SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING DISTRIBUTED ASYNCHRONOUS CALCULATIONS IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150229721A1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workiva Inc.
• Original Assignee: Workiva Inc.
• Inventors: Kluin, Robert A., Lyddon, Beau D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2329 using versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/235 Update request formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A method and associated system are provided for performing calculations in a distributed networked environment, comprising: updating a source element on a first computer; sending a calculate update signal to a target calculated element for updating on a target element computer that may be the first computer or a second computer connected to the first computer that uses the source element in a calculation; obtaining the updated source element by a process on the target element computer associated with the target calculated element in response to the sending; and performing a calculation to update the target calculated element using the obtained updated source element.

Claims

1. A method for performing calculations in a distributed networked environment, comprising:

updating a source element on a first computer;

sending a calculate update signal which is a message communicated through a message queuing system in response to the updating, specifically directed to a target calculated element for updating on a target element computer that may be the first computer or a second computer connected to the first computer that uses the source element in a calculation;

obtaining the updated source element by a process on the target element computer associated with the target calculated element in response to the sending;

performing a calculation to update the target calculated element using the obtained updated source element; and

eliminating redundant messages for the updating from the message queuing system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a message is redundant by reading an update message located in the queue and matching an element identifier for the update message with an element identifier for a different update message.

3. A method for performing calculations in a distributed networked environment, comprising:

updating a source element on a first computer;

sending a calculate update signal which is a message communicated through a message queuing system in response to the updating, specifically directed to a target calculated element for updating on a target element computer that may be the first computer or a second computer connected to the first computer that uses the source element in a calculation;

obtaining the updated source element by a process on the target element computer associated with the target calculated element in response to the sending; and

performing a calculation to update the target calculated element using the obtained updated source element; and

prior to the sending;

obtaining a local draft copy of the targeted calculated element; and

performing a calculation to update the local draft copy of the targeted calculated element.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

utilizing the updated local draft copy of the targeted calculated element in a subsequent calculation.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

updating the targeted calculated element with the local draft copy when a save command is received.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting viewable results of performing the calculation to update prior to the save command receipt.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the local draft copies are user-specific.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining local draft copies of a plurality of targeted calculated elements that may be impacted by a change in an element to be edited.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

distributing local draft elements across one or more machines.