Launching low-priority tasks

• US 8,327,369 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bower, Fred A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing
• Application Number:
  US11/941,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task. Accordingly, a higher level task maintains its level of operation and spawns lower level tasks through the dispatcher in conjunction with the agent.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

computer memory;

a processor;

a remote administrator located in firmware in communication with the computer memory, said memory in communication with the processor;

a set of resources loaded, by the processor, in said firmware and in communication with said remote administrator, said resources comprising;

a message manager, loaded into said memory, operating at a high priority level to receive a message from said administrator to launch a low priority level task;

a task manager, loaded into said memory, operating at a low priority level to launch said low priority level task;

a data structure to store said message shared between said message manager and said task manager to facilitate communication between said message manager and said task manager, said data structure placed in the computer memory;

said message manager, loaded into said memory, to communicate said low priority level task to said task manager through said data structure;

said task manager to launch said low priority level task received from said message manager in response to receipt of said message in said data structure and absent a suspension selected from the group consisting of a system interrupt and a pause in a higher level task operation; and

a flag stored in said memory to indicate to said task manager receipt of said message in said data structure, wherein said task manager reads said message in said data structure and launches said low priority level task in response to said flag, and wherein said task manager resets said flag following launch of said low priority level task.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said message manager is a dispatcher.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said task manager is an agent.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said higher priority task maintains a level of operation.

5. An article comprising:

a computer-readable recordable data storage medium;

means in the medium for receiving a message from a remote administrator within system firmware to launch a low priority level task, wherein receipt of said message is by a message manager operating at a high priority level;

means in the medium for storing said message in a data structure shared between said message manager and a task manager operating at a low priority level; and

means in the medium for communicating said low priority level task to said task manager through said data structure, including setting a flag to signal receipt of said message and said task manager reading said message in said data structure and launching said low priority level task in response to said flag, including the task manager in the medium for launching a said low priority level task received from said message manager in response to receipt of said message and absent a suspension selected from the group consisting of;

a system interrupt and a pause in a higher level task operation, wherein said task manager resets said flag following launch of said low priority level task.

6. The article of claim 5, further comprising means in the medium for maintaining a level of operation by a higher priority level task.