Method and system for composing stream processing applications according to a semantic description of a processing goal

• US 8,166,465 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Feblowitz, Mark D., Liu, Zhen, Ranganathan, Anand, Riabov, Anton V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/695,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

A method for assembling a stream processing application in which data source descriptions, component descriptions and a stream processing request are input and used to assemble a stream processing graph. Each of the data source descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of a data source, each of the component descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an input of a component and a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of the component, the stream processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired stream processing outcome and the stream processing graph includes at least one data source or at least one component that satisfies the desired processing outcome.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a stream processing application, comprising:

inputting a plurality of data source descriptions, wherein each of the data source descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of a data source;

inputting a plurality of component descriptions, wherein each of the component descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an input of a component and a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of the component;

inputting a stream processing request, wherein the stream processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired stream processing outcome;

assembling, using a processor of a computer, a stream processing graph in response to the stream processing request, wherein the stream processing graph is assembled by using machine code executable by the computer to process the plurality of data source descriptions and the plurality of component descriptions to obtain at least one of the data sources or at least one of the components that satisfies the desired processing outcome; and

outputting the stream processing graph.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the data source includes a description of an output capability of the data source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the input of the component includes a description of an input requirement of the component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the component includes a description of an output capability of the component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the data source is represented in an ontology description language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ontology description language is Resource Description Framework (RDF) or Web Ontology Language (OWL).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the input of the component and the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the component are represented in an ontology description language.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ontology description language is RDF or OWL.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the stream processing request further includes a constraint that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes constraints on the assembly of the stream processing graph.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying a stream processing application embodying the at least one data source or the at least one component of the stream processing graph; and

operating the stream processing application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein result data is produced when operating the stream processing application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the goal is a goal that requests the production of data, the stream processing request further includes a disposition that describes a means of handling the result data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the stream processing request is encoded in a request specification language.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the stream processing graph comprises:

determining if an output of the data source matches an input of the component;

connecting the data source to the component if the output of the data source matches the input of the component; and

determining a new output for the component when the data source and the component are connected to each other.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the stream processing graph comprises:

determining if an output of a first component matches an input of a second component;

connecting the first component to the second component if the output of the first component matches the input of the second component; and

determining a new output of the second component when the first and second components are connected to each other.

16. A system for assembling a stream processing application, comprising:

a memory device for storing a program;

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor operative with the program to;

receive and compile a plurality of data source descriptions, wherein each of the data source descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of a data source;

receive and compile a plurality of component descriptions, wherein each of the component descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an input of a component and a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of the component;

receive and compile a stream processing request, wherein the stream processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired stream processing outcome;

assemble a stream processing graph in response to the stream processing request, wherein the stream processing graph is assembled by using the plurality of data source descriptions and the plurality of component descriptions and includes at least one of the data sources or at least one of the components that satisfies the desired processing outcome; and

output the stream processing graph.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the data source includes a description of an output capability of the data source.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the input of the component includes a description of an input requirement of the component.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the component includes a description of an output capability of the component.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the data source is represented in an ontology description language.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the ontology description language is Resource Description Framework (RDF) or Web Ontology Language (OWL).

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the graph pattern that semantically describes the input of the component and the graph pattern that semantically describes the output of the component are represented in an ontology description language.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the ontology description language is RDF or OWL.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the stream processing request further includes a constraint that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes constraints on the assembly of the stream processing graph.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative with the program to:

deploy a stream processing application embodying the at least one data source or the at least one component of the stream processing graph; and

operate the stream processing application.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein result data is produced when operating the stream processing application.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein when the goal is a goal that requests the production of data, the stream processing request further includes a disposition that describes a means of handling the result data.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the stream processing request is encoded in a request specification language.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative with the program when assembling the stream processing graph to:

determine if an output of the data source matches an input of the component;

connect the data source to the component if the output of the data source matches the input of the component; and

determine a new output for the component when the data source and the component are connected to each other.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative with the program when assembling the stream processing graph to:

determine if an output of a first component matches an input of a second component;

connect the first component to the second component if the output of the first component matches the input of the second component; and

determine a new output of the second component when the first and second components are connected to each other.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for assembling a stream processing application, the computer program logic comprising:

program code for receiving and compiling a plurality of data source descriptions, wherein each of the data source descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of a data source;

program code for receiving and compiling a plurality of component descriptions, wherein each of the component descriptions includes a graph pattern that semantically describes an input of a component and a graph pattern that semantically describes an output of the component;

program code for receiving and compiling a stream processing request, wherein the stream processing request includes a goal that is represented by a graph pattern that semantically describes a desired stream processing outcome; and

program code for assembling a stream processing graph in response to the stream processing request, wherein the stream processing graph is assembled by using the plurality of data source descriptions and the plurality of component descriptions and includes at least one of the data sources or at least one of the components that satisfies the desired processing outcome.