Thread boundaries comprising functionalities for an event by a single thread and tasks associated with the thread boundaries configured in a defined relationship

• US 8,356,305 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Shaw Parsing LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rumelhart, Karl E., Tuttle, Timothy, Lueck, Jeremy S., Benevidez, J. Joseph, Cano, Charles E., Huang, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TAMMY EUNHYE
• Application Number:
  US11/469,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/506 Constraint
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load

Abstract

Each of a plurality of thread boundaries comprises functionality to be performed for a given event by a single thread. A plurality of queues through which events may be routed may be coupled to the thread boundaries. A plurality of tasks may be configured in a defined relationship, each task being associated with a thread boundary and comprising a unit of code for performing a specific function. Resources may be allocated to thread boundaries based on queue depth.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing events, the computer system comprising:

a plurality of thread boundaries configured to perform a service, wherein a first thread boundary in the plurality of thread boundaries includes at least one task configured to perform at least a part of the service;

a plurality of thread boundary queues coupled to the respective thread boundaries, wherein a first thread boundary queue is configured to hold one or more events, requesting the service, for routing to the first thread boundary and a second thread boundary queue is configured to hold one or more events processed by the first thread boundary for routing to a second thread boundary;

a resource allocation module configured to allocate one or more threads to the first thread boundary based on a comparison of a number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue with a number of events being held in the second thread boundary queue; and

an administrative module configured to control an operation of the plurality of thread boundaries and tasks included within each of the plurality of thread boundaries,

wherein the administrative module is configured to dynamically modify a defined relationship between the tasks included within the plurality of thread boundaries.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further including one or more service utilities, each of which is communicatively coupled to the first thread boundary and is adapted for performing the at least a part of the service.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the service utilities is communicatively coupled to the at least one task and is configured to perform the at least a part of the service performed by the at least one task.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the service utilities is configured to initiate an event held at the first thread boundary for processing.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the service utilities is communicatively coupled to the plurality of thread boundaries.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one task of the first thread boundary modifies a first event held in the first thread boundary queue for processing and then forwards the modified first event to a different task for additional processing.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the resource allocation module is configured to allocate the one or more threads to the first thread boundary further based on a first thread boundary queue depth of the first thread boundary queue, wherein the first thread boundary queue depth is based on the number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue.

8. A method for processing events, the method comprising:

processing, using a processing device, a high level description of an event processing system that specifies communicative couplings relating to;

a plurality of thread boundaries that perform a service, a first thread boundary includes at least one task configured to perform at least a part of the service,

a plurality of thread boundary queues coupled to the respective thread boundaries, wherein a first thread boundary queue that holds one or more events, requesting the service, for routing to the first thread boundary and a second thread boundary queue that holds one or more events processed by the first thread boundary for routing to a second thread boundary,

a resource allocation module that allocates one or more threads to the first thread boundary based on a comparison of a number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue with a number of events being held in the second thread boundary queue;

configuring, using the processing device, the at least one task in accordance with the high level description;

receiving, using the processing device, a modification to the high level description; and

dynamically modifying, using the processing device, the at least one task configuration in accordance with the received modification and a defined relationship between the at least one task and other tasks included in the first thread boundary.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamically modifying comprises modifying a performance of the at least one task.

10. The method of claim 8 further including:

determining whether the modified defined relationship is logically consistent.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamically modifying comprises modifying communicative coupling between at least one task and other tasks included in the first thread boundary.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource allocation module is configured to allocate the one or more threads to the first thread boundary further based on a first thread boundary queue depth of the first thread boundary queue, wherein the first thread boundary queue depth is based on the number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

processing a high level description of an event processing system that specifies communicative couplings relating to;

a plurality of thread boundaries configured to perform a service, a first thread boundary includes at least one task configured to perform at least a part of the service,

a plurality of thread boundary queues coupled to the respective thread boundaries, wherein a first thread boundary queue is configured to hold one or more events, requesting the service, for routing to the first thread boundary and a second thread boundary queue is configured to hold one or more events processed by the first thread boundary for routing to a second thread boundary,

a resource allocation module configured to allocate one or more threads to the first thread boundary based on a comparison of a number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue with a number of events being held in the second thread boundary queue;

configuring the at least one task in accordance with the high level description;

receiving a modification to the high level description; and

dynamically modifying the at least one task configuration in accordance with the received modification and a defined relationship between the at least one task and other tasks included in the first thread boundary.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein dynamically modifying comprises modifying a performance of the at least one task.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 further including:

determining whether the modified defined relationship is logically consistent.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein dynamically modifying comprises modifying communicative coupling between at least one task and other tasks included in the first thread boundary.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the resource allocation module is configured to allocate the one or more threads to the first thread boundary further based on a first thread boundary queue depth of the first thread boundary queue, wherein the first thread boundary queue depth is based on the number of events being held in the first thread boundary queue.