended to solve said problem;

detecting at the server a second request sent from a second client for the second streaming content via a network;

sending the second streaming content and the second program instructions embedded in the second streaming content from the server to the second client in response to the second request, said second program instructions being configured to be executed at the second client;

receiving at the server the second calculation result of the second program instructions, said second calculation result being sent to the server from the second client;

embedding third program instructions in a third streaming content, said third program instructions being the same as said second program instructions;

detecting at the server a third request sent from a third client for the third streaming content via a network;

sending the third streaming content with the third program instructions embedded in the third client in response to the third request, said third program instructions being configured to be executed at the third client;

receiving at the server a third calculation result from the third client; and

using the third calculation result from the third client to validate the second calculation result from the second client;

wherein the first calculation result and the second calculation result received at the server both contribute towards solving said problem.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the first program instructions occurs while the first streaming content is being downloaded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first streaming content conforms to a standard selected from a group consisting of HTML, SVG, MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV and MPEG;

and

wherein the first streaming content is configured to be rendered resulting in playing audio, video or both audio and video.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting termination of rendering the first streaming content; and

stopping execution of the first program instructions in response to the termination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program instructions conform to a standard selected from a group consisting of Java script, VB script, Perl script, Python script, CGI script, .NET script, and executable code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second program instructions are part of a plurality of programs of instructions;

and

wherein a plurality of client computers each executes one of the plurality of programs of instructions, each of the plurality of client computers solving a unique dataset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the first program instructions is delayed until a portion of the first streaming content has been rendered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first program instructions are executed before said first streaming content is rendered.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first calculation result, the second calculation result, and a plurality of other calculation results received at the server both are used to solve said problem.

10. A method of participating in distributed computing, comprising:

connecting a server to a network;

receiving a first content request sent from a first client to the server;

delivering from the server to the first client a first streaming content responsive to the first content request, the first streaming content containing first program instructions configured to compute a first calculation result for the distributed computing intended to solve a problem;

receiving at the server the first calculation result of the first program instructions, said first calculation result being sent to the server from the first client;

receiving a second content request sent from a second client to the server;

delivering from the server to the second client a second streaming content responsive to the second content request, the second streaming content containing second program instructions configured to compute a second calculation result for the distributed computing intended to solve said problem;

receiving at the server the second calculation result of the second program instructions, said second calculation result being sent to the server from the second client;

embedding third program instructions in a third streaming content, said third program instructions being the same as said second program instructions;

receiving a third content request sent from a third client to the server;

delivering from the server to the third client the third streaming content responsive to the third content request, the third streaming content containing third program instructions configured to compute a third calculation result for the distributed computing intended to solve said problem;

receiving at the server the third calculation result from the third client; and

using the third calculation result from the third client to validate the second calculation result from the second client;

wherein the first calculation result and the second calculation result received at the server both contribute towards solving said problem.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the first streaming content conforms to a standard selected from a group consisting of HTML, SVG, MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV and MPEG;

and

wherein the first streaming content is configured to be rendered resulting in playing audio, video or both audio and video.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first program instructions are selected from a group consisting of Java script, VB script, Perl script, Python script, CGI script, .NET script, and executable code.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the first program instructions are executed before said first streaming content is rendered.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first calculation result, the second calculation result, and a plurality of other calculation results received at the server both are used to solve said problem.

15. A server participating in distributed computing, comprising:

a communication interface configured to couple to a network for sending a first streaming content from the server to a first client, and for sending a second streaming content from the server to a second client;

a memory suitable for storing a first set of program instructions configured for calculating a first calculation result and for storing a second set of program instructions configured for calculating a second calculation result, said first and second calculation results both being configured to contribute to solving a distributed computing problem; and

a processor configured to detect a first request from the first client for said first streaming content and to detect a second request from the second client for said second streaming content, the processor further being configured to send the first set of program instructions and the first streaming content to said first client in response to the first request and to send the second set of program instructions and the second streaming content to said second client in response to the second request;

wherein the set of first program instructions is embedded in the first content and the set of second program instructions is embedded in the second content;

wherein the memory is further configured to store the first calculation result received from the first client in response to execution of the first set of program instructions by the first client, the memory further being configured to store the second calculation result received from the second client in response to execution of the second set of program instructions by the second client;

wherein the first calculation result and the second calculation result received at the server both contribute towards solving said problem;

wherein the communication interface is further configured to couple to the network for sending third program instructions embedded in a third streaming content, said third program instructions being the same as said second program instructions;

wherein the memory is further configured to store a third calculation result from a third client executing the third program instructions; and

wherein the third calculation result from the third client validates the second calculation result from the second client.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the streaming content conforms to a standard selected from a group consisting of HTML, SVG, MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV and MPEG;

and

wherein the first streaming content is configured to be rendered resulting in playing audio, video or both audio and video.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein the first program instructions are selected from a group consisting of Java script, VB script, Perl script, Python script, CGI script, .NET script, and executable code.

18. The server of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of client computers coupled to the network, wherein the first client and the second client are both included as part of the plurality of client computers;

the first and second client computers respectively receiving the first and second streaming content and first and second program instructions; and

the first and second client computers respectively rendering the first and second content and respectively executing the first and second program instructions, the first and second program instructions configured to contribute towards solving the problem.

19. The server of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the first program instructions are executed before said first streaming content is rendered.

20. The server of claim 15, wherein the first calculation result, the second calculation result, and a plurality of other calculation results received at the server both are used to solve said problem.