Scalable distributed compute based on business rules

• US 8,819,683 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, Garrick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWIFT, CHARLES M
• Application Number:
  US12/872,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 718/100, 718/102, 718/103, 718/104, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer-readable storage medium provide the ability to dynamically modify a distributed computing system workflow. A grid application dynamically receives configuration information including business rules that describe execution profiles. Channels based on the one or more execution profiles are defined. Each channel is configured to execute a work request in a distributed grid compute system (based on an execution profile). A first work request is received from a requestor and includes an identity of the requestor. The first work request is evaluated and the identity of the requestor is applied to direct the first work request to the appropriate channel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically modifying a distributed computing system workflow, comprising:

(a) dynamically receiving, in a multi-tenant grid application, configuration information comprising one or more business rules that define one or more execution profiles of the grid application, wherein;

(i) the one or more execution profiles describe a runtime behavior of the grid application executing in a distributed grid compute system; and

(ii) the distributed grid compute system comprises multiple computer resources from multiple administrative domains that are used together to perform a given task;

(b) defining one or more channels based on the one or more execution profiles, wherein;

(i) each channel is configured to execute one or more work requests in the distributed grid compute system in accordance with one of the execution profiles;

(ii) each channel comprises an implementation of one or more of the one or more work requests and an application/service job communication pathway to define a manifestation of one or more traits; and

(iii) the one or more traits reflect the one or more business rules and/or service models;

(c) receiving, in the grid application, a first work request of the one or more work requests from a requestor, wherein the first work request comprises a request to perform a process in the distributed grid compute system and an identity of the requestor;

(d) evaluating the first work request; and

(e) based on the identity of the requestor, directing the first work request to one of the one or more channels.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received dynamically during run-time execution of the grid application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received dynamically at start-up of the grid application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information defines one or more channels that describe a communication infrastructure of the grid application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the work request comprises a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) method invoked on a web service.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring hardware resources to produce a result; and

adjusting a topology of the distributed grid compute system based on the result of the monitoring and in accordance with the execution profile and the identity of the requestor.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a pricing structure for a level of service of the requestor.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies an end-user; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on individual entitlements of the end-user as a function of the end-user'"'"'s person, business affiliation, and payment or subscription.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies a non-individual user; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on entitlements of the non-individual user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies an application; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on entitlements of the application.

11. An apparatus for dynamically modifying a distributed computing system workflow in a computer system comprising:

(a) a server computer having a memory;

(b) a multi-tenant grid application executing on the computer, wherein the grid application is configured to;

(i) dynamically receive configuration information comprising one or more business rules that define one or more execution profiles of the grid application, wherein;

(1) the one or more execution profiles describe a runtime behavior of the grid application executing in a distributed grid compute system; and

(2) the distributed grid compute system comprises multiple computer resources from multiple administrative domains that are used together to perform a given task;

(ii) define one or more channels based on the one or more execution profiles, wherein;

(1) each channel is configured to execute one or more work requests in the distributed grid compute system in accordance with one of the execution profiles;

(2) each channel comprises an implementation of one or more of the one or more work requests and an application/service job communication pathway to define a manifestation of one or more traits; and

(3) the one or more traits reflect the one or more business rules and/or service models;

(iii) receive a first work request of the one or more work requests from a requestor, wherein the first work request comprises a request to perform a process in the distributed grid compute system and an identity of the requestor;

(iv) evaluate the first work request; and

(v) based on the identity of the requestor, directing the first work request to one of the one or more channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration information is received dynamically during run-time execution of the grid application.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration information is received dynamically at start-up of the grid application.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration information defines one or more channels that describe a communication infrastructure of the grid application.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the work request comprises a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) method invoked on a web service.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the grid application is further configured to:

monitor hardware resources to produce a result; and

adjust a topology of the distributed grid compute system based on the result of the monitoring and in accordance with the execution profile and the identity of the requestor.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration information comprises a pricing structure for a level of service of the requestor.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies an end-user; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on individual entitlements of the end-user as a function of the end-user'"'"'s person, business affiliation, and payment or subscription.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies a non-individual user; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on entitlements of the non-individual user.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies an application; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on entitlements of the application.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions which when accessed by a client computer cause the client computer to load the program instructions to a memory therein creating a special purpose data structure causing the client computer to operate as a specially programmed client computer, executing a method of dynamically modifying a distributed computing system workflow, comprising:

(a) dynamically receiving, in a multi-tenant grid application executing in the specially programmed client computer, configuration information comprising one or more business rules that define one or more execution profiles of the grid application, wherein;

(i) the one or more execution profiles describe a runtime behavior of the grid application executing in a distributed grid compute system; and

(ii) the distributed grid compute system comprises multiple computer resources from multiple administrative domains that are used together to perform a given task;

(b) defining, in the grid application executing in the specially programmed client computer, one or more channels based on the one or more execution profiles, wherein;

(i) each channel is configured to execute one or more work requests in the distributed grid compute system in accordance with one of the execution profiles;

(ii) each channel comprises an implementation of one or more of the one or more work requests and an application/service job communication pathway to define a manifestation of one or more traits; and

(iii) the one or more traits reflect the one or more business rules and/or service models;

(c) receiving, in the grid application executing in the specially programmed client computer, a first work request of the one or more work requests from a requestor, wherein the first work request comprises a request to perform a process in the distributed grid compute system and an identity of the requestor;

(d) evaluating, in the grid application executing in the specially programmed client computer, the first work request; and

(e) based on the identity of the requestor, directing, in the grid application executing in the specially programmed client computer, the first work request to one of the one or more channels.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the configuration information is received dynamically during run-time execution of the grid application.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the configuration information defines one or more channels that describe a communication infrastructure of the grid application.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

monitoring hardware resources to produce a result; and

adjusting a topology of the distributed grid compute system based on the result of the monitoring and in accordance with the execution profile and the identity of the requestor.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the configuration information comprises a pricing structure for a level of service of the requestor.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein:

the identity of the requestor identifies an end-user; and

the channel, that the first work request is directed to, is based on individual entitlements of the end-user as a function of the end-user'"'"'s person, business affiliation, and payment or subscription.