Mechanism for evaluating requests prior to disposition in a multi-threaded environment

• US 6,895,584 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Belkin, Ruslan
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALI, SYED J
• Application Number:
  US09/573,696
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/102, 709/105, 709/107, 705/304
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5011 Pool
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for enabling a request to be evaluated prior to the request being disposed. Particularly, an evaluation function is associated with a thread pool. Whenever a thread is to be assigned from that thread pool, the evaluation function may be invoked. The evaluation function may be invoked in response to one or more conditions being satisfied, or it may be invoked each time a thread is needed from that thread pool. When invoked, the evaluation function performs an evaluation on the request. Based upon the evaluation, the evaluation function may take one or more actions. For example, if the evaluation function determines that the request is a high priority request, then it may ensure that the request will be processed regardless of system workload. The evaluation function is user specifiable; thus, it may be programmed to perform any desired operations, and to take any desired considerations and factors into account. Overall, the evaluation function gives a user great freedom in determining how to dispose of a request.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for carrying out request disposition, comprising:

receiving a first request for service;

selecting a first thread pool to be used to service said request;

invoking a first evaluation function associated with said first thread pool, said first evaluation function performing a first evaluation of said first request prior to an assignment of a thread from said first thread pool to said first request;

disposing of said first request in accordance with said first evaluation;

receiving a second request for service, said second request being serviceable using a thread from a second thread pool;

invoking a second evaluation function associated with said second thread pool, said second evaluation function performing a second evaluation of said second request; and

disposing of said second request in accordance with said second evaluation;

wherein said first thread pool differs from said second thread pool, and said first evaluation function differs from said second evaluation function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein functionality of said first evaluation function is specifiable by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein invoking said first evaluation function comprises:

determining whether one or more conditions have been satisfied; and

in response to a determination that said one or more conditions have been satisfied, invoking said first evaluation function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more conditions comprises a condition wherein there are no threads currently available in said first thread pool for use in servicing said first request.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein disposing of said first request comprises:

determining a priority for said first request based upon said first evaluation; and

disposing of said first request based upon said priority.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a priority comprises:

determining a likelihood that servicing of said first request will give rise to revenue realization.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a priority further comprises:

determining an amount of revenue likely to be realized by servicing said first request.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, placing said first request in an early portion of a service queue.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, ensuring that said first request will be serviced.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first evaluation function performing said first evaluation of said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of an amount contained in said first request.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of which stage of a multi-stage transaction is indicated by said first request.

13. An apparatus for carrying out request disposition, comprising:

a mechanism for receiving a first request for service;

a mechanism for selecting a first thread pool to be used to service said first request;

a mechanism for invoking a first evaluation function associated with said first thread pool, said first evaluation function performing a first evaluation of said first request prior to an assignment of a thread from said first thread pool to said first request;

a mechanism for disposing of said first request in accordance with said first evaluation;

a mechanism for receiving a second request for service, said second request being serviceable using a thread from a second thread pool;

a mechanism for invoking a second evaluation function associated with said second thread pool, said second evaluation function performing a second evaluation of said second request; and

a mechanism for disposing of said second request in accordance with said second evaluation;

wherein said first thread pool differs from said second thread pool, and said first evaluation function differs from said second evaluation function.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein functionality of said first evaluation function is specifiable by a user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mechanism for invoking said first evaluation function comprises:

a mechanism for determining whether one or more conditions have been satisfied; and

a mechanism for invoking, in response to a determination that said one or more conditions have been satisfied, said first evaluation function.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more conditions comprises a condition wherein there are no threads currently available in said first thread pool for use in servicing said first request.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the mechanism for disposing of said first request comprises:

a mechanism for determining a priority for said first request based upon said first evaluation; and

a mechanism for disposing of said first request based upon said priority.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mechanism for determining a priority comprises:

a mechanism for determining a likelihood that servicing of said first request will give rise to revenue realization.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the mechanism for determining a priority further comprises:

a mechanism for determining an amount of revenue likely to be realized by servicing said first request.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mechanism for disposing of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

a mechanism for placing, in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, said first request in an early portion of a service queue.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mechanism for disposing of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

a mechanism for ensuring, in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, that said first request will be serviced.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first evaluation function performing said first evaluation of said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of an amount contained in said first request.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of which stage of a multi-stage transaction is indicated by said first request.

25. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out request disposition, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a first request for service;

instructions for selecting a first thread pool to be used to service said first request;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke a first evaluation function associated with said first thread pool, said evaluation function performing a first evaluation of said first request prior to an assignment of a thread from said first thread pool to said first request;

instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said request in accordance with said first evaluation;

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a second request for service, said second request being serviceable using a thread from a second thread pool;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke a second evaluation function associated with said second thread pool, said second evaluation function performing a second evaluation of said second request; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said second request in accordance with said second evaluation;

wherein said first thread pool differs from said second thread pool, and said first evaluation function differs from said second evaluation function.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein functionality of said first evaluation function is specifiable by a user.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke said first evaluation function comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether one or more conditions have been satisfied; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke, in response to a determination that said one or more conditions have been satisfied, said first evaluation function.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein said one or more conditions comprises a condition wherein there are no threads currently available in said first thread pool for use in servicing said first request.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said first request comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a priority for said first request based upon said first evaluation; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said first request based upon said priority.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a priority comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a likelihood that servicing of said first request will give rise to revenue realization.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a priority further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine an amount of revenue likely to be realized by servicing said first request.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to place, in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, said first request in an early portion of a service queue.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to dispose of said first request based upon said priority comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to ensure, in response to a determination that said first request has a relatively high priority, that said first request will be serviced.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein said first evaluation function performing said first evaluation of said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of an amount contained in said first request.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said first evaluation function performing said evaluation of transactional information contained in said first request comprises said first evaluation function performing an evaluation of which stage of a multi-stage transaction is indicated by said first request.