Information processing method and information processing apparatus

• US 8,161,161 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iino, Yoichiro, Hamano, Atsushi, Saito, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/066,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 710/36, 710/107, 711/150, 718/1, 718/104, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A certain process included in a first execution space requests a local resource manager to allocate a resource. The local resource manager obtains the authentication ID of the process issuing the request and determines whether or not the resource can be allocated. If the resource can be allocated and the resource previously secured in the execution space can suffice the request, the local resource manager allocates the resource to the process. If the resource is insufficient, the local resource manager requests a global resource manager to allocate the resource. The global resource manager obtains the authentication ID of the first execution space issuing the request and determines whether or not the resource can be allocated. If it is determined that the resource can be allocated, the resource is allocated to the first execution space.

Claims

1. An information processing method comprising:

generating an execution space corresponding to a software to be started and executed on at least a processor,

supplying a provisional execution space ID to the execution space by the processor,

reading a limitation information table attached to the software, wherein the limitation information table associates fixed ID information with information on resource allocation limitations of the software, wherein the resource allocation limitations are determined during a developmental stage of the software,

associating the fixed ID with the provisional execution space ID,

requesting additional resource allocation for a process which is executed in the execution space;

converting the provisional ID information of the execution space to which the process belongs, the information being included in the request for the additional resource allocation for the process, into the fixed ID;

determining whether or not the additional resource allocation is approved, based on a resource allocation limitation obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID obtained from the converting step; and

upon the additional resource allocation being approved, processing the additional resource allocation.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting mode change instruction from a user,

reading another limitation information table which corresponds to the mode after the change from the software, and modifying the limitation information table already read;

wherein the determination regarding the approval of the additional resource allocation is based on the other limitation information table read after the mode change.

3. An information processing method comprising:

generating an execution space and a process to be executed in the execution space corresponding to a software to be started and executed by a processor,

supplying provisional IDs to the execution space and the process by the processor,

reading a limitation information table attached to the software, the limitation information table associates fixed ID information with information on resource allocation limitation for the execution space and the process, wherein the fixed ID information is determined at a developmental stage of the software,

associating the fixed ID with the provisional IDs,

requesting additional resource allocation for the process;

a first converting step of converting the provisional ID information of the process, where the information is included in the request for the additional resource allocation for the process, into a fixed ID of the process;

determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, based on the allocation limitation for the process which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID of the process obtained from the first converting step;

upon the additional resource allocation for the process being approved, requesting the additional resource allocation for the execution space to which the process belongs;

a second converting step of converting the provisional ID information of the execution space, where the information is included in the request for the additional resource allocation for the execution space, into the fixed ID of the execution space;

determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, based on the allocation limitation for the execution space which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID obtained from the second converting step;

upon the additional resource allocation for the execution space being approved, allocating the additional resources to the execution space; and

allocating the additional resource included in the resources allocated to the execution space, to the process.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein:

information on the allocation limitation for the process includes an upper limit of the entire amount of each resource allocatable to the process; and

in the determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, the allocation is approved if the entire amount of the requested resource, allocated to the process after the additional allocation, does not exceed the upper limit.

5. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein:

the information on allocation limitation for the execution space includes an upper limit of the entire amount of each resource allocatable to the execution space; and

in the determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, the allocation is approved if the entire amount of the requested resource, allocated to the execution space after the additional allocation, does not exceed the upper limit.

6. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein:

information on the allocation limitation for the process includes types of resources which the process can access; and

in the determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, the allocation is approved if the type of the resource, which the process requests to allocate additionally, is included in the types of resources which the process can access.

7. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein:

information on the allocation limitation for the execution space includes types of resources which the execution space can access; and

in the determining whether or not the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, the allocation is approved if the type of the resource, which the execution space requests to allocate additionally, is included in the types of resources which the execution space can access.

8. An information processing apparatus in which a plurality of execution spaces are generated, comprising:

an initializing unit that generates at least one of the execution spaces and at least one process to be executed in the execution space corresponding to a software to be started, the initializing unit supplies provisional IDs to the execution space and the process, and stores in a storage a limitation information table which associates fixed ID information and information on resource allocation limitation for the execution space and the process, the limitation information table is read out from the software, and associates the fixed ID with the provisional IDs, wherein the fixed ID information is determined at a developmental stage of the software,

a process executing unit, provided for each of the execution spaces and operative to execute one or more processes and to request to allocate additional resources for the process;

a primary determiner operative to receive the request from the process executing unit and to determine whether or not the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, based on an the allocation limitation for the process, which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID associated to the provisional ID of the process;

an execution space processing unit operative, upon the additional resource allocation for the process being approved in the primary determiner, to request to allocate the additional resources for the execution space to which the process belongs;

a secondary determiner operative to receive the request from the execution space processing unit and to determine whether or not the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, based on the allocation limitation for the execution space which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID associated to the provisional ID of the execution space; and

an allocation processing unit operative, upon the additional resource allocation for the execution space being approved in the secondary determiner, to execute the resource allocation processing, wherein;

the secondary determiner comprises an execution space ID information manager operative to convert the provisional ID information of the execution space to which the execution space processing unit belongs, the information being included in the request signal for the additional resource allocation from the execution space processing unit, into the fixed ID,

and the secondary determiner is operative to refer to the limitation information table, based on the fixed ID information obtained from the execution space ID information manager.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a process ID information manager operative to convert the provisional ID information of the process issuing the request, the information being included in the request signal for the additional resource allocation from the process executing unit, into the fixed ID of the process, wherein

the primary determiner is operative to refer to the limitation information table, based on the fixed ID obtained from the process ID information manager.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

correspondence between the fixed ID information of each process and at least one of:

a) maximum amount of memory allocatable to the process;

b) ID information of an available device; and

c) information on whether or not the process can access a hard disk, are written in the limitation information table stored in the storage unit and the table is updated along with the increase and decrease of the number of processes executed by the process executing unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

correspondence between the fixed ID information of each execution space and at least one of:

a) maximum amount of memory allocatable to the execution space;

b) maximum allocatable CPU time;

c) ID information of an available device and d) maximum allocatable hard disk space, are written in the limitation information table stored in the storage unit and the table is updated along with the increase and decrease of the number of execution spaces.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a controller operative to;

control the information processing apparatus integrally and to generate an execution space corresponding to software which is executed,

generate a provisional execution space ID for the execution space,

read a limitation information table attached to the software, wherein the limitation information table associates fixed ID information with information on resource allocation limitations on the software, wherein the resource allocation limitations are determined at a developmental stage of the software and

associate the fixed ID of the software with the provisional execution space ID, and

a process executing unit operative to execute a process started to execute the software, wherein;

upon the process executing unit requesting to allocate additional resources, the controller operates as an execution space ID information manager operative to convert the provisional ID information of the execution space to which the processing executing unit belongs, the information being included in the request for the additional resource allocation from the process executing unit, into the fixed ID,

the controller is operative to refer to the limitation information table, based on the fixed ID information obtained from the execution space ID information manager, and

the controller allocates resources to the execution space to which the process belongs under the resource allocation limitation defined for the execution space and indicated in the software.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a computer program capable of causing a processing system to execute actions comprising:

generating module which generates an execution space and a process to be executed in the execution space corresponding to a software to be started,

supplying module which supplies respective provisional IDs to the execution space and the process,

reading module which reads a limitation information table which associates fixed ID information and information on resource allocation limitation for the execution space and the process, the limitation information table is attached to the software and the fixed ID is associated with the provisional IDs, wherein the fixed ID information is determined at a developmental stage of the software,

a requesting module which requests additional resource allocation for the process;

a first converting module which converts the provisional ID of the process, where the information is included in the request for the additional resource allocation for the process, into a fixed ID of the process;

a determining module which determines whether or not the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, based on the allocation limitation for the process which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID of the process based from the first converting module;

a requesting module which, when the additional resource allocation for the process is approved, requests additional resource allocation for the execution space to which the process belongs;

a second converting module which converts the provisional ID information of the execution space, where the information is included in the request for the additional resource allocation for the execution space, into the fixed ID of the execution space;

a determining module which determines whether or not the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, based on the allocation limitation for the execution space which is obtained by referring to the limitation information table based on the fixed ID obtained from the second converting module;

an allocating module which, when the additional resource allocation for the execution space is approved, allocates the additional resources to the execution space; and

an allocating module which allocates the additional resource, included in the resources allocated to the execution space, to the process.