KR20010064248A - Member function call method of active objects in distributed system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method is provided to call a member function of a parallel object in a same method with a common object without editing an existing operating system or a kernel. CONSTITUTION: A parallel object consists of member data, member functions, and a receptor function. The member data are variables which are being defined in the parallel object. The member functions are methods capable of being called by another object. The receptor function provides a function for branching to each member function. The receptor function is created by a complier or a code creating tool. If a member function of a transmitting parallel object(13) calls a member function of another parallel object(15), a parallel object member function call managing device transmits an identifier sensing an entry of the member function and medium variables to a receptor function of a receiving parallel object(14)(16). The receptor function of a receiving parallel object(14) transmits the medium variables to the entry of the member function using the identifier, and receives a control to the receptor function(18). If a restoring value exists in a called member function, the receptor function transmits a restoring value to the parallel object member function call managing device(19) and waits the next member function call requesting at a member function receiving block state. In the case of a member function having a restoring value, the parallel object member function call managing device returns the restoring value to the calling parallel object(20).

Description

Member function call method of active objects in distributed system}

The present invention relates to a method of calling a member function of a parallel object in a distributed object environment.

In detail, the method of calling a member function of a parallel object existing in an arbitrary process is used in the same way as calling a member function of a general object. A method of calling a member function of a parallel object that is called in the same way as calling a member function of a parallel object existing in the same process.

A parallel object is an identifiable entity that consists of attributes that describe the unique properties or appearances of a conventional object and behaviors that describe a response in response to a request. A parallel object's behavior is divided into a constructor function that initializes the data structures necessary to execute the parallel object, a function part that receives requests to the parallel object (a receptor or receptor function), and a member function that actually executes the received request.

Existing objects simply call the member functions of the object in the same way as calling a western routine. However, since a parallel object is an object that is scheduled and executed by a computer system, the member function call to the parallel object is a function that requires the member function caller and the member function receiver to process the member function call and receive request to schedule the parallel objects. need.

The present invention devised by such a need calls a member function of a parallel object in a distributed object system without modifying or adding a function of an existing computer system, and makes a member function call of a parallel object the same as a member function of an existing object. The purpose is to provide a way to call.

In the present invention for achieving the above object, the parallel object is created in one process area, executes a constructor function, undergoes an initialization process, and then executes a function (receptor or receptor function) that receives a request to the parallel object. Wait for a member function call in the receive block waiting for a function call. When a member function call request occurs, the receptor function first receives the call request, switches the parallel object from the receive block state to the execution state, and executes the member function by calling the member function corresponding to the requested call request. If the member function has a return value, the return value is passed to the thread or a parallel object that called the member function by the receptor function.

The process of calling the member function of the parallel object is completely transparent to users' applications. Therefore, the member function of the parallel object is called in the same way as the member function call used in the existing object system.

In the present invention, a parallel object broker is used to support a distributed object environment. Parallel object brokers are created in the form of threads and exist in one process. The parallel object broker receives the member function call request of the parallel object beyond the process scope and executes the member function call to the parallel object existing in the process. The process can then be in the same computer or in any computer in the distributed object system. In the present invention, it is possible to call a member function in a distributed object system in the same manner as calling a member function of a parallel object existing in the same process.

1 is a block diagram of a distributed object system composed of a general purpose computer and a communication network (LAN) to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram of processes loaded in the main memory of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a structural diagram of each process of FIG.

4 is a functional diagram of a parallel object member function call manager present in the process of FIG.

5 is a state diagram showing a member function call relationship between a parallel object and a parallel object existing in the process of FIG.

6 is a state diagram showing a member function call relationship between a thread and a parallel object existing in the process of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a state diagram showing a member function call relation to a parallel object existing in an arbitrary process in the distributed object system of FIG.

8 is a flowchart showing a transmission processing unit for calling a member function.

9 is a flowchart of a reception processing unit for receiving a member function;

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1: CPU 2: Main Memory

3: Communication port 4: LAN

5: Member function call request 6: Remote member function call request

7: Remote member function call request transmission 8: Receive parallel object search request

9: Request to send message 10: Request to receive member function

11: Receive message search request 12: Parallel object block request

13: parallel reception object 14: reception parallel object

15: Member function call request 16: Parallel object call

17: member function call 18: return value

19 Return Value Request 20: Return Value to Call Parallel Object

21: Send thread

22: Passing member function call request to parallel object broker

23: Passing member function call request

24: Delivery of request for return value to parallel object broker

25: Return value transfer request delivery

26: receiving parallel object intermediary 27: transmitting parallel object intermediary

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of a general-purpose distributed object system to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention may be operated in a general-purpose computer system having different operating systems.

Each data processing system includes a CPU 1 and a main memory 2 in a main body, and process images capable of executing an operating system kernel and a parallel object are loaded in the main memory 1. There is a communication port 3 for communication with other computers, and the communication port is connected to the LAN 4 so as to exchange information with other computers for execution.

2 illustrates a state in which a process and an operating system kernel are loaded in main memory. A process is a term commonly used in general purpose computers and is a unit of execution that is scheduled by the operating system or kernel to use the CPU. The present invention basically uses an environment in which a plurality of processes are executed in one computer.

3 is a structural diagram of each process, which shows a parallel object, a thread, and a member function call manager which are independently executable units in a process.

Here, a thread is a general term used in general-purpose computer systems, also referred to as a light-weighted process. A thread is a unit of execution in the same way as a process that is scheduled by an operating system or a kernel and allocated with a CPU. A parallel object is a unit of execution that can be scheduled and executed by an operating system or the kernel, such as a thread, for a function of an existing object. The parallel object member function call manager exists one per process and manages member function calls to the parallel object.

4 is an internal functional diagram of a parallel object member function call manager.

The member function transmission processing unit receives and processes a member function call request 5 from a parallel object or a thread which wants to call a member function. When the member function receiving parallel object is a call (6) that exists remotely (or another process), the remote member function calling processing unit transmits (7) to the parallel object intermediary of the process in which the receiving parallel object exists.

The member function call 8 when the member function reception parallel object exists in the same process is processed by the reception parallel object management unit. The reception parallel object management unit inserts a corresponding reception parallel object into the parallel object block queue to block execution of the parallel object or to remove the parallel object from the block queue and execute it again.

The member function caller removes the receiving parallel object from the block queue when the member function receiver exists in the block queue and makes it executable. If the reception parallel object does not exist in the block queue (9), the transmission message processing unit stores the information necessary for the member function call in the message queue.

When the parallel object receiving the member function makes the member function reception request 10, it is processed by the member function receiving processing unit. The member function reception parallel object checks (11) whether the message to be processed by the transmission message processing unit has arrived. If there is a message arriving, it immediately removes the message from the message queue and calls the relevant member function of the receiving parallel object. If there is no message arrived (12), the reception parallel object management unit inserts the reception parallel object into the parallel object block queue and sets the state of the reception parallel object to a block state.

5 is a state diagram showing a member function call relation of the reception parallel object 14 in the transmission parallel object 13.

The parallel object is composed of member data C1, member function C2, and receptor function C3. Member data are variables defined in parallel objects, and member functions are methods that can be called from other objects. Receptor functions are functions that provide a branching function to each member function. They are generated by a compiler or a code generation tool.

When calling the member function of another parallel object from the member function of the transmitting parallel object 13 (15), the parallel object member function call manager of FIG. 4 recognizes the identifier of the member function entry and the parameters. It passes to the receptor function of 14). The acceptor function of the receiving parallel object 14 uses this identifier to pass parameters to the entry of the member function (17) and to return control to the receptor function (18). In this case, when the called member function has a return value, the receptor function transmits the return value to the parallel object member function call manager (19) and waits for the next member function call request in the member function reception block state. In the case of a member function with a return value, the parallel object member function call manager returns the parallel value to the calling parallel object (20).

FIG. 6 is a state diagram showing a member function call relationship between the transmitting thread 21 and the receiving parallel object 14 existing in the process. As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the operation is the same, there is a difference that the calling object is a thread rather than a parallel object. From the point of view of the user writing the program, it is used in the same way regardless of the type of object being called.

7 is a state diagram illustrating a member function call relation in a distributed object system to a parallel object existing in another process.

The member function call transfer relationship is similar to FIG. With respect to the member function call request 15, the parallel object member function call manager transmits the member function call request to the parallel object mediator of the process in which the receiving parallel object exists when the receiving parallel object exists in another process. A parallel object broker is a thread-shaped object that exists one by one in a process, and simply receives member function calls from other processes and delivers them to the parallel objects in its own process. The reception parallel object intermediary 26 forwards the member function call request received through the member function call request delivery 22 to the parallel object member function call manager in its process (23).

The following transfer process is the same as FIG. In the case of the return value, a process similar to that of FIG. 5 is transmitted to the parallel object member function call manager of the receiving process (19). Since the member function call parallel object to receive the return value exists in another process, the request to send the return value is transmitted to the transmission parallel object intermediary 27 of the process in which the parallel object 13 that called the member function exists. do. The transmission parallel object intermediary 27 that has received the return value transmission request forwards the return value transmission request to the parallel object member function call manager present in its process (25). The parallel object member function call manager, which has received the return value transmission request of the transmitting parallel object intermediary 27, returns the returned value to the parallel object calling the return value (20).

8 is a flowchart of a transmission processing unit in a parallel object member function call manager for calling a member function.

When a member function call request is generated, the transmission processing unit constructs the contents necessary for the member function call in a message form (28). In the case of the member function call 29 having the return value, the information of the caller calling the member function for receiving the return value is additionally stored in the message (30). If the receiving parallel object is a remote member function call 31 present in a process different from the caller, the member function call request is transmitted to the parallel object intermediary of the process in which the receiving parallel object exists (32).

If the remote member function is not called, it is checked whether the receiving parallel object is waiting in the parallel object block queue to receive the member function (33). If there is a receiving parallel object in the parallel object block queue, the receiving parallel object is removed from the parallel object block queue and the contents of the message are transmitted to the member function (34). Receive parallel objects are scheduled by the kernel to execute member functions. However, if the receiving parallel object is not in the parallel object block queue, the message storing the information on the member function call is stored in the message queue (35). In the case of a member function call 36 with a return value, the block is waited until the return value is returned (37). If the return value is received or the return value is not needed, the function returns to the part that called the member function.

9 is a flowchart of a reception processing unit in a parallel object member function call manager for receiving a member function.

The receiving parallel object that wants to receive and process the member function searches the message queue and checks whether there is a message to be processed, that is, a member function call request (38). If there is no message to be processed, the reception parallel object is inserted into the parallel object block queue and the reception parallel object is placed in the reception block state (39). When a message to be processed exists in the message queue, that is, when a member function call request is made, the message is removed from the message queue and the member function is executed by referring to the message content (40). After the member function is executed, if the member function call has a return value (41), the return value is transmitted to the caller who called the member function with reference to the received message (42). The receiving parallel object repeats the above process.

As described above, the present invention allows a member function of a parallel object to be called in the same manner as a member function call of an existing general object that is not a parallel object. In addition, the member function call of a parallel object existing in another process or a different computer can be accessed in the same way as the member function call of a parallel object existing in the same process or the same computer. It is also possible to implement these functions without modifying the existing operating system or kernel. Accordingly, the present invention can provide convenience to process users who require frequent member function calls of parallel objects.

The technical spirit of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this is by way of example only and not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, it is obvious that any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and imitations without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims (4)

In a method of calling a member function of a parallel object in a distributed object system, Calling a member function by a member function caller (transmission-parallel object or thread); Transmitting, by the parallel object member function call manager, a member function call request to the receptor function of the receiving parallel object; And The same process in a distributed object system comprising executing a member function called by a receiving function of a receiving parallel object, receiving control, and waiting for a next member function call request in a member function receiving block state. How to call a member function of a parallel object in it. The method of claim 1, The parallel object member function call manager determines whether the member function call has a return value before sending the member function call request.In case of a member function call with the return value, it waits for the return value to be delivered after passing the member function call request. step; Transmitting a return value to the parallel object member call manager when the called member function has a return value before the receptor function of the receiving parallel object waits for a next member function call request in the member function reception block state; And And transmitting the return value to the member function caller by the parallel object member function call manager receiving the same. In a method of calling a member function of a parallel object in a distributed object system, Calling a member function by a member function caller (transmission-parallel object or thread); Transmitting, by the parallel object member function call manager, the member function call request to the parallel object intermediary of the process in which the receiving parallel object exists when the receiving parallel object exists in another process or on another computer; Transmitting the member function call request received by the receiving parallel object broker to the parallel object member call manager in its process; Transmitting, by the receiving parallel object member function call manager, a member function call request to the receptor function of the receiving parallel object; And Another process in the distributed object system comprising executing a member function called by a receiving parallel object, executing a member function, and receiving control, and waiting for the next member function call request in a member function receiving block state. Or a member function call of a parallel object existing in another computer. The method of claim 3, The parallel object member function call manager determines whether the member function call has a return value before sending the member function call request to the receiving parallel object mediator, and if the member function call has a return value, returns the member function call request. Waiting for a value to be passed; Transmitting to the parallel object member function call manager of the receiving process if the called member function has a return value before waiting for the next member function call request in the member function receiving block state; The parallel object member function call manager of the receiving process sends a return value transfer request to the sending parallel object intermediary, and the sender parallel object broker received the return value transfer request returns the parallel value to the parallel object member function call manager that exists in its process. Delivering a transfer request; And The parallel object member call manager, which has received the request to send the return value of the sending parallel object broker, transmits the return value to the member function caller. How to call member functions of an object.