Associating processes with processing elements and adjusting association

• US 8,205,210 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Cleary, Geoffrey Alan, Brown, Joseph I.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kawsar, Abdullah Al
• Application Number:
  US12/189,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/241 Operating system [OS] processes, e.g. server setup

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for adaptably distributing video server processes among processing elements within a video server such that video server operation may be adapted in a manner facilitating rigorous timing constraints.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating each of first one or more processing elements operating according to a first operating system with a first plurality of video computing device processes, the first plurality of video computing device processes including an administrative process and a video data retrieval process;

associating each of second one or more processing elements operating according to a second operating system with a second plurality of video computing device processes, the second plurality of video computing device processes including a video output process; and

outputting, by the video output process associated with the second one or more processing elements, video output data at a controlled rate, wherein the video output data is generated at least in part by the video data retrieval process;

adjusting associations of the first one or more processing elements and the second one or more processing elements in response to changes in at least one of loading of the first one or more processing elements, loading of the second one or more processing elements, monitored timing parameters, system loading conditions, system operating conditions, and operating system scheduler requirements;

assigning, to the second one or more processing elements, communication interrupts associated with the second one or more processing elements; and

assigning interrupts, other than the communication interrupts associated with the second one or more processing elements, to the first one or more processing elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second operating system is a LINUX operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more processing elements and the second one or more processing elements are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising synchronizing said plurality of computing devices using a network time protocol (NTP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the video output data includes a plurality of frames, and outputting video output data at a controlled rate comprises:

attaching, to each of the plurality of frames, data comprising an expected transmission time; and

transmitting each of the plurality of frames at the corresponding expected transmission time.

6. A controller, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

associate each of first one or more processing elements operating according to a first operating system with a first plurality of video computing device processes, the first plurality of video computing device processes including an administrative process and a video data retrieval process;

associate each of second one or more processing elements operating according to a second operating system with a second plurality of video computing device processes, the second plurality of video computing device processes including a video output process;

output, by the video output process associated with the second one or more processing elements, video output data at a controlled rate, wherein the video output data is generated at least in part by the video data retrieval process; and

adjust associations of the first one or more processing elements and the second one or more processing elements in response to changes in at least one of loading of the first one or more processing elements, loading of the second one or more processing elements, monitored timing parameters, system loading conditions, system operating conditions, and operating system scheduler requirements,

wherein the second one or more processing elements are configured to execute communication interrupts associated with the second one or more processing elements, and the first one or more processing elements are configured to execute interrupts other than the communication interrupts associated with the second one or more processing elements.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

first processing elements operating according to a first operating system configured to execute a first plurality of programs, the first plurality of programs including at least one administrative process and at least one video data retrieval process;

second processing elements operating according to a second operating system configured to;

execute a second plurality of programs, the second plurality of programs including a video output process; and

output, by the video output process, video output data at a controlled rate, wherein the video output data is generated at least in part by the at least one video data retrieval process,

wherein at least one processing element of the first processing elements and the second processing elements is configured to;

adjust associations of the first processing elements and the second processing elements in response to changes in at least one of loading of the first processing elements, loading of the second processing elements, monitored timing parameters, system loading conditions, system operating conditions, and operating system scheduler requirements,

wherein the second processing elements are configured to execute communication interrupts associated with the second processing elements, and the first processing elements are configured to execute interrupts other than the communication interrupts associated with the second processing elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second operating system is a LINUX operating system.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first processing elements and the second processing elements are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of computing devices is synchronized using a network time protocol (NTP).

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the video output data includes a plurality of frames, and the second processing elements are configured to output video output data at a controlled rate by:

attaching, to each of the plurality of frames, data comprising an expected transmission time; and

transmitting each of the plurality of frames at the corresponding expected transmission time.