Systems and methods for dynamically scanning a plurality of active ports for priority schedule of work

• US 8,407,710 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blinick, Stephen L., Klein, Steven E., Sherman, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEETS, BRADLEY A
• Application Number:
  US12/904,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 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

Systems and methods for scanning ports for work are provided. One system includes one or more processors, multiple ports, a first tracking mechanism, and a second tracking mechanism for tracking high priority work and low priority work, respectively. The processor(s) is/are configured to perform the below method. One method includes scanning the ports, finding high priority work on a port, and accepting or declining the high priority work. The method further includes changing a designation of the processor to TRUE in the first tracking mechanism if the processor accepts the high priority work such that the processor is allowed to perform the high priority work on the port. Also provided are computer storage mediums including computer code for performing the above method.

Claims

1. A system for scanning a plurality of active ports for works, comprising:

the plurality of ports configured for receiving a high priority work and a low priority work;

a first processor and a second processor each in communication with each of the plurality of ports and configured to scan the plurality of ports for the high priority work and the low priority work; and

tracking mechanisms in communication with each port of the plurality of ports, the first processor, and the second processor, the tracking mechanisms configured to track an availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on each port of the plurality of ports,

wherein;

the availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on a corresponding port of the plurality of ports is indicated by a TRUE designation representing availability or a FALSE designation representing unavailability by the tracking mechanisms,

at an initial time instance, the tracking mechanisms set the availability of both the first processor and the second processor to the TRUE designation for accepting low priority work from each port of the plurality of ports and to the FALSE designation for accepting high priority work from each port of the plurality of ports,

the first processor and the second processor are each configured to issue a port lock for each port of the plurality of ports that the first processor or the second processor scans,

when the first processor identifies and accepts high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, the tracking mechanisms change the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation, if accepted, or maintain the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the FALSE designation, if declined, and

if the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, the second processor accepts the high priority work from the one port, and the tracking mechanisms change the availability of the second processor from the one port of the plurality of ports accepting the high priority work to the TRUE designation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor and the second processor are each configured to perform the low priority work at a corresponding port if a scan identifies low priority work and to release the port lock of the corresponding port after the low priority work is completed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first processor is configured to accept the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, if the tracking mechanisms indicate a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is less than or equal to a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor, and

the first processor is configured to decline the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, if the tracking mechanisms indicate the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is greater than the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the tracking mechanisms are further configured to designate the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports as the FALSE designation such that the first processor is not allowed to accept the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, when the first processor is allowed to accept the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the tracking mechanisms are further configured to designate the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the TRUE designation such that the first processor is allowed to accept both the high priority work and the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tracking mechanisms are further configured to designate the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports as the FALSE designation so that the second processor is not allowed to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein after the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from an other port of the plurality of ports and the second processor accepts the high priority work from the other port, the tracking mechanisms change the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work from the other port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor and the second processor are each configured to:

scan the one port of the plurality of ports or other ports of the plurality of ports for additional high priority work;

track a number of scans performed on the one port or the other ports of the plurality of ports;

release the one port or the other port of the plurality of ports, if the number of scans performed exceeds a predetermined number of scans, where to release the one or the other ports, the tracking mechanisms change the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work to the FALSE designation and the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work to the TRUE designation or change the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work to the FALSE designation and the availability of the second processor to accept low priority work to the TRUE designation; and

reset the number of scans for the one port or the other ports of the plurality of ports when the additional high priority work is found and the number of scans is less than the predetermined number of scans.

9. A method for scanning a plurality of active ports for work, comprising:

scanning the plurality of ports for a high priority work and a low priority work with a first processor and a second processor each in communication with each of the plurality of ports and configured to be capable of performing the high priority work and the low priority work and to issue a port lock on each scanned port;

tracking via tracking mechanisms in communication with each of the plurality of ports, the first processor, and the second processor an availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on each port of the plurality of ports, wherein the availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on a corresponding port of the plurality of ports is indicated by a TRUE designation representing availability or a FALSE designation representing unavailability by the tracking mechanisms;

at an initial time instance, setting the availability of both the first processor and the second processor to the TRUE designation for accepting low priority work from each of the plurality of ports and the FALSE designation for accepting high priority work from each of the plurality of ports;

accepting high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor and changing the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation, if accepted, or maintaining the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the FALSE designation, if declined; and

accepting the high priority work from the one port to be performed by the second processor and changing the availability of the second processor from the one port of the plurality of ports accepting high priority work to the TRUE designation, if the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

accepting the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor, if a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is less than or equal to a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor, and

declining the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor, if the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is greater than the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising designating the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports as the FALSE designation such that the first processor is not allowed to accept the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, when the first process is allowed to accept the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising designating the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the TRUE designation such that the first processor is allowed to accept both the high priority work and the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising designating the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to the FALSE designation so that the second processor is not allowed to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising wherein after the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from an other port of the plurality of ports and the second processor accepts the high priority work from the other port, changing the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work from the other port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing a computer program when executed by a processor to perform a method for scanning a plurality of active ports for work in a system including a first processor and a second processor each in operable communication with each port of the plurality of ports and each configured to be capable of performing high priority work and low priority work on each of the plurality of ports, and tracking mechanisms in communication with each port of the plurality of ports, the first processor, and the second processor, the computer program comprising:

computer code for scanning the plurality of ports for the high priority work and the low priority work and issuing a port lock on each scanned port;

computer code for tracking an availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on each port of the plurality of ports, wherein the availability of the first processor and the second processor to perform the high priority work or the low priority work on a corresponding port of the plurality of ports is indicated by a TRUE designation representing availability or a FALSE designation representing unavailability by the tracking mechanisms;

computer code for, at an initial time instance, setting the availability of both the first processor and the second processor to the TRUE designation for accepting low priority work from each of the plurality of ports and the FALSE designation for accepting high priority work from each of the plurality of ports;

computer code for accepting high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor and changing the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation, if accepted, or maintaining the availability of the first processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the FALSE designation, if declined;

and computer code for accepting the high priority work from the one port to be performed by the second processor and changing the availability of the second processor from the one port of the plurality of ports accepting high priority work to the TRUE designation, if the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

computer code for accepting the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor, if a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is less than or equal to a total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor, and

computer code for declining the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to be performed by the first processor, if the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the first processor is greater than the total number of TRUE designations of the plurality of ports to accept high priority work associated with the second processor.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer code for designating the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports as the FALSE designation such that the first processor is not allowed to accept the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports, when the first processor is allowed to accept the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer code for designating the availability of the first processor to accept low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports at the TRUE designation such that the first processor is allowed to accept both the high priority work and the low priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer code for designating the availability of the second processor to accept high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports to the FALSE designation so that the second processor is not allowed to accept the high priority work from the one port of the plurality of ports.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, further comprising computer code for wherein after the first processor declines acceptance of high priority work from an other port of the plurality of ports and the second processor accepts the high priority work from the other port, changing the availability of the second processor to accept the high priority work from the other port of the plurality of ports to the TRUE designation.