Analysis system using brokers that access information sources

• US 9,870,531 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Original Assignee: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Inventors: Barrett, Christopher L., Marathe, Madhav V., Bisset, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US15/156,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20160260016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 706 12, 706 45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for generating a data set are provided. One method includes generating a data set based on input data using a plurality of brokers. The method further includes receiving a request from a user and determining whether the request can be fulfilled using data currently in the data set. When the request can be fulfilled using data currently in the data set, the data is accessed using broker(s) configured to provide access to data within the data set. When the request cannot be fulfilled using data currently in the data set, at least one new broker is spawned using existing broker(s) and additional data needed to fulfill the request is added to the data set using the new broker. The method further includes generating a response to the request using one or more of the plurality of brokers.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by one or more processors:

spawning a first broker software module for execution by the one or more processors, the first broker software module comprising first instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to retrieve information from a first information source;

spawning a second broker software module for execution by the one or more processors, the second broker software module comprising second instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to retrieve information from a second information source different from the first information source;

receiving a request for result data;

determining, based on the request for result data, a first request for first data in the first information source and a second request for second data in the second information source;

under control of the first instructions of the first broker software module, retrieving the first data from the first information source in response to the first request;

under control of the second instructions of the second broker software module, retrieving the second data from the second information source in response to the second request; and

generating the result data using the first data and the second data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first information source comprises a first computer-executable application;

the second information source comprises a second, different computer-executable application;

the method further comprises, by the one or more processors;

running the first computer-executable application to provide the first data; and

running the second computer-executable application to provide the second data; and

the first computer-executable application, while running, does not communicate directly with the second computer-executable application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the one or more processors, generating a combined data set based on the first data from the first information source and the second data from the second information source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the one or more processors:

determining that the request cannot be fulfilled using data from the first information source or the second information source;

in response, spawning a third broker software module for execution by the one or more processors, the third broker software module comprising third instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to retrieve information from a third information source;

under control of the third instructions of the third broker software module, retrieving third data from the third information source; and

generating the result data further based at least in part on the third data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first broker software module is an edge broker; and

the method comprises, by the one or more processors;

under control of the first instructions of the first broker software module;

determining that the first broker software module is unable to fulfill the first request using resources to which it has access; and

in response, spawning a third broker software module for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the third broker software module is a service broker and comprises third instructions executable by the one or more processors;

under control of the third instructions of the third broker software module, spawning a fourth broker software module for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the fourth broker software module is an edge broker and comprises fourth instructions executable by the one or more processors; and

under control of the fourth instructions of the fourth broker software module, accessing resources needed to fulfill the first request.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, by the one or more processors, under control of the third instructions:

communicating with one or more edge broker software modules; and

accessing information from a first edge broker of the one or more edge broker software modules; and

sharing the information with a second, different edge broker of the one or more edge broker software modules.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, by the one or more processors:

under control of the fourth instructions, conducting a simulation to provide simulation results; and

generating the result data based at least in part on the simulation results.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the one or more processors:

under control of the first instructions of the first broker software module;

determining that the first request cannot be fulfilled using data accessible to the first broker software module; and

transmitting a specification describing characteristics of the first request to an information exchange of the second broker software module; and

under control of the second instructions of the second broker software module;

receiving the transmitted specification; and

transmitting corresponding results to an information exchange of the first broker software module.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the one or more processors, accessing a data set, wherein:

the data set is separated into a plurality of partitions;

the first broker software module has access to data in a first partition of the plurality of partitions and does not have access to data in a second partition of the plurality of partitions; and

the second broker software module has access to data in the second partition and does not have access to data in the first partition.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the one or more processors, spawning a coordination broker configured to coordinate the first broker software module and the second broker software module to fulfill the request for result data.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor operably coupled to at least one memory and configured to;

spawn a first broker software module for execution by the at least one processor, the first broker software module comprising first instructions executable by the at least one processor;

spawn a second broker software module for execution by the at least one processor, the second broker software module comprising second instructions executable by the at least one processor;

receive a request for result data;

under control of the first instructions of the first broker software module, retrieve first data from a first information source in response to the request;

under control of the second instructions of the second broker software module, retrieve second data from a second, different information source in response to the request; and

generate the result data using the first data and the second data.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

the first information source; and

the second information source;

wherein the first information source is configured to provide the first data without communicating directly with the second information source.

13. The system of claim 11, the at least one processor further configured to:

determine that the request cannot be fulfilled using data from the first information source or the second information source;

spawn a third broker software module for execution by the at least one processor, the third broker software module comprising third instructions executable by the at least one processor; and

under control of the third instructions, retrieving third data from a third information source; and

generating the result data further based at least in part on the third data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine that the first broker software module is unable to fulfill a request using resources to which it has access;

in response, spawn a third broker software module for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the third broker software module is a service broker and comprises third instructions;

under control of the third instructions, spawn a fourth broker software module for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the fourth broker software module is an edge broker and comprises fourth instructions; and

under control of the fourth instructions, access resources needed to fulfill the request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, under control of the third instructions:

communicate with one or more edge broker software modules;

access information from a first edge broker of the one or more edge broker software modules; and

share the information with a second, different edge broker of the one or more edge broker software modules.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

under control of the fourth instructions, conduct a simulation to provide simulation results; and

generate the result data based at least in part on the simulation results.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

under control of the first instructions;

determine that the request cannot be fulfilled using data accessible to the first broker software module; and

transmit a specification describing characteristics of the request to an information exchange of the second broker software module; and

under control of the second instructions, respond to the transmitted specification by transmitting results to an information exchange of the first broker software module.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one machine-readable medium storing a data set, wherein:

the at least one processor is further configured to access the data set;

the data set is separated into a plurality of partitions;

the first broker software module has access to data in a first partition of the plurality of partitions and does not have access to data in a second partition of the plurality of partitions; and

the second broker software module has access to data in the second partition and does not have access to data in the first partition.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to spawn a coordination broker configured to coordinate the first broker software module and the second broker software module to fulfill the request.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

spawning a first broker software module;

spawning a second broker software module;

receiving a request for a response;

determining whether the request can be fulfilled using data from a first information source or using data from a second information source;

in response to the determination that the request can be fulfilled using data from the first information source or using data from the second information source, retrieving data by at least one of;

executing instructions of the first broker software module to retrieve at least a portion of the data from the first information source;

or

executing instructions of the second broker software module to retrieve at least a portion of the data from the second information source;

in response to the determination that the request cannot be fulfilled using data from the first information source or using data from the second information source, retrieving at least a portion of the data by;

spawning a third broker software module; and

executing instructions of the third broker software module to retrieve at least a portion of the data from a third information source; and

generating the response based at least in part on the data.