Information streaming in a multi-process system using shared memory

• US 6,519,686 B2
• Filed: 01/05/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Menon, Rama, Woodring, Michael C., Cohen, Aaron M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEAN MAYO, KIMBERLY N
• Application Number:
  US09/002,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 711/147, 711/152, 711/153, 707/1, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/213, 709/216, 709/231, 709/310, 709/312-318, 710/52, 710/53, 710/54, 710/56
• US Class Current: 711/147
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and system for streaming an information stream from a producer to N consumers in a multi-process environment. An inter-process communication (IPC) channel containing a shared memory is provided between the producer and at least one of N consumers. The information stream is written into the shared memory by way of a producer-side interface. The information stream is read from the shared memory by way of a consumer-side interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sharing an information stream in a shared memory located in an inter-process communication (IPC) channel between a producer and at least one of N consumers, the IPC channel having a client mask to represent a bitmask indicating which consumer from the N consumers is being connected;

generating the information stream into the shared memory by a producer-side interface, the producer-side interface interfacing between the producer and the IPC channel;

notifying a consumer-side interface of arrival of the information stream via at least one of N mail slots, the consumer-side interface interfacing between the at least one of the N consumers and the IPC channel; and

receiving the information stream from the shared memory by the consumer-side interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the information stream comprises specifying a number of buffers and a buffer size to be used in the shared memory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the information stream comprises allocating a buffer for writing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the consumer-side interface of the arrival of the information stream comprises broadcasting a notification to the N consumers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises attaching the at least one of the N consumers to the IPC channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises waiting until a buffer is broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises mapping a buffer'"'"'s address into an address space of the at least one of the N consumers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises specifying a desired sample notification rate at which to be notified of a buffer arrival.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises specifying a key attribute of the information stream for matching before notification.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information stream comprises releasing a reference to a buffer.

11. A system comprising:

a shared memory to share an information stream from a producer to N consumers, the shared memory being located in an inter-process communication (IPC) channel between the producer and at least one of the N consumers, the IPC having at least one mail slot, the IPC channel having a client mask to represent a bitmask indicating which consumer of the N consumers is being connected;

a producer-side interface coupled to the IPC channel and the producer for generating the information stream into the shared memory; and

a consumer-side interface coupled to the IPC channel and the at least one of the N consumers for receiving the information stream from the shared memory upon being notified, by the at least one mail slot of arrival of the information stream.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the producer-side interface comprises a buffer specifier for specifying a number of buffers and a buffer size to be used in the shared memory.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the producer-side interface comprises a buffer allocator for allocating a buffer for writing.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one mail slot broadcasts a notification to the at least one of the N consumers.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises an IPC attachment for attaching the at least one of the N consumers to the IPC channel.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises a synchronizer for waiting until a buffer is broadcast.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises an address mapper for mapping a buffer'"'"'s address into an address space of the at least one of the N consumers.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises a sample notification rate specifier for specifying a desired sample notification rate at which to be notified of a buffer arrival.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises an attribute specifier for specifying a key attribute of the information stream for matching before notification.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the consumer-side interface comprises a reference releaser for releasing a reference to a buffer.

21. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein for streaming an information stream from a producer to N consumers the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for sharing the information stream in a shared memory located in an inter-process communication (IPC) channel between the producer and at least one of the N consumers, the IPC channel having a client mask to represent a bitmask indicating which consumer of the N consumers is being connected;

computer readable program code for generating the information stream into the shared memory by a producer-side interface, the producer-side interface interfacing between the producer and the IPC channel;

computer readable program code for notifying a consumer-side interface of arrival of the information stream via at least one of N mail slots, the consumer-side interface interfacing between the at least one of the N consumers and the IPC channel; and

computer readable program code for receiving the information stream from the shared memory by the consumer-side interface.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for generating the information stream comprises computer readable program code for specifying a number of buffers and a buffer size to be used in the shared memory.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for generating the information stream comprises computer readable program code for allocating a buffer for writing.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for notifying the arrival of the information stream comprises computer readable program code for broadcasting a notification to the N consumers.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for attaching the at least one of the N consumers to the IPC channel.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for waiting until a buffer is broadcast.

27. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for mapping a buffer'"'"'s address into an address space of the at least one of the N consumers.

28. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for specifying a desired sample notification rate at which to be notified of a buffer arrival.

29. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for specifying a key attribute of the information stream for matching before notification.

30. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code for receiving the information stream comprises computer readable program code for releasing a reference to a buffer.