Property based resource manager system

• US 6,353,846 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: North South Holdings Incorporated (Spherix Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fleeson, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Application Number:
  US09/184,806
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/101, 709/104, 709/107, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/227, 709/315, 709/317, 709/330, 707/10, 707/103, 717/1, 717/5
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals

Abstract

A property based decision support system for allocating existing resources to implement a functional unit. The system includes a plurality of resource modules, each providing a component function for implementing a portion of the functional unit and having a set of properties associated therewith. A resource module property object is provided for defining a set of properties for each of the plurality of resource modules and an evaluation expression for each of the properties. A link object defines a set of required modules having required properties associated therewith which are necessary to implement the functional unit. A resource management processor is responsive to a user request for accessing the resource module property object and the link object, and processing the evaluation expression to compare the required properties of each of the required modules to the properties of the plurality of resource modules to determine if the properties of the plurality of resource modules are sufficient to implement functional unit. The processor allocates the resource modules to the functional unit in accordance with the set of required modules defined by the link object if the evaluation expression for each of the required properties is satisfied.

Claims

1. A property based decision support system for allocating existing resources to implement a functional unit, comprising:

a plurality of resource modules, each resource module providing a component function for implementing a portion of said functional unit and having a set of properties associated therewith;

a resource module property object for defining a set of properties for each of said plurality of resource modules and an evaluation expression for each of said properties;

a link object defining a set of required modules having required properties associated therewith which are necessary to implement said functional unit;

resource management means responsive to a user request for accessing said resource module property object and said link object, and processing said evaluation expression to compare said required properties of each of said required modules to said properties of said plurality of resource modules to determine if said properties of said plurality of resource modules are sufficient to implement said functional unit; and

means for allocating at least one of said resource modules to said functional unit in accordance with said set of required modules defined by said link object if said evaluation expression for each of said required properties is satisfied.

2. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein said resource module property object further defines an allocation expression and a deallocation expression for at least one of said resource module properties.

3. The property based decision support system according to claim 2 further comprising means for updating said at least one resource module property in accordance with at least one of said allocation expression and said deallocation expression after said at least one resource module has been allocated or deallocated by said resource manager.

4. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein said functional unit is a virtual communications unit in a software definable radio.

5. The property based decision support system according to claim 4 wherein said resource modules are resources of said software definable radio, each resource module providing a radio component function.

6. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein each of said resource modules is selected from a group consisting of software and hardware components.

7. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 further comprising means for updating at least one of said properties of each of said resource modules after said resource module has been allocated to said unit.

8. The property based decision support system according to claim 7 wherein said at least one property which is updated identifies a portion of said resource module which has been allocated.

9. The property based decision support system according to claim 8 wherein said at least one property which is updated identifies a percentage extent to which said resource module has been allocated.

10. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein each of said resource modules has a percentage used property, said percentage used property defining the portion of said resource module which has been allocated.

11. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said resource modules is configured to be allocated concurrently to more than one functional unit.

12. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein each of said resource modules has an availability property for indicating that a module is installed and working.

13. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 wherein said link object further defines a set of module parameters for at least one of said required modules and further comprising means for controlling said resource modules in accordance with said set of module parameters to implement said functional unit.

14. The property based decision support system according to claim 1 further comprising functional unit building means for creating said link object.

15. The property based decision support system according to claim 14 further comprising means for creating said evaluation expression for each said resource module property for evaluating whether each said resource module property satisfies each said required module property identified by said link object.

16. The property based decision support system according to claim 15 further comprising means for creating an allocation expression and a deallocation expression for updating each of said resource module properties after a module has been allocated or deallocated by said resource manager.

17. The property based decision support system according to claim 14 further comprising means for defining a list of parameter setting for controlling each of said resource modules to provide said desired functional unit.

18. A method for managing resources in a computer controlled electronic system to implement a functional unit, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a computer user interface a request to implement said functional unit;

retrieving from a computer memory a link object for said functional unit, said link object defining a required set of modules and required module properties necessary to implement said functional unit;

retrieving from said computer memory a module resource object, said module resource object defining resource modules which can be allocated to said functional unit, the properties of said resource modules, and an evaluation expression for each of said properties;

processing said evaluation expression defined for each property to compare said required properties of each of said required modules to said properties of said plurality of resource modules to determine if said properties of said plurality of resource modules are sufficient to implement said functional unit; and

allocating at least one of said resource modules to said functional unit in accordance with said set of required modules and required properties defined by said link object if said evaluation expressions are satisfied.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of retrieving from said resource module property object an allocation expression and a deallocation expression for at least one of said resource module properties.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising the step of updating said at least one resource module property in accordance with at least one of said allocation expression and said deallocation expression after said at least one resource module has been allocated or deallocated by said resource manager.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said at least one property which is updated identifies a percentage portion of said resource module which has been allocated.

22. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of allocating at least one of said resource modules to more than one functional unit.

23. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of evaluating an availability property for a resource module to determine whether a resource module is installed and working.

24. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of defining in said link object a set of module parameters for at least one of said required modules and setting a control of said at least one resource module in accordance with said set of module parameters to implement said functional unit.

25. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving from a computer user interface a request to implement a functional unit;

retrieving from a computer memory a link object for said functional unit, said link object defining a required set of modules and required module properties necessary to implement said functional unit;

retrieving from said computer memory a module resource object, said module resource object defining resource modules which can be allocated to said functional unit, the properties of said resource modules, and an evaluation expression for each of said properties;

processing said evaluation expression defined for each property to compare said required properties of each of said required modules to said properties of said plurality of resource modules to determine if said properties of said plurality of resource modules are sufficient to implement said functional unit; and

allocating at least one of said resource modules to said functional unit in accordance with said set of required modules and required properties defined by said link object if said evaluation expressions are satisfied.