Program agent initiated processing of enqueued event actions

• US 20060090165A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Sean J., Smith, Dan, Szekely, Benjamin H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism

Abstract

An Event Manager receives events requiring action. The events are parsed into event action types which are placed in an Event Queue. Program agents in a pool of agents are dynamicly instantiated and retired from the pool based on the number of queued events by type. Program agents, when available, initiate a search for a work entry on the Event Queue that is of a type that the agent can handle. When an agent finds work, the corresponding Event Queue entry is marked as assigned to the agent and the agent performs the action associated with the work entry.

Claims

1. A method in a computer program environment for handling program events, the method comprising the steps of:

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action to be performed; and

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the second action to be performed

when the first agent is available to perform a first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type;

when the first interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

when the second agent is available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type;

when the second interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue during a predefined period of time.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue with a number of total actions in the queue.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when a frequency of occurrence is less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

the first agent determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when a frequency of occurrence is less than a predetermined low frequency, the first agent retiring itself based on the frequency determined.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing step comprising the further step of:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of:

any one of the first or second agents producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

12. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, comprising conditions for instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined; and

when the number of program agents that can be instantiated is less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of events, events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

13. A system in a computer program environment for handling program events, the system comprising:

a network;

a first computer system in communication with the network wherein the computer system includes instructions to execute a method comprising the steps of;

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action to be performed; and

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the second action to be performed

when the first agent is available to perform a first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type;

when the first interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

14. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

when the second agent is available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type;

when the second interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

15. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue.

17. The system according to claim 13 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue during a predefined period of time.

18. The system according to claim 13 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue with a number of total actions in the queue.

19. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when a frequency of occurrence is less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

20. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further step of parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing step comprising the further step of:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

22. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further step of:

any one of the first or second agents producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

23. The system according to claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, comprising conditions for instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined; and

when the number of program agents that can be instantiated is less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of events, events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

24. A computer program product in a computer program environment for handling program events, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by a processing circuit for performing a method comprising the steps of;

enqueuing a plurality of program event actions in an event queue, the program event actions requiring actions to be performed, the program event actions comprising a first action type requiring a first action to be performed and a second action type requiring a second action to be performed; and

instantiating a plurality of program agents for performing actions, the program agents comprising a first agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the first action to be performed and a second agent for performing one or more actions, the actions comprising the second action to be performed

when the first agent is available to perform a first action to be performed, the first agent initiating a first interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the first action type;

when the first interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the first action type is queued in the event queue, the first agent performing the first action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the first action type is assigned to the first agent.

25. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further steps of:

when the second agent is available to perform a second action to be performed, the second agent initiating a second interrogation of the event queue, the interrogation querying the queue for outstanding program event actions comprising the second action type;

when the second interrogation of the event queue determines that a program event action comprising the second action type is queued in the event queue, the second agent performing the second action to be performed and indicating in the event queue that the program event action having the second action type is assigned to the second agent.

26. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

27. The computer program product according to claim 24 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue.

28. The computer program product according to claim 24 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue during a predefined period of time.

29. The computer program product according to claim 24 wherein the determining step comprises the further steps of:

counting the number of actions of the first action type in the queue; and

determining a relative count comprising a relationship between the number of actions of the first action type in the queue with a number of total actions in the queue.

30. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when a frequency of occurrence is less than a predetermined low frequency, retiring a predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined.

31. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further step of parsing a program event to determine one or more program event actions to be enqueued in the event queue.

32. The computer program product according to claim 31 wherein events are embodied as Semantic Web pages as metadata wherein the parsing step comprising the further step of:

determining which program event actions are to be enqueued in the event queue based on metadata of a Semantic Web page of an event.

33. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further step of:

any one of the first or second agents producing data items, wherein a data item comprises Semantic Web pages having metadata, the metadata for any one of linking an event, linking the action to be performed, linking the agent or linking the data items.

34. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further steps of:

determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a high predetermined frequency, comprising conditions for instantiating a first predetermined number of program agents of the first type based on the frequency determined; and

when the number of program agents that can be instantiated is less than the first predetermined number of program agents, refusing any one of events, events that lead to actions of the first type or enqueing program event actions of events.

35. The computer program product according to claim 24 comprising the further steps of:

the first agent determining the frequency of occurrence of program event actions of the first action type in the event queue; and

when a frequency of occurrence is less than a predetermined low frequency, the first agent retiring itself based on the frequency determined.